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 A
beautiful landscape
On
arrival in Iles
de la Madeleine, the visitor immediately
feels the effect of the total change
of scenery. As far as the eye can
see, the islands and dunes blend,
come apart, and stretch out as if
deposited by the whims of the sea.
The Islands look like tiny landmasses
enlivened by green valleys, spectacular
white sandy beaches, red cliffs, and
the many shades of blue that the sea
and lagoons reflect from the sky.
A
maritime climate
The
maritime climate enjoyed by the Islands
keeps winters mild and refreshes summers.
This region has the least amount of
annual frost in the whole Province
of Québec. The sunny, warm
temperatures often last until the
end of September. However, the ice
surrounding the archipelago from the
end of January delays the coming of
spring.
 This
doesn't keep the water encircling
the Islands from reaching temperatures
up to 17 degrees Celcius (63°F).
The low tides and especially the shallows
near and around the archipelago help
warm the water in the lagoons as well
as the water surrounding the Islands.
In comparison, the waters of the Islands
are warmer than those along the banks
of the St. Lawrence River.
The
constant winds greatly influence the
climate in the Islands. Stronger in
the winter than in the summer, wind
speed varies between 17 and 40 km/h
(9 to 22 knots/h). In summer the prevailing
winds are from the southwest and in
winter they are from the northwest.
The archipelago has all the elements:
climate, wind, various bodies of water
and more than 300 km of beautiful
beaches - all it takes to be a water
sport lover's paradise.
The
Îles de la Madeleine are in
the Atlantic Time Zone, one hour ahead
of the rest of the Province of Québec.
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