Ghostly formations on the vast Gulf of St. Lawrence gradually transform into shimmering emeralds rimmed with rubies. During the last half-hour of a ferryboat ride, the jewels turn into lush islets edged with sheer, red cliffs — the Iles de la Madeleine.

In English, they're called the Magdalen Islands or simply the Magdalens.

Connected by skinny sand dunes, these six droplets of land bask in Canadian waters a 50-minute flight from Nova Scotia or a five-hour ferry ride from Prince Edward Island.

A gentle way of life conditioned by remoteness, the whims of the sea and the dramatic interplay of sun, sand and surf prevails. And it's alluring. Residents who go to the mainland for jobs or schooling typically find their way back. Numerous vacationers repeatedly return until they make the islands their home.

To live amidst this dramatic beauty, islanders ply trades from cheesemaking to glass blowing.

In La Grave, a quaint fishing village on the southernmost island, artist Daniel Gautier adds final touches to his current creation, a painting of the gulf with a wispy fish-shaped cloud hovering overhead. Island-themed etchings and oil paintings grace the walls of his studio and gallery, Le Havre Atelier-Galerie.

A book that featured the Magdalens in its description of the world's most beautiful islands inspired Daniel to visit them. After vacationing here for 15 years, the Montreal native permanently moved to the village.

His works capture the essence of the Magdalens' landscape and lifestyle with whimsy, humor and, at times, poignancy. In one painting, a solitary flounder tops a dory full of mackerel — a pictorial reminder that flounder have been over-fished. Another canvas depicts two shins with mackerels dangling from them to cure arthritis, a once popular local remedy.

When asked which painting is his favorite, Daniel laughs, "Always the one I'm working on at the moment. I'm so full of paintings waiting to come out." Indeed, he paints about 100 oils a year.

In the aquarium across the street, a young man enraptures visitors with fascinating facts about sea creatures in the touch tanks. Lobsters, for example, can live up to 100 years, scallops have 600 eyes that detect movement, and starfish can grow new arms.

Promoting environmental awareness impassions aquarium director Selma Pereira, who also moved here from Montreal. In addition to conducting children's programs about sea and coastal ecosystems, the facility sponsors environmental protection projects in which locals and visitors can participate.

"Our message," Selma clarifies, "is that even on vacation, we need to be aware of our impact on the environment and to understand that ecosystems such as dunes are sensitive and fragile."

Up the road, Albert and Nicole Cummings, owners of Les Artisans du Sable (Sand Artisans), transform sand into platters, castles and other decorative items. Using a unique method, they blend granular silica, most of which comes from the Magdalens, with a custom epoxy, then pour it into molds. All of the colors, including black, are natural.

After the sand hardens, workers can lathe, file, drill and carve it much like wood. They custom-make about 80 percent of the pieces. The rest, such as their popular sand castles, are mass-produced.

While explaining the production process, Albert picks up an hourglass and exclaims, "My favorite piece is this crazy sand clock. Its time is stopped forever."

He created his first "blocked clock" by accident when a large grain of sand obstructed the passage between the glass bulbs. Rather than throw it out, he displayed the defective item as a curiosity. Enthralled by the concept of stopped time, a customer insisted on purchasing it. Now Albert intentionally makes hourglasses this way.

An expansive beach sweeps southwest of the fishing village until the ocean swallows its breadth at the base of soaring cliffs. In a quiet cove, a former university professor from Montreal, Thérèse Bergeron, sustains her love for writing by running an eight-room inn, Havre sur Mer (Sea Harbor). She took a year's leave of absence from the university to try operating a business. A few more leaves convinced her to stay permanently.

The inn's windows capture views of a path leading to the edge of a bluff, lobster boats bobbing in a harbor and a lighthouse gleaming in the sun.

In summer, the innkeeper pours her creativity into gourmet, three-course breakfasts for her guests. In one delectable sequence, cream cheese tops jellied fruit, spears of bacon flank eggs Florentine sprinkled with sea parsley, and maple syrup sweetens French toast made with croissants. In winter, when white seals frolic on the gulf's endless waves of ice, Thérèse writes children's stories about natural wonders.

"Here I live a different rhythm," she understates.

So does cheesemaker Vincent Lalonde who moved here when his wife's job brought them to the Magdalens. He decided to mold his gusto for cheese into a business, Pied de Vent. An image of a glorious island sight — colorful fingers-of-god rays shooting from a brilliant sun — emblazons the cheese factory sign. Islanders call the beams wind feet or pied de vent, which indicate that a windy day follows.

Salty breezes enrich the flowering grasses on which the chocolate brown dairy cows graze. Inside the cheese factory, two workers dressed in white uniforms, hair nets and tall rubber boots stir a cauldron of milk with wire paddles, called harps, until the grains reach the size of corn kernels.

As the men pour the liquid into molds covered with cheesecloth, they sing along to French-Canadian tunes. In 60 days, the white cheese rounds mature into soft, aromatic Pied de Vent cheese.

While Vincent created a new business, the Arsenau brothers of Pointe Basse reopened their family's traditional smokehouse, Le Fumoir d'Antan, as a working heritage museum. Smoke curling out of smokehouse windows was a familiar sight on the Magdalens 20 years ago, but over-fishing caused the demise of this island industry.

Exhibits describe herring fishing and the smoking process. Holding their breaths, adventurous visitors step inside the hazy smokehouse long enough to discern rods of herring hanging from rafters and the red glow of wood-chip fires. Within seconds, the oily smoke permeates their clothes.

The company currently sells packaged fillets, roe and whole herrings to the local market. As she hands out free samples, the sales clerk insists, "They make a great substitute for anchovies on pizza or salads."

Another sea creature — the jelly fish — lures people to La Méduse Verrerie, the studio/gallery of glassblower François Turbide. His signature creations are glass orbs in which colorful jellyfish seemingly swim. Near the furnace, an apprentice forms one of them using five layers of vibrant hues. Fragile fruit, tropical fish and flowers shimmer on the gallery shelves.

The airport lies only 10 minutes away. François left the Magdalens to study in Paris and flies to distant cities to exhibit his work. But he, too, always returns to the magic of the Magdalens.

IF YOU GO TO THE MAGDALENS:
The Iles de la Madeleine, or Magdalen Islands, lie in the Gulf of St. Lawrence and are part of the Canadian province of Quebec. Direct flights fly to the Magdalens from Halifax, Nova Scotia (50 minutes), and Quebec City, Quebec (2 hours), whose airports are served daily by a number of major air carriers. Traversier CTMA Ferry service runs daily from Prince Edward Island. For reservations, call 1-888-986-3278 or (418) 986-3278.

Six islands, connected by sand dunes, form the Magdalens. The distance from the northernmost to the southernmost is 40 miles (65 km). Thirteen thousand people inhabit the islands. French is the predominant language, with English widely spoken.

Places to Visit (June, July, August):
Aquarium des Îles: 982 Route 199, in the village of La Grave on the southernmost island, Havre-Aubert, (418) 937-2277. Open daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Les Artisans du Sable: Sand artisans, 907 Route 199, La Grave, Havre-Aubert, (418) 937-2617. Open daily 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Le Fumoir d'Antan: Smokehouse and museum, 27 ch. du Quai, Pointe-Basse, on the island of Havre aux Maisons, (418) 969-4907. Open daily 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Le Havre Atelier-Galerie: Art gallery and studio, 955 Route 199, La Grave, Havre-Aubert, (418) 937-2632. Open daily 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
La Méduse Verrerie: Glass art studio, 37 ch. de la Carrière, off Route 199, on the island of Havre-aux-Maisons, (418) 969-4525. Open Monday through Saturday, noon to 5 p.m.
Pied de Vent: Cheese factory, 149 ch. de la Pointe Basse on the island of Havre-aux-Maisons, (418) 969-9292.

Currency: For US and many European travelers, the exchange rate is highly favorable. Calculate your current exchange rate. In addition, the Canadian government reimburses GST (good and services taxes) incurred by foreign travelers. Obtain a form from the Canadian departure airport.

For more information: The Tourism Association offers information packets, special lodging packages, and assistance with lodging reservations. Lodging accommodations range from cottage rentals to B&Bs, inns and hotels. Dining is especially wonderful for seafood lovers. Blue mussels, scallops, lobster, salmon and other seafood abound. Resto bars (taverns) offer such hearty fare as lobster rolls and chowders at moderate prices in casual surroundings. Contact Îles de la Madeleine Tourism Association, PO Box 1028, Cap-aux-Meules (Quebec) Canada G0B 1B0; phone (418) 986-2245 or toll-free 1-877-624-4437; http://ilesdelamadeleine.com.