The name “Gaspésie” comes from the Mi’kmaq word Gespeg, or “the place where the land ends.” And that’s the feeling travellers get upon reaching the tip of this mythical peninsula facing the Gulf of St. Lawrence – so expansive it resembles an ocean. The coastlines are lined with cosy villages, while the virgin territory inland looks much as it did when Jacques Cartier arrived from France in 1534. Sheer cliffs plunging into the water as far as the eye can see, along with the ruggedness of the easternmost Appalachian peaks, make this a unique, unforgettable place.
Fabulous Forillon
The theme of Forillon National Park, “Harmony between man, land and sea,” is an apt description. A host of interpretation activities allow you to uncover the region’s secrets.
Head in the clouds
Like a wavy sea of mountains, the Chic-Chocs range invites you to experience a Far North climate as you hike through arctic-alpine flora, spotting caribou and moose.
The Rock and its island neighbour
Percé Rock, with its mysterious arch, and Bonaventure Island, home to North America’s largest colony of Northern Gannets, have been dream destinations for generations!
Created by one devoted woman, Elsie Reford, the Reford Gardens today house some 300 indigenous plant species as well as exotic ones that have adapted to the climate.
The Baie-des-Chaleurs’ great beauty and exceptional quality have earned it inclusion in the select 30-member Most Beautiful Bays in the World Club!
The cliffs at Parc national Miguasha, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, abound with fossilized fish and plants from the Devonian Period, 378 million years ago!
The Le Nordais wind farm is the largest facility of its kind ever built in Canada. Its 133 turbines rise proudly above the Gaspé like an army of windmills.
To increase your chances of spotting caribou and moose while hiking the Chic-Chocs, leave early in the morning, before the heat and crowds drive them into the woods.
On Bonaventure Island, you’ll encounter hordes of winged insects near the Northern Gannet colonies – but don’t worry, they’re not the biting kind!
As you make your way around Route 132, drive slowly and marvel as another quaint village nestled in a cove appears at every bend in the road.
