La Martinique beach on the Magdalen Islands

Beach on the dune that links Havre-Aubert island to the rest of the archipelago

Belle-Plage beach at Bassin, Îles de la Madeleine

Chapters / Canada Open, 1 of 1 remaining

Ride Îles de la Madeleine, keep it open

The Magdalen Islands are a chain of sand dunes and red cliffs in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, wrapped around shallow lagoons, with steady wind and a dozen kite spots.

Back this chapter

4 riders call this homeKite, WingIles de la Madeleine

Everything you need to know about Îles de la Madeleine

Live conditions

Why riders love it

What brings people here, from the people who manage it and the people who ride it.

Summer winds come mainly from the southwest at 9 to 22 knots, strong and steady. Colder seasons bring northwest wind.
The best months are July and August. Ocean water reaches about 18 °C by mid-August, and about 20 °C in the bays and lagoons.
The lagoons at Havre aux Basques, Havre aux Maisons and Bassin-aux-Huîtres suit beginners and intermediates. Sandy Hook, North Dune and Pointe-aux-Loups are for experts; Pointe-aux-Loups has very strong currents.

Sources: Tourisme Îles de la Madeleine; Rove.me

See the wind right now

Access and rules

Local governments and environmental agencies set the terms. The chapter works with them, not around them.

Ride only from the designated spots on the islands' Wind Sports Map, and follow the Québec Kitesurfing Federation code of ethics.
Stay at least 50 metres from bathers and beach entrances when rigging. At Havre aux Basques, kiters keep to the shallow side and windsurfers to the deeper side.
Park only in designated areas. Parking on road shoulders or dunes is prohibited, and RVs are banned at Havre aux Basques.

Sources: Tourisme Îles de la Madeleine

Help hold the launch

Ecology and habitat

Protected lagoons, wetlands and the species that depend on them. Stewardship days keep launches clean inside the protected zones.

The piping plover is endangered and nests on the islands' beaches. Protected zones are marked once nests are found, and at Fatima a protected area applies from mid-June until the chicks fledge in late July or early August.
Use the boardwalks at Du Cap and South Dune to protect the beachgrass that holds the dunes, and don't disturb birds nesting on sandy islets and shores.

Sources: Tourisme Îles de la Madeleine

Fund stewardship here

Good to know

Location, facilities and history.

The Magdalen Islands are an archipelago in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, part of Québec. The CTMA ferry from Souris, Prince Edward Island, takes about five hours.
The islands list 12 kite spots, including Havre aux Basques Bay, Havre aux Maisons Lagoon, Bassin-aux-Huîtres Lagoon, Du Cap Beach, La Martinique Beach and Sandy Hook.
Three kite schools operate on the islands: Aérosport les Îles, active since 1998, Plein Vent les Îles in Havre-Aubert, and École de Kite Jasmin Bousquet.
Never go out alone on the open sea. Temperatures vary a lot, so bring a wetsuit even in summer.

Sources: Tourisme Îles de la Madeleine; FerryGoGo; Tourisme Îles de la Madeleine; Québec Vacances

Meet the riders

Back this chapter

Schools that teach on this water

Aérosport les ÎlesPlein Vent les ÎlesÉcole de Kite Jasmin Bousquet

Îles de la Madeleine

Summer southwest winds blow a steady 9–22 knots.

Source: Tourisme Îles de la Madeleine

Know the spot

Îles de la Madeleine

The islands list 12 kite spots, from shallow lagoons to open ocean beaches.

Source: Tourisme Îles de la Madeleine

Know the spot

Îles de la Madeleine

Lagoon water reaches about 20 °C by mid-August.

Source: Tourisme Îles de la Madeleine

Know the spot

Why Îles de la Madeleine needs a chapter

Canada

Long sand dunes tie the Magdalen Islands together, and between them lie shallow lagoons that warm up through the summer. The southwest wind blows steady across them, which has made the archipelago one of the best-known kite destinations in eastern Canada.

4riders call this home

3local schools teach on this water

Kite, Wingdisciplines riding here

Îles de la Madeleine chapter, World Wind Sports

Back this chapter

Canada

The same dunes and beaches are fragile. Beachgrass holds the sand in place, and the endangered piping plover nests on the shore. The islands already have a Wind Sports Map, a code of conduct and protected zones, and access depends on riders following them.

4riders call this home

3local schools teach on this water

Kite, Wingdisciplines riding here

Îles de la Madeleine chapter, World Wind Sports

Back this chapter

Canada

A chapter helps keep that system working: one group that local authorities can rely on, riders who know the map and the nesting seasons, and volunteers who show up for dune planting days.

4riders call this home

3local schools teach on this water

Kite, Wingdisciplines riding here

Îles de la Madeleine chapter, World Wind Sports

Back this chapter

Photographer credits Back this chapter

The riders, schools and crew of Îles de la Madeleine

Riders from Cap-aux-Meules, Havre-Aubert, Havre Aubert, Havre-aux-Maisons, Fatima, L'Étang-du-Nord, Grande-Entrée, Îles-de-la-Madeleine, Communauté maritime des Îles-de-la-Madeleine and the schools that teach them.

See the rider directory Talk on the board

AAérosport les ÎlesLocal school teaching on this waterPPlein Vent les ÎlesLocal school teaching on this waterÉÉcole de Kite Jasmin BousquetLocal school teaching on this waterWWSThe chapterHolds the line on access: one standing voice with whoever manages the launch.WWSThe chapterRuns stewardship days, so the people who manage the beach see riders as an asset.WWSThe chapterRuns sponsored certification weekends, so riders are trained and self-policing.AAérosport les ÎlesLocal school teaching on this waterPPlein Vent les ÎlesLocal school teaching on this waterÉÉcole de Kite Jasmin BousquetLocal school teaching on this waterWWSThe chapterHolds the line on access: one standing voice with whoever manages the launch.WWSThe chapterRuns stewardship days, so the people who manage the beach see riders as an asset.WWSThe chapterRuns sponsored certification weekends, so riders are trained and self-policing.

Frederic MarinInstructor Level 1, Havre Aubert

constance Koenig-SoutièreAssistant, Havre-Aubert

Michael BissonnetteLevel 4Q, FatimaYYanick PetitpasLevel 3J, Communauté maritime des Îles-de-la-Madeleine

Frederic MarinInstructor Level 1, Havre Aubert

constance Koenig-SoutièreAssistant, Havre-Aubert

Michael BissonnetteLevel 4Q, FatimaYYanick PetitpasLevel 3J, Communauté maritime des Îles-de-la-Madeleine

iSportsKite, WingiWind spotIles de la MadeleineiKnow thisÎles de la Madeleine, Québec, an archipelago in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, five hours by ferry from Prince Edward Island.iKnow thisSouthwest summer winds of 9 to 22 knots; warm, shallow lagoons and open ocean beaches.iKnow thisRide only from designated spots on the Wind Sports Map; piping plover areas are protected.iSportsKite, WingiWind spotIles de la MadeleineiKnow thisÎles de la Madeleine, Québec, an archipelago in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, five hours by ferry from Prince Edward Island.iKnow thisSouthwest summer winds of 9 to 22 knots; warm, shallow lagoons and open ocean beaches.iKnow thisRide only from designated spots on the Wind Sports Map; piping plover areas are protected.

Live conditions

Wind right now at Îles de la Madeleine

Full forecast

Fund this chapter. You can too.

Your gift keeps the chapter running and the beach cared for: cleanup supplies, signage, certification weekends and the costs of being the group the park can call.

Back this chapter Become a steward

Nearby chapters

All chapters

Open, 1 of 1 remaining

Squamish

At the head of Howe Sound, summer wind pours up from the ocean into a glacier-fed river mouth, and Squamish riders have built a whole society around one rocky launch.

Open, 1 of 1 remaining

Nitinat Lake

Nitinat Lake is a long tidal inlet deep in the Vancouver Island forest, where a reliable summer thermal has drawn kiters and windsurfers from around the world to the end of a logging road.