Gaspésie Tour | |
| Information | |
| Departure | Sainte-Flavie |
|---|---|
| Steps | Mont-Joli Amqui Bonaventure Perforated Gaspe Sainte-Anne-des-Monts |
| Arrival | Sainte-Flavie |
| Length | 885 km |
| Country |  Canada |
| Region | Gaspesie |
| Tourist information office | |
| Location | |
 48 ° 40 ′ 48 ″ N 66 ° 31 ′ 12 ″ W | |
| Touristic site | |
the tour of the Gaspé is a road route going around the Gaspé Peninsula to Quebec.
Understand
Route 132, the main road axis of the Gaspesie, actually loops around the peninsula from Sainte-Flavie. Touring the “Gaspé” is a popular tourist activity for Quebeckers since the Gaspé is an important tourist region. The loop covers 885 km of road. From Montreal, it is a journey of more than 2 000 km.
Steps
- 1 Sainte-Flavie
- 2 Mont-Joli
- 3 Amqui
- 4 Matapedia
- 5
- 6 Perforated
- 7 Gaspe
- 8 Sainte-Anne-des-Monts
- 9 Matane
- Sainte-Flavie
To go
To find out how to get to Rimouski, see the page for that city. The tour of the Gaspé as such begins at Sainte-Flavie. To get there from Rimouski, take route 132 east. You can also take Highway 20 east, faster but much less scenic, which goes to Mont-Joli just south of Sainte-Flavie.
Circulate
From Sainte-Flavie, it is possible to go around in either direction by following route 132. The entire tour of Gaspésie follows route 132 on 885 km for the loop. This page is written with the turn in a counterclockwise direction, but nothing prevents to make the turn in the other direction.
Rimouski to Sainte-Flavie
The journey of Rimouski To Sainte-Flavie by taking route 132 along the St.Lawrence River on 30 km. It is recommended that you take this road instead of Highway 20 if you are going to this area for the first time. Highway 20 is faster, but it goes inland and comes directly to Mont-Joli.
In the Pointe-au-Père district east of downtown Rimouski, the Pointe-au-Père maritime historic site includes an exhibition on the history and sinking of theEmpress of Ireland, the greatest maritime tragedy in history canadian. The site also includes the former Royal Canadian Navy submarine, theOnondaga, which it is possible to visit. On the site, you can't miss the Pointe-au-Père lighthouse, one of the tallest lighthouses in Canada.
Sainte-Flavie to Amqui
The journey of Sainte-Flavie To Amqui of 70 km cross the Matapedia valley which is known for its Atlantic salmon rivers, ancestral homes and covered bridges. Just south of Sainte-Flavie, you will pass by Mont-Joli which houses the office of the Gaspé Tourist Association, an excellent place to get information and obtain brochures to plan your "tour of the Gaspé". Mont-Joli is known for its painted walls.
Before arriving in Amqui, you will pass along Lake Matapedia; the village of Val-Brillant in 15 km west of Amqui is a great place to stop to observe it. There is a rest area which is a lookout directly overlooking the lake and on Route 132 which is adjacent to a park and in front of a popular canteen named La Paysanne famous for its submarines. When entering the village, you can stop at the municipal marina from where you can observe the lake and the magnificent church of Val-Brillant with two bell towers.
At the entrance to Amqui, there is the Anses-Saint-Jean covered bridge spanning the Matapedia River set back from Route 132. The town of Amqui also has a second covered bridge, the Beauséjour Bridge, located in the Nuns' Park and accessible only on foot or by bike. Passing through downtown Amqui, you won't be able to miss the heritage train station. In the courtyard of the station, there is an old passenger car, the Lynewood, which can be visited during the summer season.
Amqui in Matapedia
The journey ofAmqui To Matapedia of 75 km complete the crossing of the Matapedia valley. In Matapedia, you arrive at the Chaleur Bay, member of the Club of the most beautiful bays in the world. It is also the gateway to the International Appalachian Trail
To the east of Causapscal, you will pass through the tiny village of Routhierville. This includes a covered bridge set back from Route 132.
The journey of 135 km Between Matapedia and Bonaventure walk along Chaleur Bay that separates the Gaspé Peninsula from New Brunswick. A particularity of this trip is that you will discover that the Gaspé is in fact a mixture of cultures. Indeed, you will pass through English-speaking villages from the English Loyalists fleeing the United States following the American Revolution, Acadian villages resulting from refugees from the Great Upheaval of 1755 and immigration and even Basque, Irish and Jersey cultures resulting from immigration at the time of colonization without forgetting the Mi'kmaq Amerindian culture.
West of Carleton-sur-Mer near the village of Nouvelle, there is the Miguasha National Park which is a fossiliferous site classified in Unesco World Heritage including old fossils from 378 million years.
For its part, Bonaventure is a good place to stop offering several tourist attractions such as the Acadian Museum of Quebec and the Bioparc de la Gaspésie. It is also a good starting point for outdoor activities such as swimming on the beach, hiking, fishing or kayaking. Cime Aventures offers guided canoe, kayak or inflatable raft excursions on the Bonaventure River.
The journey of Bonaventure To Perforated of 130 km complete the Chaleur Bay and take you to The point of the Gaspé Peninsula.
The city of Chandler, To 45 km west of Percé, is the starting point of the CMTA ship Vacationer, during the summer season, if you want to leave the tour of the Gaspé for a stay in the Magdalen Islands.
The village of Percé is a must-see on the Gaspé tour. Off the coast, there is the Parc national de l'Île-Bonaventure-et-du-Rocher-Percé which includes Bonaventure Island with its 300,000 seabirds including a colony of over 120,000 northern gannets, the largest in the world. In addition, do not miss the iconic and imposing Percé Rock! The village of Percé is renowned for its accommodation and catering.
Percé to Gaspé
The journey of Perforated To Gaspe of 70 km goes north and runs along the Gulf of St. Lawrence, that is to say the sea as far as the eye can see!
Sea excursions are organized in Gaspé Bay for whale watching. At the end of The point of the Gaspé Peninsula is the Forillon National Park just north of Gaspé. It offers magnificent natural landscapes and includes the tallest lighthouse in Canada, the Cap-des-Rosiers lighthouse.
Gaspé to Sainte-Anne-des-Monts
Pass it Forillon National Park, we take the direction of the west. The journey of Gaspe To Sainte-Anne-des-Monts is of 205 km and along the estuary of the St. Lawrence River, that is to say still the sea as far as the eye can see! Several lighthouses are located on this route.
Sainte-Anne-des-Monts is the gateway to the Gaspésie National Park located inside the peninsula south of the city. This is a destination in itself and it may be necessary to return in Gaspesie to visit it.
Sainte-Anne-des-Monts to Matane
The journey of Sainte-Anne-des-Monts To Matane of 85 km along the St. Lawrence River. Although it shrinks from its estuary, the tides are still high, the water is salty and you will not be able to see the other shore as it is so far away!
TO Cap-Chat, just west of Sainte-Anne-des-Monts, is the Éole wind farm which includes 133 wind turbines, making it one of the largest wind farms in North America. It also includes the tallest vertical axis wind turbine in the world. Wind turbines can be seen at the top of the mountains from the road, but it is possible to visit the park. In addition, Valmont plein air offers kayak trips on the Cap-Chat River.
In Matane, during the summer season, it is possible to visit the Salmon Climb Observation Center, which allows you to observe Atlantic salmon in ponds set up in a migratory pass. The Matane tourist office is located in the lighthouse keeper's house adjacent to the Matane lighthouse. From Matane, it is possible to take a detour inland to visit the Matane wildlife reserve located south of the city. Guided moose observation tours are offered as well as an interpretation center. Matane is also the departure point of the ferry Camille-Marcoux connecting the North Coast.
In Saint-René-de-Matane, there are two covered bridges crossing the Matane river: the François-Gagnon bridge and the Jean-Chassé bridge. They are located about twenty kilometers south of Matane on route 195.
Matane to Sainte-Flavie
The tour of the Gaspé is completed by this journey of 65 km connecting Matane To Sainte-Flavie and along the St. Lawrence River.
In Grand-Métis, near Métis-sur-Mer, are the Jardins de Métis, floristic gardens of awe-inspiring beauty laid out by architects and artists from all over the world.
From Sainte-Flavie, you can return to Rimouski by continuing to follow the St.Lawrence River on Route 132 or by going to Mont-Joli to take Autoroute 20, the end of which is just 2,5 km south of Sainte-Flavie.
To see
- Chaleur Bay – One of the most beautiful bays in the world.
- Miguasha National Park – Fossil site classified at Unesco World Heritage.
- Gaspésie Bioparc – One of the must-see attractions of the Gaspé.
- – Features the iconic Percé Rock and the largest northern gannet colony in the world.
- Forillon National Park – Breathtaking scenery and the tallest lighthouse in Canada.
- Éole Cap-Chat – One of the largest wind farms in North America and the tallest vertical axis wind turbine in the world.
- Matane Wildlife Reserve – Discovery of moose.
- Reford Gardens – One of the must-see attractions of the Gaspé.
Do
- Sea cruise – Whale watching.
- Hiking
To buy
Eat
Have a drink / Go out
Security
Around
- Destinations nearby
- Other road routes
