Regions

Composed of a dozen islands, some of which are connected, the archipelago's long sandy beaches embrace the lapping waves of the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Light-coloured dunes, rounded green hills, ochre cliffs and brightly painted houses stand out against an intense blue backdrop. This incomparable setting, the perfect place to enjoy a swim or a hike on foot or by bicycle or horseback. Atop its welcoming waters, explore the archipelago's coves and capes by kayak or inflatable raft. Its shallow bays and lagoons, caressed by the sea winds, are sheer paradise for kitesurfers and windsurfers.

Beyond the region's rugged coastline, peaceful fishing havens, pleasant valleys and mountainous wilderness, the real reasons behind your unforgettable stay in this maritime peninsula are its proud and hospitable people! Enjoy activities as varied as they are exciting: hunting for agate stones on the beach, whale watching, fishing the waters of the sea or the rivers, relaxing at a health spa, or taking in a little culture-and let's not forget sampling the delectable maritime cuisine!

On the St. Lawrence's southern shore, coastal levees and hills give way to lakes, woodlands and sinuous rivers. When the setting sun makes the water sparkle and the tidal flats gleam, turning the islands into ghostly shapes, the Bas-Saint-Laurent is at its most moving! The Gaspésie tour follows the shoreline, crossing charming villages that are rich in architectural heritage. You'll find no shortage of good reasons to make a stop: clambering up a lighthouse, visiting a museum, walking on the shore, sampling local specialties (especially the region's delectable smoked fish) or simply getting a lungful of fresh air! The serenity of the surrounding landscape is just the right incentive for health and relaxation.

Watch out, or you may fall under Québec City's spell-it's the only fortified city in North America! As you explore the winding side streets, on foot or in a horse-drawn carriage, the romance of the city will enrapture you. Curious about the past of this historical city? Stroll through its oldest neighbourhoods, like Petit Champlain, Place-Royale and the Old Port. Even though this capital city is steeped in history, the year-round activities are truly up to date: world-class winter carnival and summer festival, theatre, exhibitions, street shows... The accommodations and dining are topnotch!

In Charlevoix, mountain and sea combine to form a setting that can only be described as spellbinding. A succession of capes and outcroppings flank the coast like so many sentinels guarding the river. Villages nestle cosily at the foot of the mountains or in peaceful coves. Beyond the road, fertile fields are interspersed with stunning glimpses of the backcountry peaks. For generations, artists have sought to express the unique mixture of serenity and grandeur that characterizes the terrain. A resort destination par excellence, the Charlevoix region combines year-round quality accommodations with an unusual range of outdoor activities.

Bordered to the south by the Appalachians and the Maine border, and bisected by the Chaudière river valley, the region is dotted with a string of riverside villages that are among some of the loveliest in Québec. Proud of their history and rich architectural heritage, these communities are the natural habitat of craftspeople and sculptors. The banks of the St. Lawrence, in turn, are a refuge for snow geese, whose immense seasonal stopovers at Montmagny (across from the Isle-aux-Grues archipelago) are a sight worth seeing.

From the banks of the St. Lawrence, the Mauricie extends into the heart of the boreal forest, covering 40,000 km² (15,440 sq. mi.). The King's Road, Canada's first carriageway, runs alongside the river as it travels through Trois-Rivières, midway between Montréal and Québec City. The backcountry, a vast forested domain punctuated with lakes and rivers, is a veritable outdoor paradise. The growing interest for an Authentic Quebec makes the Lanaudière-Mauricie regions one of the most promising destinations in Quebec. Authentic Quebec, for a complete Quebec experience!

The term “picturesque” could have been invented for the Eastern Townships. Replete with holiday resorts, this mountainous area rubs shoulders with the U.S. border and its undulating hills and pristine lakes provide endless gorgeous vistas. A land of historic villages characterized by 19th century architecture, the Eastern Townships abounds in theatres, art galleries and antique shops. The region is an irresistible lure for gourmands with its Wine Route, upscale restaurants and cosy country inns. Mountains stretching to the horizon and a landscape dotted with golf greens and sparkling lakes, provide a colorful backdrop to a memorable vacation!

To the southeast of Montréal stretches a vast, bucolic and hilly territory that's home to many vineyards, orchards and maple groves. Bordered by the St. Lawrence and bisected by the Richelieu, the Montérégie is an invitation to indulge in relaxation and gourmet discoveries. Two itineraries, the Countryman's Tour and the Cider Route shine the spotlight on local products, as do the region's renowned restaurants. Head off by bike to explore the Montérégie's impressive 600 km (373 mi.) network of cycle paths that link up to the Route Verte.

Right on Montréal's doorstep, Lanaudière spells outdoor pursuits par excellence! From its southern reaches, where fertile lands line the St. Lawrence, to the vast open spaces and forest-cloaked hills of the north, Lanaudière is a prime destination for hikers, cycle tourists. If sports activities and events abound, so do cultural happenings, like the Festival de Lanaudière -the most prestigious classical music festival in Canada-which brings Joliette and its surrounding churches alive each summer. Lanaudière, one of the first areas to be farmed in Québec, also provides endless opportunity for sampling regional specialties as you roam its country roads. The growing interest for an Authentic Quebec makes the Lanaudière-Mauricie regions one of the most promising destinations in Quebec. Authentic Quebec, for a complete Quebec experience!

For over a century, the Laurentian region has been a year-round playground for Montrealers and an inspiring retreat for artists. Lakeside towns offer a rare blend of European charm and lively North American sophistication, with ancestral homes, charming boutiques and galleries, gourmet restaurants and summer theatres. It is famous for its mountains, 9,000 lakes and rivers and resorts that draw vacationers from all over in search of clean air and elbowroom. Whether you fancy plunging into a river or a Nordic bath, sleeping in a luxurious inn or lodging with an outfitter, there's something for everyone!

Montréal the metropolis has everything a big city can offer. It is also a multicultural city that blends its French accent with that of over 80 other ethnic communities and charms visitors with its Euro-American ambiance. Its downtown bustles with life, while history is rooted in the old quarters near the river. With its year-round party atmosphere, Montréal beats to the rhythm of its festivals: jazz, comedy, cinema, fireworks and more! The city beckons you to discover its fashionable boutiques, famed cuisine and its lively casino. Stroll through its colourful streets and typical neighbourhoods representative of a mosaic of nations, take a ride along one of its many bicycle, party in its inviting bars... Montréal? Oui, s'il vous plaît!

The Outaouais has two sides as markedly different as they are attractive. There's the urban sophistication of Gatineau, located on the Ottawa River across from the Canadian capital: a city peppered with green spaces, cycle paths, major exhibitions and other exciting events. In contrast, there's the thrill of the great outdoors, a mere stone's throw from town: the hills, valleys and forests that become a different adventure playground!

Abitibi-Témiscamingue is a region characterized by immense tracts of lands, largely untouched, where the forest and a profusion of lakes predominate. Historically the trading grounds between the European fur traders and the Algonquin, only in the early 20th century did this vast area so rich in mineral resources welcome its first pioneers and draw prospectors in search of gold. Proud of a history marked by pluck and determination, Abitibi-Témiscamingue offers visitors an experience full of surprises where contact with nature takes top priority.

This vast region is named after the Rivière Saguenay and the great lake, Lac Saint-Jean, which it links to the St. Lawrence. The river winds through a majestic fjord whose breathtaking rocky walls hold their own special fascination. To the north extends a vast wilderness of forests and lakes simply brimming with adventure. Many of the 275,000 local residents live in riverside towns that are also home to a lively cultural scene.

You'll be impressed by the many facets of the region - they are as varied as they are astounding. With the shore overlooking the magnificent St. Lawrence River, cliffs overhanging the striking Saguenay fjord, saltwater marshes where you can observe 175 bird species, the fish ladder teeming with leaping salmon, not to mention the boreal forest, tundra, rushing rivers and deep lakes of its backcountry... Manicouagan is definitely blessed by nature! This grandiose location, which saw the birth of an electrical empire, is dominated by the largest multiple arch dam in the world, the Daniel-Johnson Dam, (Manic-5). This region covers an immense wilderness that is ideal for hiking, camping, scuba diving, sea kayaking...

From Labrador to the Gulf of St. Lawrence, Duplessis offers up forests as far as the eye can see and a coastline punctuated with broad, powerful rivers, with beaches that are among the finest in Québec. Along the Whale Route, rorquals and other large sea mammals can be seen frolicking on the water's surface. Parallel to the easternmost tip of Île d'Anticosti, a boat takes up where the road leaves off, bringing supplies to the string of villages on the Basse-Côte-Nord. Duplessis, the ancestral home of the Montagnais, attracts hunting and fishing enthusiasts!

In Québec's northern hinterlands, wide open spaces rule supreme! Barely 30,000 people live in this vast, near-virgin territory that extends for some 350,000 km² (135,000 sq. mi.) and constitutes nearly one fifth of Québec's total area. The Cree, some 14,000 of whom live in nine communities scattered along James Bay and further inland, have lived here for millennia, and call the land Istchee (Land of the People). The region is also home to a number of municipalities whose economies are based largely on natural resource exploitation

Just like Montréal, its neighbour to the south, Laval is an island. It's also a dynamic region that strikes a harmonious balance between tranquil nature and the bustle and excitement of the city. Rich in green and agricultural spaces, Laval offers those who venture across its bridges innumerable opportunities for escape on the surrounding rivers. Parc de la Rivière-des-Mille-Îles is worth the detour alone! Part wildlife reserve, the waterside park, where lush islets alternate with peaceful marshes, is an invitation to take an agreeable break from the urban madness in a kayak or rabaska.

Halfway between Montréal and Québec City on the south shore of the St. Lawrence, the Centre-du-Québec offers a wide range of year-round getaways and activities in a peaceful country setting. Enjoy scenic views of the St. Lawrence or the sight of quaint country villages silhouetted against the uncluttered horizon. Take your time and explore a land where gourmet discoveries, antique-store finds' and major cultural attractions are on the agenda. Add a golf party or a night at the theatre, and you have all the right ingredients for an unforgettable vacation!

Nunavik... mere words can't begin to describe it: the endless silence of the tundra, the thundering hooves of immense caribou herds, the dancing northern lights, the pack ice drifting by... Located north of the 55th parallel, Nunavik covers some 500,000 km2 (193,000 sq. mi.). For thousands of years, the Inuit have lived in this vast Arctic territory.

Québec maritime, the province of Québec's easternmost region, is one of the most bewitching places to be discovered with lyrical spots of phenomenal beauty where life still ebbs and flows to natural rhythms. Tinted in Renoir Blues by the St. Lawrence River and washed in Turner oranges by flambloyant sunsets, this land of dunes and highlands, islands and monoliths - rugged and gentle by turns.

It offers nine national parks that give access to this region's dramatic land and seascapes. Its human settlements have evocative names that are clues to its geology and history: Cap-aux-Os ("cape of the bones", Anse Pleureuse ("crying cove")...