Borgot Lighthouse (L'Étang-du-Nord Lighthouse)

The village of L'Étang-du-Nord, one of three sectors comprising Îles-de-la-Madeleine's Cap aux Meules island alongside Cap-aux-Meules and Fatima, revolves around an active fishing harbour and a public site called the Côte Site, developed around an iconic sculpture dedicated to fishermen and now a cherished gathering place for locals and visitors alike strolling along the harbour's edge. Following the cliff-lined shoreline from this site, visitors can walk to Cap Hérissé, where the Borgot lighthouse stands—more commonly known as the L'Étang-du-Nord lighthouse. Its distinctive white silhouette has become one of the most photographed viewpoints across the entire archipelago for watching sunsets over the Gulf of Saint Lawrence. The Îles-de-la-Madeleine territory is home to six lighthouses in total, testament to a vital chapter in the history of navigation through these notoriously treacherous waters. Four of these remain easily accessible by road: those at Île d'Entrée, Anse-à-la-Cabane, Borgot, and Cap Alright. Beyond their obvious heritage and symbolic value, these structures quite literally served as a vital safety net for generations—guiding merchant ships crossing the gulf and protecting the Madelinots themselves, whose very survival depended on the sea's bounty.