Québec’s Gem

I was born and raised in Canada’s only french-speaking province: Québec. I am proud of where I am from, proud of my culture, of my language. Obviously, I would like to improve many aspects of this province if I could, but since I do not hold that power, I simply appreciate what is great, and vote. (even when I’m abroad!)

There is a particular region of the province which I love deeply: Gaspésie. It is a looooong drive from Montréal (going to Percé, Gaspésie’s most emblematic city, takes between 11h to 13h), but it is so worth it. I have very fond memories of my 2 trips to Gaspésie. The first one was when I was 14 years old. I embarked on a road-trip with my maternal grandparents during the summer vacations to photograph all of the lighthouses! I went on a second trip there ten years later with my good friend G. during the month of September to camp on beaches, hike, thrift shop and collect rocks. Both travels were memorable in their own ways. I got to spent time with my beloved grandparents, laugh like crazy with G., and observe the breath-taking scenery, the mountains & the sea.

There is so much to see, so much to do in Gaspésie. It is best to go visit during summer. Since it is located so up-north, it gets quite cold quite fast!

If you are interested to experience the true beauty that is Gaspésie, here are a few of my tips:

Hiking
If you enjoy hiking, then you DEFINITELY must visit “Parc Forillon” near the city of Gaspé. Seriously, if you have to go to only one place, it’s that one. The view is breathtaking, and there are also a few different trails with different levels of difficulty. It’s a national park on a mountain, circled by the beach and the sea. There’s a nice lighthouse on top where you can have a picnic. My favourite trail is the one leading to a place called “Le bout du monde”. The view is honestly one of the most amazing I have ever seen. You really do feel like you’ve reached the end of the world. To be fuly surrounded by nature is extremely peaceful and refreshing, to say the least!

There is also another national park that is worth the time, “Parc Bic”, near the city of Rimouski. Okay, it’s technically not in Gaspésie, but it’s very close and on one of the roads that leads to the higher point of the Gaspe peninsula.

Camping
If I had to give just one advice it would be to go to any small town, find the beach, park you car, put up your tent, and voilà. No one will bother you, you can light a campfire, drink, sing, whatever, really! I have slept on so many isolated little beaches, and maybe got drunk!, and never got into any trouble. If you can’t find a quiet place, there are a lot of small ports as well where it’s usually pretty calm at night. If you want an actual camping site, you’ll probably have to pay though. I would not advise sleeping in the woods; LOTS of wild animals. Be careful!

Eating
What I like most about those kinds of road-trips are the weird local breakfast places. The smaller the town, the weirder the restaurant. You’ll have way too much food, will surely be able to eat some of the local specialties, and have a nice talk with the only waitress (probably named Chantal, Ginette or Manon (my guess)). Seafood is amazing; every single place serves some, and it’s better, fresher, and less expensive than in Montréal (duh!).

Drinking
Gaspésie is known for its local taverns, empty pubs and strip-clubs (if you’re into that!). You can either experience these with truckers and hunters, or buy some beers and drink on the beach. Or both! On your way back to Montréal, you’re probably going to stop near Saint-André-de-Kamouraska. If so, there is a nice micro-brewery there called “Tête d’allumette”. The pub is more urban than those in Gaspésie, but the scenery surely is not.

Sightseeing
PERCÉ ! If there is one thing you HAVE to see in Gaspésie, it’s “Le Rocher Percé”. Go, take a million cheesy pictures near the big rock, and then leave. It is a HUGE tourist place (not a trap, because it is gorgeous), but still- SO EXPENSIVE. Only look at the scenery and that’s it. (Oh, and some souvenir shops are worth checking, just because they sell ugly-funny stuff. :))

There are also countless cute little cities that are worth a visit (some French, some English… I’ll let you guess): Carleton-sur-Mer, L’Anse-au-Griffon, Cap-Chat, Campbellton, New Richmond, Grande-Vallée, and so on. Every town is unique, so wherever you end up going, you will probably have a nice time. Another place to see is Bonaventure Island. You have to take a ferry from Percé and then you can enjoy the view, the walking trails and the millions of birds that live on the small island.

Bonus: there are always yard sales around, or weird expositions in church basements. GO! People are very welcoming and you’ll get the best anecdotes. Last time I was there, I ended up visiting houses for sale- the locals just showed us their homes and told us their life stories. I have a friend who met a lady in the street who predicted their future, another one who met two old men who gave them a bag full of fish- just because! That is the spirit of the region And, honestly, if you want to have a unique stay, people from Gaspésie are the ones who really know where the fun places are!

Let me know if you ever stop by!