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This year, Québec is more than ever the place to explore our beautiful province. Gaspésie in particular will be on many people’s bucket list. And it’s easy to see why! I consider it one of the most beautiful destinations in Québec, for its wide-open spaces, its calm pace of life, the sea, and the warmth of its people. I’ll admit I’m a little biased too, because I grew up in this gorgeous corner of the world!
In this article, I’m sharing a few things to do around Haute-Gaspésie that I think are absolute must-sees in the region!
Located in the St. Lawrence Maritime Estuary near Rimouski, Bic National Park has everything to please nature lovers!
In this vast territory along the river, hiking, wildlife observation, sea kayaking and biking await you. The first light of day and sunsets are exceptional.
Since it rained during our stay at the end of most days, we could not watch the sunset, but we did not miss the sunrise with this pretty mist floating around in the morning!
Last summer, I stayed there 2 nights in one of their ready-to-camp units, at $139 a night before taxes for the weekend rate.
It sleeps 6 and has everything you need to cook and enjoy some good family time.
Equipment included
Services
Accessible only at low tide, you’ll want to check the tide schedule carefully before you set out. Because we left almost too late due to some bad information, we didn’t do the full loop. We didn’t want to rush the trail and risk getting hurt.
The full loop is a rugged trail along the ocean, and I wouldn’t recommend it for young children. I even had to ask for help a few times myself. I probably wouldn’t have enjoyed it if I’d been alone, so I’d suggest going with at least one other person. A woman was hiking behind us, and we helped her through the rocky headlands. She thanked us warmly; she would have had a hard time doing it on her own.
Here is the route of the trail:
Since we didn’t do the full loop, we headed up to the summit at Michaud, a little detour along the way. A lovely short trail with a great view that’s well worth it!
The Grand Tour will give you the full view. As soon as you set foot on the rocky capes, you feel completely elsewhere!
After this magnificent pointed cape, you will arrive at the Anse à Mouille-Cul. That’s where we decided to stop the Grand Tour and go to Michaud mountain.
This town has 2,500 inhabitants, is located right next to Saint-Anne-des-Monts, and is well worth a look! This is where I grew up, so I definitely have a crush on this little village by the sea!
Cap-Chat owes its name to a rock shaped like a sitting cat. Unfortunately, lightning struck its head and it lost it!
This rock is at the Cap-Chat lighthouse. You can go there to see the lighthouse (or the headless cat-shaped rock!) and walk a short trail leading down the cliff.
There’s lodging on site: camping, a yurt, and rooms in the lighthouse.
As you drive into the village of Capucins, you’ll get a magnificent view of all the Cap-Chat wind turbines. There are 133 in all.
The vertical-axis one, the tallest in the world, really catches the eye! It hasn’t worked for several years now. It’s too expensive to repair compared with the cost of a small one. The smaller ones actually produce more energy than it does.
If you don’t have time to visit it, you can just keep driving a little past the wind turbine site and take photos from the road.
Site officiel : Éole Cap-Chat
All these activities are organized by the company Valmont Plein-air and it offers a top quality service!
I strongly recommend the descent of the Cap-Chat River on a beautiful sunny day. On site, you will find an excellent restaurant as well as chalets for rent.
It is here in Haute-Gaspésie, particularly in Cap-Chat, that I have seen my most beautiful sunsets.
When you see such a display, nothing else exists anymore! We’re just living this unique moment!
Wildlife is everywhere, just look around.
Bring your binoculars; there are several species of birds in Gaspésie and it is not uncommon to spot seals resting on rocks.
Few people stop in this little crescent-moon-shaped village along Route 132. Few dare to climb up there. You’d be missing out on a real local gem.
Yes, it’s a tough hike because of the elevation gain. There’s no let-up, no plateau. It climbs straight to the sky! Take your time and you’ll get there!
For my part, this must be the sixth time I’ve done it, and I’m still just as amazed every time!
After 1.6 km, you will finally reach the top.
Since the summit of Mont Saint-Pierre is also a place where you can go hang-gliding or paragliding, you might have the chance to see a jump! It is also where the free flight festival takes place at the end of July. Imagine jumping into the void over the ocean!
To learn more about jumping, visit Sky View.
Here are 3 suggestions for a hike in Parc de la Gaspésie.
To see all the possible hikes and activities offered, please visit the official SEPAQ website.
Mont Ernest-Laforce has, hands down, one of the best views for the effort!
You might just run into some moose here! In fact, it’s not rare to spot one!
Lac aux Américains is a glacial lake that’s very easy to reach and will no doubt leave you with a beautiful memory of the region! It’s 2.6 km round trip; in about 1 hour you’re back at the parking lot.
Located near Mont Ernest-Laforce, you can easily combine the two spots in half a day.
Mont Jacques-Cartier is the second-highest peak in Québec, at 1,270 m. Bare and rocky at the top, it’ll make you feel like you’re somewhere else entirely.
Contrary to what you might think, I rate this hike as intermediate. It’s doable for everyone as long as you don’t rush it! Take the time to relax and really soak in the surroundings!
Mont Jacques-Cartier is a protected ecosystem because of the caribou living on the territory. They’re an endangered species in the region and, sadly, there are fewer and fewer of them.
To get there, you’ll need to take a shuttle. You can catch it at the Parc de la Gaspésie welcome centre or at the Mont Jacques-Cartier campground.
Trail information:
On my last vacation in the region, I wanted to check a new mountain off my Gaspésie list. Since my mom was with me, I had to pick a mountain that wasn’t too hard.
Mont Ernest-Ménard and Pic du Brûlé form a loop, but you can also do just one of the two summits out-and-back. Your call! That said, if I had to choose between the two, Pic du Brûlé is the winner.
It’s hard for me to give great advice on lodging and restaurants, since I sleep at my parents’ place and eat my mom’s home cooking! Still, I do have a few suggestions for you:
I challenge you not to fall in love with this place! I wish you a wonderful vacation in this fabulous corner of Québec!
You will find below several credit cards that can be useful to save money when travelling in Gaspésie.
Here are the credit cards milesopedia recommends for groceries:
Here are the credit cards milesopedia recommends for gas:
Here are the credit cards milesopedia recommends for restaurants and bars:
Here are the credit cards milesopedia recommends for applying points to Airbnb bookings:
Here are the credit cards milesopedia recommends for hotels:
Savings this way:
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