Trips in the Gaspé Peninsula in Southeastern Quebec, Canada
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The Gaspé Peninsula (Gaspésie in French) is located in southeastern Quebec, Canada. It is a large peninsula, covering an area of about 31,000 square kilometers with only about 140,000 residents, almost all of whom live in settlements along the coastline. The main and most popular travel route is along its unique coastline, which is about 650 km long. In its northern part, east of the town of Matane, the coastline is characterized by high cliffs for many kilometers with picturesque lighthouses, no less beautiful than Highway 1 in California. Near the town of Percé in the east stands an amazingly beautiful island, a vertical cliff sticking out of the sea like the bow of a ship.
Nearby is another island which is a nature reserve with a large colony of thousands of Northern Gannet birds. North of Percé is Forillon National Park on a small peninsula. The highest mountain on the peninsula (1,268 meters) is located in its northern part in another national park called Gaspésie, named after the peninsula. There are 14 photogenic lighthouses on the peninsula that blend wonderfully into the sea and cliff landscapes.
Due to the weather, the travel season in the region is between June and mid-September. Outside the season, you will find that many attractions, restaurants, and accommodations close.
Travel Route Around the Gaspé Peninsula
A travel route around the peninsula starting in the south (can also be done in reverse, of course) with a length of about 650 km, leaves Campbellton, New Brunswick, continues east through coastal towns and plenty of lighthouses to Percé, Gaspé, Forillon National Park, and on to Matane where the peninsula ends. From Matane to Quebec City further on, there are about another 400 km.
Below I will describe the attractions along the route around the peninsula.
To have enough time to visit the attractions around the peninsula, it is recommended to stay along it for at least 4-5 nights.
A night in Campbellton, 2 nights in Percé, a night in Gaspé (for those interested in exploring Forillon Park at leisure), and a night in Matane.
Recommended Accommodations for a Trip to the Gaspé Peninsula:
Campbellton:
A quality Bed & Breakfast with double rooms, some with kitchenettes. The price includes an excellent breakfast. Free internet and parking.
Quality Hotel & Conference Centre
A hotel in the town center. Featuring a restaurant, it offers rooms for 2-4 people. Price includes breakfast. Free internet and parking.
Percé:
Au Pic de l'Aurore Motel-Chalets–A 3-star motel with spacious rooms with balconies featuring sea views and cottages with sea or mountain views. The hotel offers a shared barbecue area for guests, picnic tables, and children's play facilities. The hotel offers fishing, canoeing, and hiking tours. Breakfast is included in rooms without a kitchenette. Free internet and parking.
Riotel Perce–A 3-star hotel located on the coastline about a kilometer from the town center. The hotel has a restaurant, a gym, and a patio overlooking the ocean. Most rooms have sea views. Free internet and parking.
Hôtel le Mirage – A 3-star hotel with views of Percé Rock and Bird Island. The hotel features an outdoor pool (open in summer only), a tennis court, and a restaurant. The hotel has spacious rooms with sea views.
Gaspé:
Hôtel Baker–A 4-star hotel in the town center. The hotel features a bar, restaurant, and gym. Spacious rooms and suites, some with balconies and some with city and river views. Free internet and parking.
Hotel Plante- A 3-star hotel in the town center. The hotel features a heated swimming pool with a view, a spa, and a gym. Rooms and suites for 2-4 people. Free internet and parking.
Matane:
Riotel Matane- A 4-star hotel on the waterfront. The hotel has two pools (one indoor), tennis courts, a sauna, a gym, and a restaurant. The hotel has an outdoor terrace overlooking the scenery. Rooms for 2-4 people, some with sea or river views. The hotel has a restaurant and bar. Free internet and parking.
Auberge Bruine Océane- A quality Bed & Breakfast in the town center with double rooms of various sizes, some with sea views. Excellent breakfast. Free internet and parking.
Accommodation recommendations in Quebec City in the article about traveling in Quebec City and its surroundings
The Town of Percé
This is the most beautiful and successful town in my opinion in the Gaspésie Peninsula in Quebec, Canada. It is a small tourist town of about 3,000 residents, full of charm and above all impressive and amazing nature. One main street with a variety of hotels, restaurants, and cafes right along the coastline. The view seen from everywhere is spectacular: a huge rock with a large arch inside it, attached to a triangular rock.
In addition, there are several amazing view points in town overlooking the landscape from different angles, including an observation point from the nearby mountain, reached via a hiking trail or shuttle service.
The town also features a geological museum called "UNESCO Géoparc," and adjacent to it is a zipline.
About ten minutes south of Percé is a photogenic lighthouse named: Phare Cap-d'Espoir:
A highly recommended restaurant in the town center on the pier with quality food and courteous service, offering a lovely view even in the rain, is Les Plats.
Bonaventure Bird Island
The main attraction in the Percé area is "Bird Island," named Bonaventure Island, which is a national park.
You reach it by a scenic boat ride of about an hour, passing close to the rocks jutting out of the water and the multitude of birds nesting on the island. You can disembark on the island and explore it along several hiking trails leading to the bird sanctuary, and return via a short boat ride to the town.
When there are strong winds (which happens often there), the boat tour is canceled, but it is still worth visiting Percé. South from the ship dock along the coast, there is a charming promenade with chairs overlooking the sea, a small observation tower, and plenty of beautiful sculptures.
Parc national Forillon, Parks Canada
An impressive and great national park for a day trip from the town of Gaspé. The park features a 4 km trail each way to "the end of the world" called Land's End, reaching the edge of the cliff where, of course, there is a photogenic lighthouse.
The path passes along beaches, cliffs, through a forest with the largest variety of colorful mushrooms I have ever seen in one place, and through flower fields.
Along the way, you can spot bears and other small and large forest animals.
A bear eating fruit in a tree:
The park features two visitor centers, many additional hiking trails for all difficulty levels, a wild beach with black stones where you can spot seals and various birds, and look out over the towering cliffs.
A cliff beach on the northern side of Forillon Park:
The Cap-des-Rosiers Lighthouse near Forillon Park to the east:
Lighthouses and Rocky Beaches in the North of the Gaspé Peninsula
The northern part of the Gaspésie Peninsula, from the town of Percé to the town of Matane, is a paradise for lighthouse enthusiasts and lovers of dramatic views of sea shores and soaring cliffs.
The town of Grande-Vallée:
In the towns and between them, at every strategic point, a photogenic lighthouse is positioned. Each has a different height, structure, and style. Most are active; for a small portion of them, you can climb to the top of the lighthouse. Visiting most is free, and for a small portion, for a modest fee. Access to some is easy, with adjacent parking, while a few require walking along a nature trail.
Among the photogenic lighthouses along the way:
Pointe-à-la-Renommée Lighthouse – Here there are several restored buildings housing a small museum where two fascinating videos are shown, the first maritime radio museum, and you can climb to the top of the red lighthouse for a view of the area.
The Cap de la Madeleine Lighthouse:
La Martre Lighthouse :
Some of the residential houses in the area decorate their facades with cute lighthouse models.
The road along the sea coast east of Matane follows a route of steep and very impressive cliffs with almost no settlements along it. A feast for the eyes and for lovers of wild nature photography.
The Town of Matane
Matane is a small and pleasant town located on the south bank of the Saint Lawrence River, with a river named "Matane" running through its center, sharing the town's name. Along the Matane River, there is a nice promenade parallel to the main street of the town.
The town also has pastoral and photogenic gardens, "Jardins de Doris," which are recommended to visit. The gardens feature sculptures that blend nicely with the vegetation and flowers, as well as farm animals and cute tiny houses.
In Matane, there is also a photogenic lighthouse (located near the town's visitor center), Phare de Matane, where 20-minute guided tours are held (only in peak season). There is also a small maritime museum on site. From the top of the lighthouse, built in 1906, there is a lovely view of the city, the sea, the wind farm, and the "Chic-Chocs" mountains.
It is recommended to eat in the town center at a brewery-pub-restaurant called: La Fabrique.
Fall Colors
The start of fall foliage in Quebec province occurs in mid-September. Here and there, some trees have red and orange leaves.
The Historic Site Site historique maritime de la Pointe-au-Père
About an hour's drive south of Matane toward Quebec City, on the coast, lies a historic site that is highly recommended to visit. It features three different visiting sites:
Canadian Submarine Museum Onondaga
On the shore lies a large Canadian submarine that was active between 1967 and 2000. You can enter inside the submarine through an opening in its stern, tour its entire length, and exit through an opening in the bow.
During a fascinating self-guided tour, you see the extraordinary conditions under which the 70 sailors who operated it lived, where they slept, ate, bathed, etc., what systems were installed in it, the engines, the command and control room, the torpedo missiles, and more, all with interesting explanations through headphones provided at the entrance.
Museum Commemorating the Sinking of the Large Passenger Ship Empress of Ireland
In the museum, you will discover the tragic story of a large passenger ship that sank in the area in 1914 in just 14 minutes (!!) after a collision with another ship in the fog. Out of 1,477 passengers and crew members on board, 1,012 drowned in what was the worst disaster in Canadian maritime history. All this also occurred just two years after the Titanic disaster, where important lessons were learned regarding adequate equipment of lifeboats and the installation of watertight bulkheads between ship compartments to prevent sinking.
Model of the ship with the huge hole in its side:
The museum displays over two hundred artifacts salvaged from the sunken ship at a depth of 45 meters. A demonstration video on site illustrates the stages before and during the fatal accident.
The museum is located in a modern and unique building constructed diagonally, similar to a ship listing on its side.
Model of the ship listing on its side on the riverbed:
Lighthouse Tour
On site, there is a tall, historic lighthouse (the second tallest in Canada at 33 meters), built in 1909. You can visit inside on a guided tour and climb its 128 steps to the top, where the large lamp surrounded by special glass is located.
Weather (in Gaspé) and Recommended Time to Visit
The comfortable season for traveling is, as mentioned, between June and mid-September, with the peak season being July and August. During this season in Gaspé, there are 7-8 rainy days per month, with an average of about 130 mm of rain per month. In July and August, the average maximum temperature in Gaspé is 20-21 degrees Celsius and the minimum is 13-14 degrees.
In June and September, the average maximum temperature is 16 degrees Celsius and the minimum is 9-10.
In October and May, the temperature drops to a maximum of 10 degrees during the day and 3-5 at night.
In winter, during January and February, the maximum temperature is minus 6 degrees Celsius and the minimum is minus 12-13. Snow falls from late October to early May.