Charlevoix and the North Shore, from Quebec City to Mingan

Along the St Lawrence, from Quebec City to Mingan

From Quebec City to Havre-Saint-Pierre, a single main road runs along the north shore of the St Lawrence: Route 138. The further east you drive, the wider the river gets, until it becomes the gulf. The villages grow further apart and the boreal forest takes over from the farms. From Tadoussac on, Route 138 is called the Whale Route.

In Charlevoix, the Route du Fleuve links Baie-Saint-Paul to La Malbaie through Les Éboulements and Saint-Irénée, on steep slopes above the water. From Saint-Joseph-de-la-Rive, a free ferry goes to Isle-aux-Coudres, where a road runs 23 kilometres around the island. Further on, another free ferry crosses the mouth of the Saguenay in about ten minutes. Then, at Tadoussac, Les Bergeronnes and Les Escoumins, you watch for whales from the shore or from a boat.

On the North Shore, the land of the Innu, the distances grow longer. From Baie-Comeau, Route 389 climbs to the Manic-5 dam, 214 metres high. After Sept-Îles, Route 138 passes waterfalls and fishing villages on its way to the Minganie. There, boats leave from Longue-Pointe-de-Mingan and Havre-Saint-Pierre for the archipelago’s monoliths, limestone columns shaped by the sea.

Further on, Charlevoix sits on a crater: about 450 million years ago, a meteorite dug a basin some 54 kilometres across here. Mont des Éboulements is its central peak. The region has been a Unesco biosphere reserve since 1988.

Its landscapes drew painters such as Clarence Gagnon, and Baie-Saint-Paul has many galleries. Cirque du Soleil was born there in 1984. Since the 19th century, La Malbaie has welcomed wealthy Canadian and American families in summer. The Manoir Richelieu hosted the G7 summit there in 2018.

The Saguenay Fjord and the whales

The Saguenay Fjord is a valley carved by glaciers, then flooded by the sea. It stretches for about 105 kilometres to Tadoussac, between cliffs 150 metres high on average. In the fjord, the river’s fresh water stays on top of the salt water, which is colder and heavier. At the mouth, the tide brings up cold water from the bottom, rich in nutrients: it feeds the whole food chain, all the way up to the whales.

Since 1998, the Saguenay–St Lawrence Marine Park has protected these waters. In summer, you can see minke whales, fin whales, humpback whales and sometimes blue whales. Belugas live here all year round. Tadoussac became a fur trading post around 1600, one of the first French settlements in North America.

What not to miss

1. 1Montmorency FallsAn 83-metre drop, a suspension bridge and a long staircase along the cliff.
2. 2The Route du FleuveSteep slopes above the St Lawrence and the drive down to Saint-Joseph-de-la-Rive.
3. 3Pointe de l’IsletIn Tadoussac, facing the Saguenay, people wait for the whales late in the day.
4. 4Cap de Bon-DésirAt Les Bergeronnes, the whales swim very close to the rocks on the shore.
5. 5The Pointe-des-Monts lighthouseFirst lit in 1830, the second-oldest lighthouse on the river, now a museum.
6. 6The Mingan ArchipelagoAbout a thousand islands and islets, and the largest concentration of monoliths in Canada.

Charlevoix and the North Shore in pictures

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Montmorency Falls, with its suspension bridge and the staircase along the cliff.

Food in Charlevoix and on the North Shore

Charlevoix has its Flavour Trail, a circuit of farms and cheese dairies. Charlevoix lamb has been protected by a geographical indication since 2009. You can also taste Migneron de Charlevoix, a local cheese.

On the North Shore, the food comes from the sea: snow crab, Minganie scallops, whelks. In August, people pick blueberries and chicoutai, or cloudberry, an orange berry from the peat bogs that is made into a liqueur.