L’Isle-aux-Coudres, Québec: An Island Escape
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There’s something about an island that evokes the idea of escape—getting away from everything and relaxing. L’Isle-aux-Coudres, north of Québec City, does just that. It’s only a few hours away from the metropolis, but truly a world away in pace.
Minutes after leaving the city, time began to slow down in a sense as we wound through the spectacular scenery of the Charlevoix region. Late September was the perfect time to see Mother Nature’s seasonal art show of a myriad of vivid colors dotting the hills in her impressionistic style.
Our drive took us up to St. Joseph de la Rive where we boarded a car ferry to cross the St. Lawrence River. In less than a half hour we were following the main road up and around the island. Similar to most islands there are miles of bike paths and beaches to explore. But here we also found a one-of-a-kind site Canadian site: an operational 1836 flour windmill. Just watching it slowly turn provided a calming effect and a chance to soak up the island way of life.
If you enjoyed this story in our series, you may also enjoy two other stories about the dining and the magic of Québec City or the or any of our travel books with original photos and stories that are exactly 1,000 characters long.