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La Route Verte
With more than 3,000 kilometres
of bikeways and roadways throughout
the province of Quebec, and
about 1,300 more to be developed,
the "Route Verte"
is a network of cycling rails
that meets proven safety standards,
paired with inns, hotels, campsites,
restaurants and other amenities.
Along the St. Lawrence River,
the Route Verte runs along the
north shore, from just east
of Trois-Rivières to
Quebec City. From Quebec City,
designated routes run northwest
to the Mauricie Region, and
southwest to the Eastern Townships.
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Cycling the Navigator's
Trail
Leaving the busy TransCanada Highway for
the more sedate Highway 132 route that parallels
the south shore of the St. Lawrence River
is the first step toward discovering the
riverside towns and villages of the Chaudiére-Appalaches
and Bas-Saint-Laurent regions. Trading your
car for a sturdy bicycle is the next.
A one or two day ride along the Navigator's
Trail, between Montmagny and Kamouraska,
east of Quebec City, will provide you with
an almost uninterrupted view of the St.
Lawrence and the hills of the Charlevoix
region on the opposite bank. Within 50 kilometres
(with a few challenging hills as you near
Kamouraska), you will pass through several
of the most picturesque villages in Quebec,
including:
L'Islet-sur-mer - just east of Montmagny,
stop at the Musée Maritime Bernier
to learn about the history of St. Lawrence
River navigation.
Saint Jean-Port-Joli - In the woodcarving
capital of Quebec, visit the Musée
des Anciens Canadiens - and local craft
shops - to view the works of the province's
master woodcarvers.
Saint-Roch-des-Aulnaies - Park your
bicycle at the entrance to the Seigneurie
Des Aulnaies to join costumed guides for
a tour of a re-created New France mill and
manor. The site's extensive gardens are
part of the "Grand Jardins du Quebec."
| Estuary
Exploring in Parc du Bic
If you're a sea kayaker, you
may have gray seals, common
eiders or double-breasted cormorants
to keep you company as you navigate
the sandbars, spits, coves and
bays of Parc du Bic, a narrow
band of overhanging cliffs and
chiseled shoreline near Rimouski
on the south shore of the St.
Lawrence Estuary.
If plants are your passion,
look for the rare Arctic-alpine
and sub-Arctic species that
grow on the park's rocky outcrops
in the transitional zone between
deciduous and boreal forests.
And if hiking or biking is
part of your plan, follow the
trails that wind through this
unique marine-edged landscape.
There are over 100 hundred serviced
campsites in the park, and lots
of river-related history: both
Jacques Cartier and Samuel de
Champlain noted its beauty in
their early explorers' journals.
For 18th and 19th century St.
Lawrence River navigators heading
upriver, Pic Champlain, the
park's 300 metre high landmark,
was the signal to turn toward
Tadoussac and continue westward
in the north channel.
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Kamouraska - Immortalized in film
and fiction for its beauty and quintessential
south shore character, the village of Kamouraska
is steeped in 300 years of history. End
your cycling tour on the monadocks (rocky
peaks) that overlook the St. Lawrence, then
head to a local restaurant for an authentic
meal of duck or rabbit, wild mushrooms,
and local "artisanal" beer and
wine
Scuba Diving
at Les Escoumins
Silver-spotted anemones, snow crabs and
Acadian redfish down below. Beluga, minke
and blue whales up above: head to Les Escoumins,
about 200 kilometeres northeast of Quebec
City for a thrilling combination of shore
diving and whale watching.
In the picturesque village on the north
shore of the St. Lawrence, convenient boardwalks
lead from a modern well-equipped dive center
over the rocky shore to several dive sites.
The water is cold - 0 to 5 degree Celsius
(you may want to consider a dry suit) -
but visibility is excellent. The astonishing
range of sea life that blankets the bottom
of the St. Lawrence River can be clearly
seen in three main dive sites:
The Dock - a 12-metre rock wall located
adjacent to the town pier. The face of the
wall is a shimmering palette of northern
red anemone clusters, purple-spiked finger
sponges, and brilliantly-coloured Greenland
shrimp. Beyond the wall, in about 27 metres
of water, explore the remaining ribs and
frame of an old fishing boat.
La Crique - at 9 metres of depth
on this granite slope, find bright-red scarlet
soles, sea stars and sea urchins clustering
on the rock. At 18 metres, look for chalice
sponges and knobby anemones.
L'Anse à La Barque - in a
small cove, urchins, sea stars, shrimps,
crabs and filled anemones thrive on the
sloping rocks. Look for the predatory polar
sea star, and the toothy Atlantic wolfish,
usually found in rocky crevices.
On the surface, scan the river for belugas,
minkes, finbacks and elusive Blue whales,
the largest mammal on earth, feeding on
the estuary's bountiful plankton picnic.
| Saguenay
Observation and Interpretation
Listen to a live underwater
whale conversation, or find
out more about the glacial origins
of the Saguenay Fjord. Interpretation
and observation centres in the
Saguenay-St. Lawrence region
reveal the hidden world beneath
the waters:
Interpretation Centre for
Marine Mammals, Tadoussac.
Observation and Interpretation
Centres, Cap de Bon Désir
and Pointe Noire, at the entrance
to the Saguenay Fjord.
Whale Observation Lookouts,
Pointe Noire and Baie-Sainte-Margeurite.
Fjord Interpretation Centre,
Baie-Éternité. |
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Sea Kayaking in
the Saguenay-St. Lawrence Marine Park
A sea kayaking expedition through Quebec's
first-ever marine park may demand some experience
and skill. Tides and seas can be high, winds
can reach 15 - 20 knots, and currents may
move at 3 - 4 knots.
But if your paddling skills are solid,
the week-long journey down the Saguenay
fjord, from its confluence St. Lawrence
River at Tadoussac, is a rare treat. In
the estuary, minke, fin and blue whales
provide a spectacular send-off, and in the
fjord, sheer, 300 metre cliffs create a
breathtaking corridor. White beluga whales
pass by on their way to feed in Bay St.
Margeurite, and seals snooze in the sun
on rocky outcroppings. Camping facilities
are available along the length of the fjord,
and energetic kayakers can also plan hiking
or scuba diving sidetrips.
The 1,138 kilometre Saguenay-St. Lawrence
Marine Park, a joint undertaking of the
Canadian federal government and the Province
of Quebec, includes the Saguenay fjord and
riverbottom, the northern half of the St.
Lawrence estuary and seafloor, and the Parc
du Saguenay, extending inland along the
shores of the Saguenay fjord. The marine
environment, now protected by park regulations,
was once the site of First Nations hunting
grounds and Basque whaling stations.
Muskie Mania in
the Upper St. Lawrence
Large and smallmouth bass, northern pike,
walleye and channel catfish are all abundant
in the maze of islands, bays and shoals
of the Thousand Islands region of the upper
St. Lawrence. But it is the mighty sharp-nosed
muskellunge, or "muskie," that
commands the greatest competition among
dedicated sports anglers.
Occasional reports of tackle-busting muskie
catches of 18 - 23 kilograms (well beyond
the average of 5-9 kilograms) - get anglers
out of bed before dawn, and keep them on
the river until dusk. Fall is the favourite
muskie fishing season, and downriggers are
the gear of choice.
Contact fishing outfitters in the Thousand
Islands region to arrange your muskellunge
adventure - a guide is strongly recommended
to land this crafty fish.
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