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With its islands, located in the St. Lawrence River and Gulf, and its sandy
beaches, the manicoise immensity knows how to satisfy fantasies of the
sea. Its most exceptional aquatic fauna evolves among an incomparable flora.
Pointe-des-Monts and Les Escoumins invite
you, for that matter, to take a dive under water in order to meet this
fauna and flora
and discover this truly magical universe. Numerous shipwrecks, scattered
in many
places on the bottom of the sea in the Manicouagan region, have become
the vestiges of other times. In a kayak, search for peaceful havens and
paddle among the whales aboard your quiet vessel. Then, a complete different
type of wonder can be discovered
in its backcountry; throughout the Groulx Mountains emerge spectacular
sites where
you can practice your trekking. These sites form a magnificent territory
of 200 000 km2 of multiple landscapes allowing you to go hiking, take biking
excursions and much more...
Location
| © G. Cormier |
Sea Kayaking
Manicouagan is home to the first company to introduce sea kayaking to the province of Québec and the largest number of companies offering services in this sector. You can therefore easily explore the entire coastline in complete safety. Sea kayaking is also the best way to commune with the St. Lawrence sea environment. Professional accredited guides will help you discover the treasures of this region, where you are likely to catch sight of magnificent whales. You will be amazed by the blow of the whales, the stares of the seals, the whirling seabirds and the magical scenery as you paddle along the Manicouagan region.
For more information or to obtain the guide, contact the Fédération
québécoise du canot et du kayak at (514) 252-3001, www.canot
kayak.qc.ca.
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| © QM – Nelson Boisvert |
Adventure Tourism
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| © D. Prévéreault, ATRM |
Hiking
If you would rather go hiking in the wilderness, the Manicouagan region
has a number of reputed hiking trails that will have you come a-runnin'!
Our trails, reserves, parks, ZECs and footpaths stretch over hill and
through vale from Sacré-Cœur to Baie-Comeau. As you walk
along the shoreline dotted with lighthouses and other typical Quebec
maritime attractions, you can see a whale swimming languidly as it feeds,
watch the whale-watchers head out for a closer look and take a picture
of a playful seal as it frolics in the sea…
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| © Vélo |
Biking
The Manicouagan region, in North Shore, offers 300 km of shoreline along the St. Lawrence Estuary. Between Tadoussac / Sacré-Coeur and Baie-Trinite, the landscape of sea and mountains available to you and what better way to experience this bike?
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| © Domaine de l'Ours noir |
Bear watching
Experience a safari where is the man who is locked! In a bay window, you can watch in peace wolves and black bears wandering at large, a few yards from your mark. Cameras are allowed, and chills, guaranteed!
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| © Qm, Andy Wendel |
Scuba Diving
The Côte harbours real small aquatic paradises for scuba diving,
so do like the whales and take the Whale Route! Search the waters of
the magnificent St. Lawrence River where a fauna and a flora that are
world renowned for the incomparable richness of their species await
you, and follow the dolphins closely. They will lead you towards Les
Escoumins, Baie-Comeau, Godbout, and Baie-Trinité, which are
sites favoured and particularly valued by divers.
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| © V. Poulin, ATRM |
Boating
On the Côte-Nord, to navigate really means going out to sea! Explore
the many wide and inviting bays and discover islands and natural havens.
The region’s recreational harbours are well organized to welcome
you aboard your sailboat or your yacht, thus seducing boaters in many
ways.
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| © G. Lapointe |
Fishing
Vast, covered with dense forests, and overflowing with thousands of
watercourses, the Côte-Nord is home toover 60% of the salmon rivers
in Québec. Both an aquatic paradise for Atlantic salmon and the
kingdom of brook trout, this favoured vacation destination really has
what it takes to delight fishing enthusiasts.
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| © D. Prévéreault, ATRM |
Seaplane
The Whale Route… from a bird’s view! Take off in a helicopter
or in a seaplane, and appreciate Québec’s nature unveiled
under the horizon. Fly from small villages to wilderness regions until
you reach lands where silence says so much…
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| © S. Pelchat |
Canoeing
In addition to the St. Lawrence, Côte-Nord is home to many other bodies of water; this region boasts an abundance of lakes and rivers that are ideal for canoeing. Relax and meditate for a while during a solitary pilgrimage; paddle down mysterious rivers; admire the colours of the undulating water; and stop for a rest on a fine-sand beach.
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| © A. Pelletier |
Horseback Riding
The Manicouagan is a good place for horseback and sleigh riding. Whether
you prefer to curb a horse or let yourself be led, many ranches offer
the possibility to safely practice equestrian activities with or without
a guide at a very affordable price. Discover every angle of the Manicouagan.
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| © D. Prévéreault, ATRM |
Golf
Do you like to golf? Heed the call of the wild in Tadoussac, Chute-aux-Outardes
and Baie-Comeau, where you can enjoy a game of golf in a superb natural
setting, usually located near a picturesque lake or river. Walk up to
the tee. Take a deep breath of fresh air. Swing. Watch your ball arc
through the air. Repeat. Could the invigorating sea air help improve
your game? Come find out. A veritable feast for the senses awaits you
at the regional golf courses.
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| © Quad excursions |
Quad excursions
An increasingly popular activity in Manicouagan, quad (ATV) excursions can be undertaken on a network of trails that is currently under development. Find out more about this sport by contacting the Québec Federation of Quad Clubs (FQCQ) in the Côte-Nord region at 418-295-3382 or visit www.fqcq.qc.ca.
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| © J.P. L. Messier |
Groulx/Uapashke Mountains
Located 340 km from Baie-Comeau on the Trans- Québec Labrador
and just below the 51st parallel on the banks of the crater, the Groulx
Mountains, also called the Uapashke Mountains, are a true ecotourism
paradise. With some thirty peaks reaching more than 1,000 m and covering
an area of 5,000 km2, they are among the most imposing massifs in Québec.
Vast alpine plateaus accessible via two trails (Kilomètre 335
and Kilomètre 365) on Route 389, offer dazzling scenery and an
unrivalled feeling of freedom. The view stretches to the horizon and
covers magnificent fields rippling with colorful tundra vegetation, or
covered with virgin snow, where you can roam with a map and a compass.
Researchers from different American universities come back here regularly.
Because of its biodiversity, the climbing of the Groulx Mountains can
be compared to an excursion extending from the St. Lawrence River to
the Ungava Bay. You start hiking in the dense boreal forest on the massif’s
flanks, then you go through the taiga scattered with
black spruce to finally reach the arctic tundra; a circuit taking only
a few hours.
Among these great outdoors, the high peaks watch over the Île René-Levasseur
which is nestled right in the middle of a gigantic meteorite crater formed
214 million years ago. Nicknamed the “eye of Québec”,
this crater is known as the fourth biggest meteorite crater on the planet.
Prompted by all these exceptional features, the local interests of the
territory are working towards the worldwide recognition of this unique
heritage by UNESCO as a World Biosphere Reserve.
You are a nature lover? Join the Société des amis des monts
Groulx, which organizes its Grande Corvéeevery fall during the
Labour Day weekend. Here you will meet your peers during this spontaneous
bivouac! On the program are an interpreted hike, cleaning, clearing,
cutting dead wood, developing trails and wilderness campsites, as well
as other rudimentary interventions. For this annual gathering with the
“friends” of the Groulx Mountains, this ecological land development
association whose vocation is strictly wilderness, bring your tools,
your food and your good mood, and experience an adventure where work
and fun come together in a gratifying and profitable way.
After the chores, the participants are invited to finish the day around
a nice campfire.
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