Official Tourist Guide 2025-2026

Îles de la Madeleine Overview – Profile of the Region

Architecture

The keys to the originality of Madelinot culture lie in its Acadian and Québec influences and its history of profound isolation. Once, shipwrecks and maritime commerce were its principal contacts with the outside world. This culture is still vibrant today, in the language, the arts, the economy, and in the maintenance and development of the land. This originality gives the Islands a little something extra…

Traditional Architecture The houses on Les Îles have become an important attraction with their colours and originality, but above all else for the way their location respects the landforms and natural habitats. They are naturally part of the landscape. Domestic architecture: houses and barns are quite simple and painted in a variety of bright colours. The Acadian and French origins of many of the Madelinots as well as some influence from New England can be seen in the architecture of their homes. Several details are typical of the traditional home: the small enclosed porch, corbel, veranda, painted or stained cedar shingles. There are many fine examples of tradi tional houses throughout Les Îles. The whole of the Patrimonial site of La Grave constitutes without a doubt a privileged heritage site where the traditional architecture is showcased. This is a perfect illustration of how an inhabited area can be transformed. Its designation as a historical site is an initiative that has encouraged other similar interventions such as the reconstitution of Anse de L’Étang-du-Nord.

Lighthouses The lighthouses are a testimony to the history of navigation in the Gulf of St. Lawrence and to the lifestyle that came with it. Lighthouses are iconic features of Les Iles and they represent a considerable heritage value. For a long time, they have literally been a lifeline for the many ships that sailed the coasts of the islands as well as for the Islanders living from marine activity. The territory of the Magdalen Islands has six ligh thouses. Four of them are easily accessible: Entry Island p. 33, Anse a la Cabane (Bassin, Havre Aubert Island, p. 30), Borgot (L’Etang-du-Nord, Cap aux Meules Island, p. 40) and Cape Alright (Havre aux Maisons Island, p. 44). The two others are those of Rocher aux Oiseaux and Brion Island (p. 102). Their design and the variety of materials used reflect the changing lights in this island country. Despite the presence of these lighthouses, the archipelago became the second largest ship graveyard in North America. In cultural and heritage centers, the public is presented with collections of objects from shipwrecks, photographs or archives that share the story of Les Îles, its navigation and Madelinots of all origins. See the Public Places and Historical Sites section and Museums, p. 86.

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