Iles de la Madeleine Attractions

The Îles de la Madeleine archipelago lies in the Gulf of St Lawrence, close on 300 km (186 mi.) from Gaspé and 120 km (75 mi.) from Prince Edward Island and consists of twelve islands and a few small reefs. Their name goes back to Samuel de Champlain, who in 1629 entered "La Magdeleine" on his chart. Of the seven inhabited islands, six are joined together by a road running along a 90 km (56-mi.) strip of dunes.

The Îles de la Madeleine are typically grayish-red sandstone, gypsum and other volcanic rock. The cliffs and rocks have been carved into fascinating shapes by erosion, and have disintegrated in parts to form broad, long sandy beaches.