Magdelan Islands Part 1

The Magdalen Islands or the Îles de la Madeleine consists of a dozen islands, six of which are connected by long thin sand dunes. The small archipelago is located in the middle of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence with a land area of 205 square kilometers. Though closer to Prince Edward Island (105 km) and Nova Scotia (95 km), the islands are part of Quebec.


Geographic position of the Magdalen Islands

Iles de la Madeleine Archipelago

To get to the Magdalens, you either fly or take a boat. And that my friend is where our fun began. I will pop a few more tidbits of history, demographics, etc. in as we travel the islands. In order to get our rigs to the islands we had to cross on the CTMA Traversier ferry called the M.V. Madeleine how fitting.  Reservations had to be made well in advance and a $50 nonrefundable deposit given at that time. We arrived early and waited with great anticipation and excitement.

Souris dock & marina

Finally the ferry arrives and we are loaded on.

M.V. Madeleine

Jean is first on the boat, we are somewhere in the middle, and Louis & Guy are the last. All aboard.

Louis & Guy last to board

The crossing itself takes about 5 hours, leaving Souris at 2pm and arriving in Cap-aux-Meules at 7pm. During the crossing all propane has to be turned off on the rig. Dogs are allowed up on deck but not inside the ship. We left ours in the rig below that way we knew they were safe. No one is allowed down by the vehicles while crossing which made it hard because I wanted to check them.

We all met up on deck and watched as the shoreline disappeared from the horizon.

The Maggie Group all ready to sail

About an hour out of port we saw some dolphins jumping out of the water. Of course they were too fast to take any pictures.  The ferry is fully equipped with everything to make a trip across more enjoyable. There’s a movie theater, cafeteria, internet, bar, quiet rooms, arcade room, dining room, gift shop, and more. Did someone say bar. Looking at water for 5 hours can be boring so we all headed to the local drinking establishment.

Bar Bums

After a couple of drinks we decided to go for supper as the day was getting on and everyone was hungry.

Ready to eat



Fern stop playing with your food

My supper

Some opted for their first taste of seafood while others stuck to more traditional food. The lobster was fantastic. Hopefully this is just a taste of the next two weeks. After dinner we walked back out on deck to await the sight of land. And yes there it is land ho matey.

Land Ho

As we docked I can’t help but think what a gorgeous day and how smooth the crossing was. Departing from the ferry took no time at all and before you knew it we were at the campground and all set up.

Home for the next two weeks

Our site #25

What a wonderful day and experience.