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At the far end of the archipelago, the twin islets of anglophone Grosse-Ile and francophone Ile de la Grande-Entree border the wildlife reserve of the Pointe-de-l'Est , whose entrance is beside the main road. On its south side, the reserve is edged by the enormous sandy expanse of La Grande Echouerie beach , whose southern end is framed by yet more splendid rock formations at Old Harry's Point. This is where Europeans first came to the islands in order to slaughter walruses (sea cows), depleting the stock by 1800. Nowadays, the 10km walk down the beach offers a good chance to spot seals , and there have been renewed - albeit very rare - walrus sightings. A kilometre past the rustic wharf at Old Harry , a pretty white church with beautifully sculptured doors uses the islands as backdrop for biblical tales. A little further, the old red schoolhouse is home to the Council for Anglophone Magdalen Islanders and a museum (June-Sept Mon-Sat 9am-4pm, Sun 11am-4pm; free) tells the history of the anglophone population, most of whom are of Scottish descent. To learn more about seals head to the Centre d'Interpretation du Phoque , 377 Hwy 199 (daily: mid-June to late Aug 11am-6.30pm; Sept to mid-June 9am-noon & 1-4pm; $5.50, www.ilesdelamadeleine.com/cip ). The lobster port of Grande-Entree , the last island to be inhabited, has a couple of accommodation options: Domaine de la Grenouille sur Mer , 83 chemin des Pealey (tel 450/658-1130; $60-80) and Club Vacances "Les Iles ", 377 Hwy 199 (tel 985-2833 or 1-888/537-4537, www.clubiles.qc.ca ; $100-125), which is open all year and has camping space as well as rooms. The food is expensive but you can save money by opting to pay for full board. The club also offers various activities - like trips to the caves on offshore Ile Boudreau and seal-spotting excursions in the summer.
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