Montmagny: Birdlife, Islands and Accordion Music

Explore Montmagny through a range of travel interests: birdwatching in the MRC de Montmagny, island destinations with special travel requirements, and culture centered on the accordion. Historic heritage and fruit growing also offer distinct themes for excursions. If you’re looking for a hotel for your trip, it may help to first decide which of these interests you want to shape your stay.

Birdwatching, Islands and Trails

La route des plumes is a tourist route for birdwatching in the MRC de Montmagny. It includes 15 major birdwatching sites, plus seven other ecologically interesting places with high biodiversity. This puts both specific birdwatching locations and additional places of ecological interest on the map. For planning a nature-focused trip, this is a useful distinction: you can make birdwatching your priority while also taking the route’s other locations into account.

You can reach L’Isle-aux-Grues by taking the free Grues-des-Îles ferry or by plane. The ferry operates on a first-come, first-served basis; the crossing is only possible at high tide, and ferry service is suspended in winter. During that time, Air Montmagny is the only connection to the island. Check the ferry schedule before your visit: tides and the season are important when choosing when to travel.

A separate travel plan is needed for Grosse Île and the Irish Memorial National Historic Site. It can only be reached by boat from the Berthier-sur-Mer marina or by plane from Montmagny Airport. If you plan to visit, arrange this connection separately and distinguish it from the ferry service to L’Isle-aux-Grues.

L’Isle-aux-Grues is also home to the Réserve naturelle Jean-Paul-Riopelle. Its hiking trail is 3 km long, with an estimated walking time of 60 minutes; it is rated easy and includes a staircase. The island is also promoted as a cycling destination. There is also a cheese dairy there. This gives you a range of options for a stay on the island, from outdoor activities to visiting a regional producer.

Heritage and Accordion Music in Montmagny

The Maison sir Étienne-Paschal-Taché was designated a National Historic Site of Canada in 1996. Another heritage ensemble in the MRC de Montmagny is the Site patrimonial de Saint-François-de-la-Rivière-du-Sud. It includes a rectory, a calvary, the Saint-François-de-Sales church, a former convent and a former rectory dating from the 18th and 19th centuries. These two examples offer different points of interest: a designated historic site and a collection of several buildings and structures.

Music takes center stage at the Carrefour mondial de l’accordéon, an annual three-day festival in Montmagny. The program includes more than 20 concerts, as well as exhibitions, musical performances in restaurants, discussions and master classes. The variety of formats makes the festival more than just a series of concerts: opportunities to connect and deepen your musical knowledge are also part of the program. In 2021, Québec also recognized playing the diatonic accordion as an element of intangible cultural heritage.

Fruit Growing and Trip Planning

In Cap-Saint-Ignace, the La pomme de Cap-Saint-Ignace orchard trail is 3 km long. You can explore the orchards close together along Chemin de Bellevue on foot or by bicycle. This specific trail and the opportunity to explore the orchards add to the other options for outdoor activities.

First consider which of these activities matter to you, then focus your search on the experiences you want to include.

Discover more destinations: St-Pierre-De-La-Riviere-Du-Sud, Saint-Paul-De-Montminy, Cap-Saint-Ignace, Berthier-Sur-Mer, L'isle-Aux-Grues, Saint-Just-de-Bretenières, Vallée-De-L'or, Le Centre-De-La-Mauricie.

See the main travel overview: Quebec.