This summer, we're doing - again! - the tour of Quebec. Each weekend, we offer you a few new or lesser-known attractions in a region of the province. Enough to complete your vacation itinerary or fill your days off. Today: heading for the Magdalen Islands.
Les Sentiers entre Vents et Marées is a long hiking circuit that goes around the Madelinot archipelago. And that's awesome. The route totals 230 km, including 56 km of beach, and allows you to discover the villages and the magnificent landscapes of the Islands from another angle.
Well marked (notably thanks to a shell symbol reminiscent of the Camino de Santiago), the circuit is divided into 13 stages of 10 to 28 km, which means that it can be covered in “small pieces”. Among our favorites: stage 5, because we discover the red cliffs of L'Étang-du-Nord and Fatima, and stage 9, because it goes through Boudreau Island and the Grande-Entrée fishing port.
It is possible to obtain a guide to the Trails, with map and “louvoyeur passport”, at the tourist information office.
From small “lobster shacks” to refined tables and gourmet boutiques, there are plenty of places to feast on the Îles-de-la-Madeleine. Among the great options: the new and already unmissable Chez Renard refreshment bar, which opened its doors in the summer of 2021 on Chemin du Quai, in Cap-aux-Meules. The slate features the flavors of the Islands and changes according to arrivals and seasonal products. Note that the homemade bagels - made with honey from Miel en mer and topped with cheese from Fromagerie du Pied-de-Vent - have a particularly good reputation for breakfast. On good terms!
The Petit hôtel de la montagne is a new and original accommodation which opened its doors in June 2022, on the island of Havre-Aubert. Housed in a former general store, it is made up of four private rooms with a sleek design, several shared spaces (kitchen, living room-library, dining room, laundry room) and a café-workshop-boutique called the Maison Papier. It is a “self-service” hotel, which means that it is accessed using a personal access code sent before the stay, a bit like in some Airbnb accommodations.
The Petit hôtel de la montagne is located near the West beach, perfect for admiring the sunsets, and the charming historic and tourist site of La Grave.
