Why Visit Gaspé Peninsula, Here Are Five Amazing Reasons

Cindy and I were excited to be visiting Gaspe Peninsula. We were unfamiliar with the area but had heard great things. Fresh seafood offers unique activities, like whale watching or exploring the natural Micmac way of life. We will list “Why Visit Gaspé Peninsula, Here Are Five Amazing Reasons.” So join us on our adventure of discovery of the Gaspé area.

From Quebec City To Gaspé

After spending two nights in Quebec City, we are going to Gaspé. Our route takes us along the coast of the Gaspé Peninsula. Leaving Quebec City around nine in the morning, we travel, taking highway A20 eastward toward Gaspé. It was a rainy, dreary drive, and I’m sure it would have been spectacular had the sun come out. Maybe next time. Our first stop was in Matane at this great seafood market called Pêcheries Bertrand Desbois. The live lobsters, scallops, and all other kinds of seafood were tantalizing. Cindy and I love seafood of any description, and the east coast is fortunate to be blessed with some of the best. We wanted to purchase a little bit of everything as everything looked so delicious, but we settled on scallops to enjoy later (they were excellent).

The drive to Gaspé was long, nearly 700 kilometers, taking us a little over nine hours once you take in stops for fuel, some sights, and purchasing our seafood. We arrived at Fort Ramsay Motel and Campground, where we would stay for the next three nights.

Visiting The Gaspé Information Center

Our first order of business in the morning was to visit the Gaspé Information Center, which was extremely helpful and can be found near the Gaspé marina. We were greeted by a friendly older lady who spoke excellent English. She was incredibly helpful in assisting us with things to see and do around Gaspé. She also put us onto a great seafood market called Poissonnerie, just half an hour south of Gaspé (we visited several times to stock up on local seafood).

Here Are Five Amazing Reasons To Visit Gaspé Peninsula

The lady from the information center recommended visiting the MICMAC Interpretation site; she even called ahead for us and booked a time since there are both French and English tours. Another popular activity to partake in, in the Gaspé Peninsula area is whale watching, as many different species migrate through these waters.

Other activities in the Gaspé Peninsula area include visiting Percé and catching the ferry out to the ile Bonaventure where you will see amazing nature plus the largest colony of Northern Gannet. Nearby to Gaspé is the Forillon National Park.

Let’s not forget the Birthplace of Canada Heritage Site, the Jacques-Cartier cross.

Visit The MICMAC Life Display

Our lady from the information center had booked us a tour at the MICMAC Interpretation center for 10:30 with an English-speaking guide. The Center was just down the road from where we were staying at Fort Ramsay Motel and Campground. We arrived just before our tour time, allowing us to walk around the center itself and take in the fantastic displays that they have set up; truly a place worth stopping to visit.

A visit to the Micmac Interpretation Site of Gespeg will allow you to discover the Nation from yesterday to today, its occupation of the Gaspé territory, its history, and its culture. You will be able to understand to what extent their traditional and even contemporary way of life is intimately linked to water. People of the sea, the Micmac Nation, have been alive for a thousand years! The traditional village and its summer camp are on display as found in the 17th century. 

We very much enjoyed our visit here as it was very informative with actual MICMAC buildings, smokehouse, longhouse, teepee, and other outbuildings. There were displays depicting snars and traps used to hunt moose, bears, and other animals. These forms of hunting were seen as a safer alternative to bows or spears. A very informative experience, highly recommended

Guided tour 

Duration of the visit: 1h45 to 2h00

Young Child (6 and under): Free Child (7 to 17 years old): $9.25 Student (18 years and over with student card): $9.25

Adult: $11.75 Senior (65 and over): $10.25

Visit The Town Of Gaspé

After visiting the MICMAC Interpretation center, we headed towards Gaspé Bay South. Here you will find the Birthplace of Canada Heritage Site, the Jacques-Cartier cross. We walked around this area while visiting the buildings and learning what life might have been like so many years ago.

This historic site offers animation and interpretation by costumed characters, as well as scheduled events and shows that are both informative and entertaining. Here you will find the Jacques Cartier cross monument and a craft shop featuring local products. A tavern with refreshments and summer programming with plenty of free activities. Multimedia show Tale of Time and Tides in the evening! Truly a place full of Canada’s early history. Definitely worth stopping in and looking around.

After we finished visiting, it was time for a bite to eat and refreshments; we headed up into the downtown area to find several inviting restaurants. We picked one and ordered a fish dinner and a local draft, an excellent way to spend looking out over the bay.

Visit Beautiful Haldimand Beach

Considered one of the most beautiful beaches in Quebec with its fine, golden sand,  Haldimand Beach offers a superb view of Forillon National Park. It will delight families with its shallow waters suitable for swimming! Located 8 km from downtown Gaspé, it is accessible by rue de la Plage and offers free parking. Supervised from the end of June to the end of August, this beach has a fast food service, picnic and play areas for children, toilets, and showers.

After lunch, we headed to Haldimand Beach, just a short drive from Gaspé. The water was lovely, a beautiful sandy beach with lots of room and plenty of parking. If in the area we would highly recommend visiting, very friendly place. We went several times as it was a nice place to relax.

Purchase Fresh Gaspé Seafood

A fish market that we would highly recommend in the area is the one the lady at the Gaspé information center recommended to us. Good value and selection, and we were not disappointed with the quality. Great Gaspé Seafood, stop in at Poissonnerie seafood market.

Gaspé Peninsula Whale Watching Tours

Several companies offer whale-watching tours; we settled on Croisere Aux Balleines, based out of Forillon National Park. They also offer sea kayaking; we wanted whale watching, as we used to own sea kayaks. We called the night before to book our spots; Cindy and our Granddaughter Alyssa were going to go as I have seen many whales while fishing off the west coast.

Ticket prices for adults were $82.50, and everything depended on the weather. Cindy and Alyssa were lucky to see a couple of whales; like in life, nothing is a guarantee. They do try, as they are in constant contact with other boats in the area, so that helps your odds.

On our whale-watching tour, the seas were flat; we saw a Minke Whale do some dives into the water. It didn’t jump out very far, but it was cool, just the same. We also saw porpoises and seals. We went on the tour from 8:15 until 10:45 am and paid $185 for the two of us.

All in all, the experience was enjoyable; I would recommend it if you have never experienced something like this before in your life.

Plan To Visit Percé

While staying in Gaspé, we planned a drive to visit Percé. Percé is only 60kms away and offers many activities to keep you and your family busy. Here you will find the famous Percé rock and beaches, experience the local seafood and other favorites, and wash it down with one of the local beers around town.

Percé is a friendly town so take the time to experience what makes the town special, shop at boutiques, then take the boat over to Île-Bonaventure-et-du-Rocher-Percé National Park, where you will find plenty of things to do. You will also pass by Percé rock on your way to the park; this rock has its beauty.

Take A Boat To Île-Bonaventure-et-du-Rocher-Percé National Park

Parc national de l’Île-Bonaventure-et-du-Rocher-Percé stands out for its natural, historical and geological heritage. Carved by time and the sea, Bonaventure Island offers a truly different experience. With colonies of seabirds that bring together more than 200,000 breeding birds of 11 different species, this park is an essential refuge for migratory birds in North America. Whether on your boat trip or during your hike on Bonaventure Island, you have the chance to admire these magnificent seabirds up close, which come here to breed. Its gannet colony (116,000) is the most accessible in the world. Something amazing to witness!

Arriving in Percé, we found parking for 24 hours for $10.00. We then walked down towards the wharf and ran across the ticket booth for the ferry to Île-Bonaventure-et-du-Rocher-Percé. We purchased the tickets, $40 each plus taxes, totaling $136.15. Waiting to catch the ferry, we talked to others who had been here before, telling us that the gannet colony was awesome. The ferry takes you near Perce Rock, showing you both sides before heading to Île-Bonaventure-et-du-Rocher-Percé National Park (provincial park). Sailing around Île-Bonaventure-et-du-Rocher-Percé National Park, you can see the thousands of birds that call this island their home.

We arrived on the island at 2:30 pm after a presentation about the park; we purchased the park tickets. The ticket fee to the provincial park was another $9.25 for each adult; Alyssa being 16, was free.

We very much enjoyed our visit to Île-Bonaventure-et-du-Rocher-Percé National Park. Ensure you arrive early so you can enjoy your time here, as it closes around 5:00 pm. We had just enough time to visit the Gannet Colony. This is about an hour’s walk, so consider this if you want to do anything else at the park. They do have walking trails, so plan accordingly. We had to catch the last boat off the island at 5:00 pm; we should have visited first thing in the morning so we would have time to explore other parts of the park. We were grateful to see the bird colony, though.

A Must Visiting The Northern Gannet Colony

The main reason people come to this particular park is to see the Northern Gannet colony, as they have their nesting grounds on the other side of the island from where the ferry docks. The walking trail to the colony takes approximately 1 hour, and another hour to walk back; the last ferry leaves at 5:00 pm.

We knew we had a tight timeline to get to see the colony. I walked ahead to be sure we got some photos of the Gannets. I arrived at 3:30, and Alyssa and Cindy arrived at 3:45 pm. We had enough time to take lots of pictures and videos before being told to start the trek back as the last ferries would be coming. We arrived back in time to get the second to last ferry at 4:45 pm. It was a very full day. We still had an hour’s drive back to Gaspé from Percé. We stopped on the way back to Gaspé for more fresh seafood; this time, it was Halibut. It was a great day, maybe a little too busy, but a great day.

Final Thoughts On Gaspé Peninsula

We enjoyed our three days in this area and would highly recommend visiting. Lots to do, the people were very friendly, and the fresh seafood was incredible. Let’s not forget that this is said to be the birthplace of Canada. Truly a beautiful area.

We are now heading to New Brunswick, where we will stay with newfound friends. While in New Brunswick, we will be visiting Hopewell Rocks in the bay of Fundy. Feel free to join us.