A few years back, a few friends and we spent four days on l’Ile aux Basques. Located near Trois-Pistoles in the St-Lawrence estuary, this tiny island has become a heritage site for its natural resources and rich historical assets. It is said that almost 230 species of birds can be found on the island.

I don’t remember seeing that many birds, but I can recall the repetitive visit of a very friendly seal. He was there to greet us at the same time every evening while we were having dinner.

There are only two cabins on the Island and you can rent them for a maximum of four days. The place is really enchanting, especially when the mist hides the other side of the estuary. It feels like being at the end of the world, in a good way!

We all grew up far from everything sea related, so urchins (amongst other things) were a constant source of wonder. We picked up many which ended up as our table centre-piece and eventually on our drawing board.

Little urchin person by Chantal F.

The scenery is amazing and the atmosphere of the island follows the mood of the estuary. Everything can change in a blink of an eye.

We loved to go to the far side of the island to enjoy the sunset.

On our way there, we often caught side of little furry friends in the paths.

On our way back to Montreal, we stopped for a coffee at “Le café du bon Dieu”. It resides in the old presbytery. A funny painting was adorning one of the walls. I had to keep a souvenir of it!

My boyfriend wrote a good story about this vacation. It’s available to read here (in French). There is more about our four days adventure, the history and toponymy of the island plus more photos!