Photo: Jean-Pierre Huard

The Lighthouses Trail on the Peninsula...
The Gaspésie has fourteen proud witnesses to history, five of which have been given a second life thanks to the judicious interventions of enthusiasts. Thus, these true sentinels of the sea or their outbuildings have been transformed into museums or tourist information offices.

Discover the Matane and La Martre lighthouses, whose beacons have been lighting the way since 1906. The first lighthouse towers above the area and offers a splendid view of the maritime activities, the windmill park and the Chic-Chocs Mountains, and the lightkeeper's house is a museum as well as a tourist information office. The second lighthouse, which remains operational, still has its original clock components, and the building next to it houses the lighthouse museum and its permanent exhibit.

From the top of the 44 stairs of the Cap de la Madeleine lighthouse, the village, the mountains, the barachois, and the mouth of one of the most beautiful salmon rivers reveal themselves before your eyes. The site also offers several services, and has a shop, and a museum. The Pointe-à-la-Renommée lighthouse, renowned for having traveled a lot, stands in a panoramic setting that is quite breathtaking which is also its original home. This historical site was, thanks to Marconi, a strategic communications centre. The beacons of these lighthouses were lit in 1907.

Photo: Pierre and MP Perron

The Cap-des-Rosiers lighthouse, which stands at 34 metres, is the highest lighthouse in Canada, and navigators can always count on its beacon, which was lit in 1858, to find their way. Firmly planted at the entrance of the Forillon National Park, this fabulous structure was declared a historic monument.

All these witnesses to maritime heritage know how to make their respective history known through various ways. Now it is up to you to take the trail that will lead you to them… www.routedesphares.qc.ca

Exploring a Gaspésie filled with wildlife…
In the Parc de la Gaspésie, among the highest peaks in eastern Canada, the tablelands are home to a herd of caribou, while another sector allows you to discover the largest density of moose in Québec as well as white-tailed deer. Moreover, the Rocher Percé and the Bonaventure Island allow you to see how thousands of birds, including the fabulous Northern gannets, go about their daily lives.

Photo: Louise Tanguay

Bird-watching is a fun-filled activity that you can enjoy starting at the beginning of May, and it can last as late as December for certain species. Furthermore, since a large amount of birds can be found at the end of the peninsula, it is one of the sectors where you must take the time to go bird-watching.

The largest creatures of the planet are also quite fascinating to watch. You can find seven different species of whales who love to explore the Forillon-Percé sector  and among them, the impressive blue whale. Enjoy this exceptional sight between the months of May and October. All you have to do is wait for them to take a breath in order to spot them. During this same period, while traveling along the coast, you will discover numerous places where grey seals and harbor seals come to lounge and take advantage of long flat rocks. So be on the lookout!

Sure to fill you with wonder, remarkable plant species… 
By traveling across the peninsula, you will be able to take in flora treasures that are as numerous as they are surprising: flora and vegetation similar to that of the tundra, in some areas; the boreal forest or subalpine forest, depending on the altitude; not to mention the horticultural masterpieces throughout various cultivated gardens, including the most popular and wonderful Reford Gardens, where the microclimate allows for the cultivation of rare species in the region, which are ranked among the wonders of the world.

Photo: Jean-Pierre Huard

An integral part of the architectural heritage, covered bridges…
Covered bridges made out of wood could be seen almost everywhere in the Québec landscapes between 1800 and 1960. Québec architects, taking the work of European and Asian builders as an example, start adding a roof to the bridges in order to preserve their superstructure. Conventional wooden bridges last between ten and twenty years, whereas the lifespan of covered bridges can be up to ten times longer. At the time, more than a thousand of these bridges stretch across ravines or cross Québec rivers, and allow the people to enjoy the romantic aura of their architecture. Nine of these witnesses to days gone by can still be found in the Gaspésie. The oldest bridge, which crosses the Matapédia River, dates back to 1909, while the newest one was built in 1945. Québec Covered bridges

Photo: Marc Loiselle

Always popular, fishing in all its forms...
Fishing still holds an important place in the lifestyle of the Gaspesians, whether it be commercial fishing, recreational fishing, ice fishing, or fishing off of wharves. The latter often allows you to meet colorful people that take malicious pleasure in telling you a large number of stories about the day's catches, stories that are peppered with anecdotes and popular stories. Moreover, several fish markets offer a large amount of freshly caught fish and seafood. You can also purchase all of these catches in the form of fresh, smoked, and dry-salted items or even prepared dishes.   

Typical and colorful, the people of the sea…
Gaspésie shares with the Bas-Saint-Laurent, the Côte-Nord and the Îles-de-la-Madeleine an immense territory named Québec Maritime. Bordered by 3,000 kilometres of coastline, and bathed by the St. Lawrence River and the Gulf of St. Lawrence, Québec Maritime benefits from a long tradition forged by the omnipresent sea. The people of Québec Maritime await you with open arms. www.quebecmaritime.ca