Trails and Travel in Charlevoix, Quebec by Neisa Condemaita and Andrew Arbuckle
(Official Tourism Office Website – https://www.tourisme-charlevoix.com/en/)
Download Charlevoix tourist road map
Arrival: leisurely drive from Quebec City. Or via Charlevoix train.
The region of Charlevoix, a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve, is uniquely wild and inviting. (Wikipedia: The region was named after Pierre François-Xavier de Charlevoix, a FrenchJesuit explorer and historian who traveled through this region in the 18th century.) An area of adventure, it’s charms will guide you through forests, mountains, rivers and fjords in all seasons. Whales come to the edge of the region to feast upon a soup of riptides trapping schools of fish, and in towns the wide variety of local foods mix into delectable plates
A quick video showcasing the area in all parts of the year:
Quaint picturesque towns of bread and breakfast accommodations and art galleries are surrounded by the churning currents of the St Lawrence river and a collection of national parks and ski slopes. Be sure to spend some time on Rue Saint-Jean-Baptiste in Baie St Paul where they claim to have the highest art galleries per capita in all of Canada!
Enchanting views on the outskirts of La Malbaie, we stayed at the Chalets Bellevue, small self sufficient houses on a hill overlooking the St Lawrence. Lovely sunrises were complimentary.
The landscape was created by a meteorite stamping a wide valley within the Canadian Shield. The Laurentian mountains bound the area, maintaining a temperate climate. Historically, the region has attracted adventurous tourists for nearly 100 years, including some curious Prohibition era gatherings.
If not looking for a race, backcountry hiking the Traversee de Charlevoix is about 50km from Baie St Paul to Mont Grand Fords, a ski slope at 15 minutes drive outside of La Malbaie.
Economically interconnected, the region has a few producers of most everything needed. Producers and restaurants share and combine to make amazing downstream foods and keeps the community intimate.
Accommodation can range from bed and breakfast “auberge” or “chez”, to small chalets overlooking the St Lawrence to the luxe Fairmont Le Manoir Richelieu complete with banquet dining and a golf course who’s holes face the expanse of the river. US President Taft stayed at the Fairmont Hotel and his name graces their top suite.
The Fairmont’s kitchen is dedicated to using local products in their menu. A tour of the kitchen proved an orchestra of energy fine tuned for large events and multi-tier production for casual bites up to formal dining. We tried a mix of appetizers showcasing their favorites: house smoked salmon, regional foie gras with a maple whiskey and a blue cheese center, and locally sourced vegetable succotash. The burger was a decadent mix of Charlevoix beef and pork topped with pork belly and they serve a fresh take on the classic nicoise salad with seared tuna. Washed the meal down with a heavy blonde ale from Microbrasserie Charlevoix.
We visited Champignons Charlevoix, whose specialty is growing oyster mushrooms in a controlled environment. Products coming from their kitchen include marinated mushroom, mushroom pasta sauce and dried mushrooms. We purchased their anniversary edition marinated mushrooms and it was amazing with a touch of apple cider. The spicy version was also delicious.
Our next stop was La Chèvrerie Charlevoix, a goat cheese producer of Crottin de Fanny and Tomme de Sainte-Agnès. A couple who emigrated from French Basque country bringing traditional Basque cheese making to Charlevoix. Membership conveys naming rights of a goat (all of whom are recognized by name by the owners) and product discounts. The region is full of small dedicated producers like these and the taste reflects remarkable quality.
A delicious video of the food in Charlevoix
For some awe inspiring adventure, we took to the river where the currents of fresh and salt water mix. From the port of Baie St Catherine, we boarded an agile zodiac after donning “salty sea dog” overalls and jacket as we would be exposed to the wind. Whale watching excites the spirit: even if each sighting is brief, the entire boat exclaims like kids. Photos don’t do justice to the experience. It’s rare to see Beluga whales of which we sighted 3; one being white and the others grey. We also learned that until age 14, Beluga are grey in color and then turn white. The majority of our outing was graced with Minke whales and we came across a pack of seals. Humpbacks are also to be seen, but we didn’t have such luck.
Finally, Old Quebec City. A quick stop before the airport. The idyllic community of Champlain. A destination all unto itself; we are unable to do it justice.