World City Guide

Excursions

The following excursions are all located east of Quebec City, along Highway 138 (Highway 362, which runs along the coast east of Baie-St-Paul, offers a slower but incredibly scenic alternative). Twice-daily Intercar coaches (tel: (418) 627 9108 or (888) 861 4592; fax: (418) 627 1503; e-mail: info@intercar.qc.ca; website: www.intercar.qc.ca) stop at Ste-Anne-de-Beaupré, Baie-St-Paul and Tadoussac. A car is necessary to visit the Canyon-Ste-Anne and Ile d’Orléans. Many bus-tour companies include these destinations in their itineraries (see Tours of the City).

For a Half Day

Côte de Beaupré: The different attractions east of Quebec City in the Beaupré Coast region (website: www.cotedebeaupre.com) could be visited individually in as little as a couple of hours but could easily be combined to fill a whole day. Nearest the city, the Montmorency Falls (tel: (418) 663 3330; website: www.chutemontmorency.qc.ca) is a waterfall half as tall as Niagara Falls, although with less water. A cable car costing C$5.50 one way or C$7.50 return leads from the car park (C$7.50) to the centre d’interprétation (open daily from 0830 until around dusk, from mid April to late October) and a bridge over the falls. The Montmorency Falls is the only attraction in the region that is accessible by public transport. Bus 53 travels here on a 50-minute journey from Place Jacques-Cartier.

Further east, the enormous Basilique de Ste-Anne-de-Beaupré (website: www.ssadb.qc.ca) has been drawing Catholic pilgrims for centuries; the cathedral is part of a complex including a museum and smaller chapels that mark the start of the Way of the Cross processional route up the hillside.

Six kilometres (four miles) further on, three bridges are suspended across the Canyon Ste-Anne (tel: (418) 827 4057; website: www.canyonste-anne.qc.ca), offering dramatic views of the 74m (243ft) waterfall located there. Admission is C$7.50 (concessions available) from May to October only.

Ile d’Orléans: The rustic countryside of the Ile d’Orléans is visible from Quebec City’s Old Town and many locals escape here for fresh produce from roadside market stalls and the many excellent restaurants in the island’s inns. It is a pleasant place for visitors to drive around and the tourist office (tel: (418) 828 9411; website: www.iledorleans.com), located near the bridge to the mainland, provides audio tours, costing C$10, which chart the background of the early settlers and sailors who lived here. The bridge is located about 20km (12 miles) northeast, of central Quebec City, off Highway 440.

For a Whole Day

Charlevoix: Around 60km (37 miles) east of Quebec City, the terrain changes dramatically as the Laurentian mountain chain meets the St Lawrence River. Amidst the forest-covered mountains are a couple of scenic provincial parks (tel: (418) 890 6527 or (800) 665 6527; website: www.sepaq.com). These include the Parc des Grands-Jardins (where caribou can be spotted) and Parc des Hautes-Gorges-de-la-Rivière-Malbaie, with its mighty ravines. Closer to the coast is the town of Baie St-Paul. The initial view from the west is breathtaking, as the highway drops out of the mountains into the valley where the town lies. Artists have found the scenery stimulating and their output is visible at the many galleries in Baie St-Paul, supplemented by numerous restaurants and country inns. Information on the region is available from Tourisme Charlevoix (tel: (418) 665 4454 or (800) 667 2276; website: www.tourisme-charlevoix.com). Transport to the region is by Intercar coach (see above).

Whale-watching: The Saguenay–St Lawrence Marine Park (website: www.parkscanada.gc.ca) begins at the eastern end of Charlevoix and is an excellent place for watchers to spot belugas, humpbacks, fin whales and the occasional mighty blue whale. From Quebec City, Croisières AML (tel: (418) 692 1159 or (800) 563 4643; website: www.croisieresaml.com) offers a coach-and-cruise trip for C$79–86, while for C$129, Croisières Dufour (tel: (418) 692 0222 or (800) 463 5250; website: www.familledufour.com) provides a ten-hour excursion entirely by boat, departing at 0800. By car, it is a three-hour drive each way to Baie Ste-Catherine, where numerous companies offer three-hour whale-watching trips for around C$40–45, although it is better for visitors to stay overnight in one of the many bed and breakfasts in the pretty town of Tadoussac, located on the north side of the Saguenay Fjord, and make a weekend of it.