Tours Bay beach Circuit

Photo: Marc Loiselle

Swimming and relaxing. From Matapédia to Port-Daniel - Gascons. 180 km, one way.

This circuit takes you along the Chaleur Bay. Because of its tremendous beauty and its exceptional quality, the Chaleur Bay is part of the Most Beautiful Bays in the World Club. Protected from the wind, the bay offers a microclimate resulting in warm waters. Now is the time to go for a swim and relax on the long beaches. Going through curves, you will notice the superb red cliffs with their abundant vegetation.

In Pointe-à-la-Croix, you can contemplate the Appalachian Mountains at the mouth of the Chaleur Bay from a 210-metre high lookout or take a stroll on the boardwalk along the magnificent salmon river, the Restigouche. You must visit The Battle of the Restigouche National Historic Site of Canada which commemorates the last naval battle between France and England for the possession of the New France in 1760. In Pointe-à-la-Garde, enjoy the very nice beach in the heart of the village, and in Escuminac you can see the province of New Brunswick on the other shore and enjoy a roadside rest area that offers a lookout. As you exit the village, turn right on the Pointe-de-Miguasha road that leads to the Parc national de Miguasha. This park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, preserves a fossil rich cliff with a worlwide reputation since its discovery in the 1800s. Picnic areas, hiking trails, restaurant and shop.

Back on Route 132, particularly winding at this point, you will come across the Nouvelle village and the Carleton-sur-Mer seaside resort with its beaches, its grandiose sea and mountain sceneries as well as the mild climate of the bay.  What about that oratory on top of the mountain? The Oratoire Notre-Dame-du-Mont-Saint-Joseph is standing on the 555m of Mont Saint-Joseph. Enjoy the rest area and the lookouts that offer an impressive view of the scenery of the Chaleur Bay.

Entering Maria, you will see the wigwam-shaped church of the Gesgapegiag Micmac community. Back on the seashore, the Parc du Vieux-Quai offers services such as: information relay, picnic area, outdoor heated pool. Nearby, you can rest at the Pointe-Verte municipal park and then, at the roadside rest area, the serviced Goélands beach offers a magnificent monolithic sculpture and a huge natural frame. Follow the Cascapédia River, on Route 299, and access the River and Chic-Chocs circuit. In the heart of New Richmond, at the mouth of the Petite rivière Cascapédia, you have to see the Pointe Taylor Park. Relaxation guaranteed at the beach or at the marina with picnic areas, canoe and kayak rental, and restaurant services. In New Richmond, take Saint-Edgar road and get to the Station touristique Pin Rouge and to the village of Saint-Edgar. While crossing the Cascapédia River, notice a covered bridge dating back to 1938.

In Caplan, the roadside rest area invites you to take a break, so you can relax and contemplate a magnificent setting. Take a moment to walk alongside the cliff through the cape trail where you can find rest areas on a one kilometre distance. Take a break in Saint-Siméon and enjoy a splendid view of the bay, the barachois and the Havre de Pêche du Ruisseau-Leblanc. In Bonaventure, you will find a perfect beach to swim in the warm waters of the Chaleur Bay. Enjoy canoeing, kayaking or salmon fishing on the Bonaventure River, where you will be dazzled by its extraordinary clear water. From Bonaventure, take the Grand-Pré street towards Saint-Elzéar and, after 18 km, get to the entrance kiosk of the oldest grotto in Québec (reservation mandatory).

Continuing on Route 132, New Carlisle, René Lévesque"s birthplace, has ericted a statue to his memory in the municipal park. Beach, boardwalk and bird sanctuary. Take a look at the fire hydrants. Don’t you think they are worth a smile? From Paspébiac to Shigawake, the road is a long straight stretch. In Paspébiac, the beach sector offers a welcoming landscape with a lighted boardwalk and long chairs for you to relax,  and you will also find hiking trails along the bay and the barachois. In Hope, there is a hiking trail next to the sea, all the way to Pointe-aux-Corbeaux, where you can admire a prominent rock outcrop that has a hole carved in its base. Amusement park and public restrooms. Leaving the seashore via the Whittom road, until you reach the 2^nd concession road (2^e Rang), enjoy rest areas along the Paspébiac River and spend a nice relaxing moment. Located west of the village of Hope Town, discover an ideal resting area, a hiking trail and an inviting beach. And why not the upper country… Just before arriving in Saint-Godefroi, a lovely red sand beach offers a spectacular view of the Shigawake cliff and Saint-Godefroi. Roadside rest area and modern fishing harbour.

Port-Daniel will charm you with its remarkable bay. Then a serviced beach awaits you in the magnificent hamlet of L’Anse-McInnis. Visit the Maison LeGrand and the hundred-year-old train station. In Gascons, discover a park in the memory of the Colborne wreck alongside a hiking trail on the seashore, and lookouts. Take part in the fishing festival at the end of July. 

Visit: Jardins de la Petite Rochelle, Centre d'interprétation sur l'historique du chemin Kempt, Lieu historique national de la bataille-de-la-Ristigouche, Parc national de Miguasha, Petit Jardin de l'abeille, Oratoire Notre-Dame-du-Mont-Saint-Joseph, Village gaspésien de l'héritage britannique, Grotte de Saint-Elzéar, Musée de la rivière Cascapédia, Centre culturel et d'interprétation Kempffer, Musée Acadien du Québec à Bonaventure, Bioparc de la Gaspésie, Site historique du banc de Pêche de Paspébiac.