Isle-aux-Coudres: A Hidden Paradise You Must Visit

Welcome to our first episode of this series devoted to Quebec in Canada and we kick this off with the Island called Isle-aux-Coudres. This island is located about 125 km northeast of Quebec City, in the heart of the St. Lawrence River and at the foot of the mountains in the Charlevoix region. Barely 30 square kilometers in size, this island is a jewel of Charlevoix tourism. The road that surrounds it is about 23 kilometers long, which is why many tourists leave there car behind and tour the island by bicycle. Its history dates back to the beginning of New France. The explorer Jacques Cartier was the first European to visit the island during his second trip to Canada in 1535. He even called it Isle-aux-Coudres. This name comes from a small shrub that the navigator discovered on the island. Cartier said " the coudres" of the place better than those harvested in France. It is in the 18th century that the first settlers began to settle there, the families coming mainly from Île d'Orléans. Today, the majority of the approximately 1400 inhabitants of the island work in the tourist industry. The Ferry to get to Isle-aux-Coudres is located in the village of Saint-Joseph-de-la-Rive. There are two departures every hour in high season in both directions and the Ferry is free. Before getting there, you will pass through the village Les Éboulements which is one of the most beautiful villages in Quebec. During our passage, we stopped at the Bouchard bakery to bring back some specialties from the place. The church of Saint-Louis, built in 1885, is recognized as one of the most beautiful in Quebec. It is also a replica of the Basilica of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré, which burned down in 1922. An important tourist destination is the Moulins de l'Isle-aux-Coudres. At the beginning of the 19th century, the inhabitants of Isle-aux-Coudres had great difficulty grinding their grain. The solution to the problem was to erect a windmill near the watermill. Still in operation, the site is a unique place in the world to understand the workings of these architectural wonders. Anyone touring the island cannot help but succumb to the charms of the Cidrerie Pedneault, a company that has been operating since 1918. L'Islet is a must in Isle-aux-Coudres. It is in this sector of the island that the first mass have been celebrated. L'Islet is best known because it was the location for the filming of "Pour La Suite du Monde" (English title : Of Whales, the Moon and Men), the first Quebec film to be presented at Cannes. Pierre Perreault's feature film shows us the islanders fishing for "marsouins", the name given by the island's inhabitants to the beluga whales. If you travel through the region on a tight schedule, allow yourself enough time on the return trip as visitors leaving the island converge on the ferry in the late afternoon. In high season, it is not uncommon to wait more than an hour to board the ferry. Websites to visit : Tourism in Isle-aux-Coudres :    / tourismecharlevoix      / tourismequebec   https://tourismeisleauxcoudres.com/en/ https://www.tourisme-charlevoix.com/e... Ferry/Traversier : https://www.traversiers.com/en/our-fe... Pour la suite du monde (Of Whales, the Moon and Men) - Pierre Perreault https://www.nfb.ca/film/of_whales_the... https://blogue.onf.ca/blogue/2018/07/... (French) #Quebec #BonjourQuebec #TourismQuebec #Canada #ExploreCanada #IleauxCoudres #IsleauxCoudres #Fleuve #StLawrenceRiver #FleuveSaintLaurent #Marsouins #Belugas #Church #Islet #Ferry #Tadoussac #Ciders #Boats #PierrePerreault #Cannes