A group of islands that looks like a hook and is shaped by the wind is one of Canada’s best-kept secrets. It’s in the middle of the Gulf of St. Lawrence and looks like a speck of dust on a map, but it’s full of adventure, friendly people, a proud history, delicious seafood, and culinary surprises.

The Magdalen Islands is what people call it.

Even though people who live there and know it well go there in the summer, the winter is a magical time when fluffy snow, perfect light, and cute animals all come together. This is your guide to the best things to do in the winter on the Magdalen Islands. You’ll start planning your trip here before we’re done, because it’s easier than you think!

No matter what else you do when you go to the Magdalen Islands, make sure you climb at least one “butte.”

The views from these small grassy hills (or mounds) of the beautiful Îles de la Madeleine are worth the little effort it takes to get there.

Go to Cap-aux-Meules if you don’t have enough time or the right shoes to climb a “proper” butte. A wooden staircase leads up to a small hill that looks out over the port.

Did you know that the Magdalen Islands are the only place in the world where you can get close to baby harp seals? They are fluffy, white, and have tiny whiskers and big eyes.

Every year, harp seals swim to this area of the Gulf of St. Lawrence to give birth to their pups on stable platforms of ice called ice floes.

Chateau Madelinot offers once-in-a-lifetime trips to see harp seals. You will be taken by helicopter to an ice floe where you can see mothers taking care of their pups. You can get as close to them as nose-to-nose and take as many pictures as your memory card can hold.

The Chateau Madelinot Harp Seal Expedition was just named one of the 25 best trips to take in 2020 by National Geographic. This is because the baby seals are so cute and because global warming is making this part of the lifecycle so hard so quickly.

The ice is getting harder and harder to predict, and ice floes that are thick enough for helicopters to land on have canceled the seasons for 2021 and 2022.

An excellent ‘starter’ butte. At the top of this butte, where you can see Entry Island, the Cap Alright Lighthouse, and a lot of colorful houses, there is a cross.

The 700m trail leads to the top. It starts out slowly and gets steeper as you get closer to the top.

The main trailhead is on Chemin des Échoueries, right next to the stairs that lead down to the beach below Cap Alright Lighthouse. The hike is 1.4 km one way, and there is one steep part.

The Magdalen Islands have a total of 6 lighthouses, but only 3 of them are on the main islands that are linked together. Each one is in a different part of the archipelago and is a great place to go.

The Cap Alright Lighthouse is on the island of Havre aux Maisons. It is in the east. It was built in 1928 and is now owned by a private person. It was the last lighthouse to be built on the archipelago. It is 8.3 meters tall and is close to the edge of the red rock cliff that goes out to sea.

The Borgot Lighthouse is on the island of Cap aux Meules, which is to the west. The round-towered lighthouse sits on top of a hill and is 11.5 meters tall. It has great views of the cliffs that lead to Belle-Anse, a popular summer destination.

Anse-à-la-Cabane Lighthouse on Havre-Aubert Island is the last one. In fact, this is the oldest lighthouse that is still used. This is a unique hexagonal structure that stands 17.1 meters tall and faces south. It is likely the last one of its kind in the country.

Photographers love to take pictures of the white lighthouses with bright red tops that stand guard over the snowy landscape in the winter.

From the main butte and the smaller Butte de la Croix, where there is a religious monument, you can see La Grave Historic Site and L’Île-du-Havre-Aubert.

Park at the Notre-Dame church and walk back 200m on Chemin d’en Haut to the trailhead. From the bottom of the trail to the top of Butte des Demoiselles, via Butte de la Croix, is about 1.7 km.

Even though things slow down in the Magdalen Islands in the winter, l’Abri de la Tempête, the local watering hole, is still a very popular place.

Come here on Tuesdays and Fridays, and you’ll find local Madelinots catching up and talking in their cozy brewpub.

Don’t be fooled by how small they are. This microbrewery is always coming up with new ideas for their classic and limited-edition bottles. They use island ingredients like malted barley, sea salt, herbs and flowers grown on the island, and even smoked malt from the Fumoir d’Antan smokehouse.

This butte, which is on Entry Island, has the best view of the Islands (174m). Be ready to share the 360-degree views with a herd of cows from the area.

We didn’t have time to go to Entry Island, so it’s on our list for when we come back.

The islands have more stars than just baby harp seals. Only a few land mammals live on the island, and the red fox is one of them.

Seeing these red foxes in their natural environment is a pretty cool thing to do. In the winter, their red fur, fluffy tail with a white tip, and pointy ears stand out against the white tundra.

When they are out looking for food at sunrise or sunset is the best time to find them.

The thing is, there is no one place on Magdalen Islands where you can be sure to see a red fox. At this point, you should ask people in the area where they’ve seen them recently. Madelinots are very friendly, so all you have to do is ask!