With its 200,000 square kilometres (77,220 square miles) of sculpted natural wonders, the Duplessis region is intriguing and charming. The ever-present coastline extends for 1,000 kilometres (621 miles), all the way to Labrador, unveiling a landscape of postcard-perfect bays, islands, coves and reefs. At Natashquan, the road ends: beyond, the mysteries of the Lower North Shore are accessible only by sea or air. Farther north lie all manner of natural marvels, before visitors eventually reach the gateway to the land of the caribou and the Groulx mountain range. Nowhere in Québec is the expression “larger than life” more apt.
Amazing Anticosti
Anchored in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, Anticosti, the largest island in Québec, is a must-visit with its 8,000 square kilometres (3,090 square miles) of stunning natural vistas – and 120,000 white-tailed deer.
Marine mammals’ pantry
The Gulf of St. Lawrence is a feeding ground for an array of marine mammals, including minke, fin, humpback and blue whales, as well as dolphins, seals and porpoises.
A spectacular maritime rock garden
Like a mirage, the eerie sculpted monoliths of the Mingan Archipelago reveal themselves with the advancing and receding tides, and are home to puffins and other seabirds.
Salmon-fishing paradise
Plenty of rivers in the region are choice destinations for fishing, but if you plan to visit just one, make it the mythical Moisie, world-renowned for its salmon runs.
The first French settlers mistook the white-tailed deer for the European roe deer, called chevreuil. The name stuck, and most locals still call Québec’s deer chevreuil.
Québec poet and songwriter Gilles Vigneault, one of the region’s most famous sons, tells the stories of the local people in his work.
Film buffs take note: the hit movie La Grande Séduction (Seducing Dr. Lewis) has as its backdrop the countless islands and islets that dot the Lower North Shore.
The economy of the city of Fermont is based solely on iron ore mines, and its inhabitants are sheltered from the biting North winds by a unique 1.3-kilometre wall.
Amateur ornithologists will be in heaven: the region is home to a stunning variety of birds including the razorbill and the bald eagle, a threatened species.
In summer, it’s not unusual to spot dozens of humpback whales swimming together and breaching (thrusting themselves above the water’s surface).
If you visit the Lower North Shore from November to March, you’ll need to set your watch ahead: the time is one hour later than Eastern Standard Time.
