Entry Island, Quebec - further off the beaten track

Before going to Entry Island, I thought that the Magdelene Islands were remote. Entry Island is 9 miles off the coast of the Magdelene Islands, which are in turn many miles away from Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia. You might be a little vague on Canadian geography (as am I), so allow me to explain more clearly: this place is really far away from wherever you are.

The island has a few hundred inhabitants (the number seems to vary depending on whom you ask), with the number swelling to 3 or 4 times as many during the lobstering season. There is a school, a church, and a small historical museum which outlines family gossip throughout the decades (to me it looks like the island's collective attic, full of photos and general paraphenalia of island life).

There are no real bars, but there is a guy who sells beer out of his back door, and you can sit on his patio to drink it. Even the snack bar at the port has the feel of being invited for a drink on a friend's porch, and the only lodging on the island welcomes visitors with open arms (I didn't have a chance to stay overnight). Despite this, most islanders don't really seem to like outsiders much, maybe because their isolation is voluntary (or because most of their visitors are francophone?).

The biggest attraction on Entry Island is, well, the aptly named "Big Hill". You can walk the well-trodden path to the top and enjoy and picnic or fly a kite, or just watch the cows and clouds go by and think about just how far away you are from your worldly cares. And if worldly cares and shopping malls mean more to you than fresh breezes and the simple life, then steer clear of Entry Island - it shouldn't be difficult considering its location.

Editor's Note (1): Ree traveled to Entry Island in July, 2005. The island is still there!

Editor's Note (2): Thanks to all the residents who have offered an overwhelming amount of feedback and hilarious point-by-point rebuttals.