Take a shortcut to the sea and enjoy one of Canada’s most scenic drives

With winding roads that skim the sea, fabulous food, and parks to please every preference, Quebec’s Gaspé Peninsula is an underappreciated gem. We spent seven delightful days and nights exploring the Gaspésie and left it with a renewed amazement for this picturesque portion of maritime Quebec.

Our chariot for this road trip was the all-new 2023 Kia Sportage Hybrid, which you can read about in detail on pages 32 and 33. The short version is that over our nearly 4,000 km adventure, this stylish SUV was terrific on gas. We averaged 730 km per full tank, which is a measly 52 L, meaning you’re maximizing your distance. The ride is respectfully smooth at highway speeds, its modern technology has a short learning curve, and the cabin is a well-appointed, comfortable, and pleasant place to spend both short and long drives.

While we’ve both visited this region separately in recent years, a return trip was an easy choice for our must-visit list for 2022. We were lured in anew by the scenery, maritime life, spectacular driving routes and overall charm and appeal of this quiet corner of Canada.

Heading westward, we opted for the path that left the most scenic and enjoyable driving roads for last, which was the counterclockwise approach.

Day one saw us go from Mississauga to Rivière-du-Loup, which we did to maximize our on-road time, spend the night. From there, you can continue east either via Autoroute 20 or on the picturesque Route 132.

A20 briefly merges with Route 132, and Quebec’s Parc national du Bic located during this short stretch is certainly worth a stop. It’s one of nearly 50 locations managed by Sépaq, Quebec’s provincial parks authority. 

Park the car and stretch your legs as you enjoy beautiful coastlines, wonderful water views and inviting atmosphere. There are self-guided trails where you can discover wildlife from a distance, as well as hiking and biking options.

Rolling through Rimouski warrants a stop for at least an hour as it’s home to the Pointe-au-Père Lighthouse National Historic Site. Impressively, it’s the second-tallest in Eastern Canada, and while the soaring spiral staircase can seem intimidating, it’s wonderfully worth the climb as the panoramic views are postcard-worthy.

A terrific tour of the HMCS Onondaga submarine is offered at the same site, complete with a functional periscope! And on the somber yet educational side, there’s a museum next door where you can learn about the sinking of the RMS Empress of Ireland, Canada’s equivalent to the Titanic. 

Continuing eastbound for another 30 minutes brought us to Mont-Joli, where A20 concludes and Route 132 joins itself to become a circle around the Gaspésie. This is where we headed south into the Matapédia Valley, where we were welcomed with charming covered bridges, serene and scenic roads, and lovely landscapes.  

Route 132 banks east as the Matapédia River joins the Restigouche River, and it skims the New Brunswick border as it leads toward the Baie des Chaleurs, which forms the southern shore of the Gaspé Peninsula.

Along the serene shores of the bay you’ll find Ferme Bourdages Tradition, which is a traditional farm that has been family-owned in the same location since 1821. From delicious pies (Jay ate a whole pie on his own…), jams, fresh seasonal fruit, and especially the wines and aperitifs made from their own farm-grown strawberries and rhubarb (in which Steph made a solid investment…), the farm is a highlight of the Gaspé’s south side. 

Another location not to be missed is the Site historique national de Paspébiac, which illustrates the region’s storied fishing history throughout the 1800s. Cod replaced traditional currency and drove the local economy, and the various buildings preserve their rich community history. An operating blacksmith and detailed boatbuilding demonstrations are included with admission.

Percé Rock, simply put, is stunning from any vantage point, especially at first glance as you descend upon it from Route 132. Be sure to experience it sooner than later, whether for the first time or as a repeat visitor. Unfortunately, this limestone structure is constantly reducing in size. Geologists give it only two centuries until it crumbles into the Gulf of St. Lawrence. 

This erosion has already reached the point that standing on the island that houses the rock is no longer allowed. However, there are boat tours that will bring you as close as possible by water to experience its majesty. 

Many of those same boat tours will also take you to nearby Bonaventure Island, which is among the best outdoor attractions in the region as it’s home to the world’s most accessible colony of Northern Gannets.

From the dock, it’s a moderate hour-ish hike across the island’s boreal forest. The hike becomes increasingly challenging if you’re in the rain like we were, so make sure you have proper foot and outerwear. Approaching the far shore, you’re serenaded with unforgettable sounds and then comes a scent that’s… well, let’s call it unique. Step a little closer and you’ll arrive at a community of thousands upon thousands of Northern Gannets. There are educational signs on-site to help explain their fascinating and eccentric behaviours, and while Jay isn’t big on birds, even he found appreciation for this remarkable sight.

On land, the village of Percé is home to the Géoparc de Percé, a UNESCO Geopark with over than 100 kilometres of hiking trails, a viewing platform, and a zipline on Mont-Sainte-Anne. There’s an interesting interactive multimedia exhibit called Tektonik that educates visitors on the local geology.

Food-wise, solid seafood spots reign supreme all along the coast, but Percé’s Maison du Pêcheur provided an impressive multi-course display that became our favourite meal of the entire trip.

We’ve missed live music these last couple of years, so it was a joy to stumble upon the Pub Pit Caribou, where a live band was driving an energetic and welcoming atmosphere lubricated by plenty of delicious drink options, including house-made beers that are well-known throughout Quebec. 

If you love the joy of driving as much as we do, the roads and routes through here are wondrous in any vehicle. The twists, turns, and straightaways all contribute to a memorable driving experience, regardless of which seat you find yourself in.

Steph’s big on National Parks and Jay, well, he can appreciate them. Forillon National Park of Canada increased that appreciation quite a bit.

Hiking the Les Graves trail to the farthest edge of the Gaspé Peninsula is spectacular. We departed from the trailhead at L’Anse-aux-Amérindiens and walked the multi-use gravel path—we decided to pass on the more challenging paths up and down the hillsides—and saw bears, wildlife, whales and plenty of friendly visitors on our journey.

Depending on your speed, the round trip can take between 1.5 and 3 hours. At the end, we took a short break underneath the Cap-Gaspé Lighthouse. While the final descent down the cliffside appears intimidating, it’s absolutely worth it: the views over the end of the peninsula from below at the aptly named Land’s End Lookout are nothing short of spectacular.

Stick around in the park to enjoy the lovely lookouts, observation towers, beaches, a short hike to a waterfall tucked away in the forest, and even the remains of a fort built to defend the peninsula in World War II. 

We’ve been extremely fortunate to enjoy incredible roads across Canada, but we agree without question that Route 132 across the north shore of the Gaspésie is one of Canada’s very best and most breathtaking drive routes. The seaside highway twists along colossal cliffs to connect lighthouses and villages, each with its own small-town charm. Every kilometre brings a view unlike any that’s come before. 

This magical drive starts at the northern edge of Forillon National Park, home to Cap-des-Rosiers Lighthouse, which is Canada’s tallest.

From there, to reach the town of Matane is a four-hour drive straight through. But if you truly want to soak in the experience, allot a full day to this attraction-filled route, which includes several more lighthouses that can be visited for a small fee. At one of the many rest stops, we spotted multiple pods of whales and quickly started taking video and pictures. We hardly noticed that we passed nearly an hour there, and we truly didn’t mind!

Rather than follow the same roads to head toward home, we opted to add a ferry trip to the north shore of the St. Lawrence River to our experience. There are ferries that depart numerous points in the Gaspésie toward locations along the north shore, giving you an alternate path toward Quebec City and a chance to appreciate some different scenery.

Our comfortable two-hour ferry ride from Matane brought us to the village of Godbout. From there, we drove westbound on Route 138, leading us through Baie-Comeau to the village of Tadoussac. This is a great place to stop for a meal with plenty of wonderful dining options. Create time to stay longer if you can: the whale watching tours that depart from Tadoussac are truly one of a kind.

As we prepared to head home, we made the short ferry crossing between Tadoussac and Baie-Ste-Catharine and saw even more whales, this time several pods of belugas swimming into the Saguenay Fjord.

Winding our way through the charm of Charlevoix, we made a final stop in Quebec City, which is especially lively in the summer, to relax and recharge overnight before making the final drive back to Mississauga. 

Along the way, we had stellar stays, restful sleeps and warm service at the following places and

Hôtel Universel Rivière-du-Loup
Hostellerie Baie Bleue in Carleton-sur-Mer
Riôtel Percé, Gaspe
Auberge sous les Arbres, Gaspe
Riôtel Matane

The Gaspe region belongs on every Canadian’s top places to visit. There’s something irreplaceable about this stunning side of our country that continues to draw us in and capture our hearts. We have no doubt this section of Quebec by the sea will call us back before long to enjoy even more unique experiences and make lifelong memories with loved ones.

To plan your Gaspe experience, visit quebecmaritime.ca