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Photo credit: Mathieu Dupuis
The Charlevoix region offers activities of all kinds that will engage all your five senses.
With an ancient historical heritage, a dense and diverse fauna and a renowned artisanal offering, the Charlevoix region was recognized in 1988 by UNESCO as a Biosphere Reserve.
To make your mouth water and inspire you to discover our wonderful region, here are 11 of the best things to do in the summer in Charlevoix.
Book a cottage for rent in Charlevoix now to enjoy these activities!
Photo credit: La Route des Saveurs
Pioneer in Quebec, La Route des Saveurs, or the Flavour Trail, is a tourist circuit born in 1996 to promote the products of the Charlevoix terroir around a central word: gourmandism – the appreciation of and interest in good food and drink.
The road separating the towns of Baie-Saint-Paul and La Malbaie brings together more than fifty member-restaurateurs and local producers centred on the values of the traditional agri-food industry, such as sharing between producers and the quest for authentic flavours.
Aimed at gourmet Epicureans, the Flavour Trail will allow you to discover products that are unique in the world, such as the ice cider of the Vergers Pedneault orchard made with apples having experienced three days of frost, or the Omerto, an aperitif wine concocted from organic tomatoes.
You can also enjoy gourmet cuisine in various restaurants, including the Fairmont Manoir Richelieu in La Malbaie, taking advantage of the Saint Laurent River’s panoramic views. It’s an authentic and unique moment that combines pleasure for the taste buds and eyes.
Photo credit: Francis Gagnon
The Route des Montagnes consists of a mountainous road having a length of just under 125 kilometres along Routes 381 and 138 that enables travellers to explore the Charlevoix hinterland. The route includes two national parks (the Grands Jardins and the Hautes-Gorges-de-la-Rivière-Malbaie National Parks) located at one end of the route.
Multitudes of hilly landscapes that well characterize the Charlevoix region await you all along the road. With sustained interest, you will be able to admire the majestic scenery, and these images are sure to accompany you once you have reached your destination.
Once you are in La Malbaie, you can decide to explore the eastern part towards the Hautes-Gorges-de-la-Rivière-Malbaie National Park. To do this, you need to take Route 138 and then reach Route 381 at Saint-Aimé-des-Lacs.
Travellers wishing to visit the Grands-Jardins National Park instead will have to take Route 381 once they have reached Saint-Urbain and follow the Route des Montagnes signage.
If you have opted to visit the Grands Jardins National Park, the Mont du Lac des Cygnes, the highest peak in the national park, is a majestic focal point for a 360-degree view of the surrounding area - it's breathtaking.
Photo credit: Francis Gagnon
After the Route des Montagnes, the Route du Fleuve is the other tourist circuit that completes the loop between Baie-Saint-Paul and La Malbaie.
This route allows you to discover the Charlevoix region along the St. Lawrence River via route 362. Along the 78 km route, you will come across several quaint, picturesque villages that are considered among the most beautiful in the Charlevoix region: Les Éboulements, Saint-Joseph-de-la-Rive and Saint-Irénée.
The scenic route on which all these beautiful villages are spread out is also dotted with several shops offering local products to travellers who take the time to stop.
Finally, be sure to enjoy the good eateries located throughout the tourist circuit - you can often do so by enjoying the perfect panoramic backdrop provided by the river and mountains.
Photo credit: Dominic Boudreault
Discovering Charlevoix in the summer by hiking its trails allows you to appreciate the region’s vast physical dimension.
Charlevoix features more than 500 kilometres of hiking trails, almost all of which are carefully maintained and thoroughly marked with signs that provide information on the local flora and fauna. They are also dotted with views, picnic tables and other facilities designed to provide comfort and safety.
Moreover, all the hiking trails are classified according to their length and level of difficulty, and some can even be embarked upon by bike.
The length of the trails ranges from allowing one to take a short hike of a few kilometres over half a day to the Traversée de Charlevoix trail that stretches a distance of 105 km and takes several days to complete.
To learn all about the trails of Charlevoix, visit the Charlevoix Tourism website or don’t hesitate to visit them at one of their seven service points.
Photo credit: Francis Gagnon
Charlevoix features three golf courses: the Fairmont Le Manoir Richelieu Golf Club, the Murray Bay Golf Club, and the Loup de Baie-Saint-Paul.
Each of these golf courses will allow you to play golf surrounded by postcard-like landscapes, and your game of golf will be set against the St. Lawrence River as a background on two of these golf courses.
The oldest of them, the Murray Bay Golf Club, is located in La Malbaie and opened its doors in 1876 as a private club. Today it is open to all the public, and its course is a par 68 of 18 holes.
Photo credit: Golf Le Murray Bay
The Fairmont Le Manoir Richelieu Golf Club opened in 1925. Situated in rugged terrain, it boasts stunning views of the St. Lawrence. The golf club offers three 9-hole alternating courses, two of which are par 36 (Le Saint-Laurent and Le Richelieu) and the third, a par 35 (Le Tadoussac).
Photo credit: Magazine Prestige
The last born of the golf courses in Charlevoix, the Baie-Saint-Paul Golf Club opened its doors in 1972 and was renamed “Le Loup” at the turn of this century. It offers an 18-hole par 72 course and stunning views of Baie Saint-Paul.
Note: For travellers looking to engage in a different kind of activity, the Le Loup de Baie-Saint-Paul and the Murray Bay de La Malbaie golf courses offer a 9-hole course of footgolf, which is a mixture of soccer and golf.
Photo credit: Le Festif de Baie-Saint-Paul
Le Festif de Baie-Saint-Paul is a music festival that was born in 2009.
The fruit of an idea that was born one night and that was supported by one of its founders, this musical project came to fruition the following summer.
In recent years, the festival has been held over three days during the last weekend of July, and local and non-local musical groups have been lining up in a bold line-up.
Several peculiarities make up the festival’s identity and ensure its popularity with audiences young and old alike, with stages and show sites set up in out of the ordinary places, street shows, and a local and eco-responsible commitment.
During its 2019 edition, the festival welcomed 95 artists for 135 concerts on more than 20 different show sites, to the delight of more than 42,000 festivalgoers. In comparison, the town of Baie-Saint-Paul has just over 7,500 residents.
Photo credit: Casino de Charlevoix
The Casino de Charlevoix was created in 1994 in the former summer theatre of the Richelieu Manor.
Located in La Malbaie in Pointe-au-Pic, the panoramic site with views of the St. Lawrence River offers a wide range of activities and all the benefits of a luxury establishment.
Its location in a high-level complex allows players to benefit from four different restaurants, numerous bars and a convention centre.
A gambling establishment that is worth visiting, the casino offers many table games, including poker and blackjack, and all their variants.
If these games are not what you have in mind, the Casino has more than 1000 slot machines for more affordable bets.
Photo credit: Caroline Perron
The Train de Charlevoix is a tourist rail service that connects La Malbaie to Quebec City during the peak season (June to September) and whose 125-kilometre journey stops in Petite-Rivière-Saint-François and Baie-Saint-Paul.
Having replaced the Tortillard du Saint-Laurent relay, another rail service that ceased operations in 1996, the new service is provided by two former DB-Baureihe 628.1 railcars from Deutsche Bahn.
During the train journey, travellers will find themselves between the mountain and the sea, as the railway line follows the St. Lawrence River along the mountainside, making for an unforgettable trip.
Once you have finally reached your destination, you will be able to enjoy a few hours exploring the area or a hearty meal before returning to your point of departure.
Photo credit: Caroline Perron
Rue Saint Jean-Baptiste, the main street in Baie-Saint-Paul, is home to many art galleries and is the epicentre for Baie-Saint-Paul's cultural influence on the Charlevoix region, an influence that owes credit to the history of Baie-Saint-Paul.
Its large number of art galleries can be attributed to the many painters who decided to settle in the bay area after realizing the inspirational artistic potential of this area of the country.
In the early and mid-twentieth century, two successive waves of Canadian painters became enamoured with Charlevoix, and Baie-Saint-Paul in particular, which led to an outbreak of local artists.
Today, Rue Saint-Jean-Baptiste is characterized by an innumerable number of art galleries with colourful façades, and it’s even possible to admire painters at work during special days and festivals.
Photo credit: Catherine Dubé
The Saguenay-Saint-Laurent Marine Park protects many species.
Located on the St. Lawrence River, it is the ideal location for observing many whale species.
There are no less than 13 species of whales in the St. Lawrence, including the blue whale, the largest cetacean in the world. Most cruises (see Groupe AML) are guided by a tour guide who provides information about the whales, enabling watchers to gain insight about them and their natural habitat.
The cruise can take on various forms, either in adventure mode on a zodiac or comfortably aboard a luxury cruise.
Whether you opt for an activity that goes off the beaten track or wish to admire these marine mammals in the wild, there’s nothing better than a whale-watching cruise!
Photo credit: Parcs Québec
Charlevoix offers a wilderness that’s ideal for the practice of outdoor sports and adventure, with kayaking being one of those.
Thanks to Katabatik, you will be able to practice, train and perfect yourself in the skill of kayaking. Once you have mastered it, you will be able to take delight in enjoying the different marine spaces that Charlevoix has to offer from aboard your small vessel.
Katabatik is made up of an organization of professionals that provides sea or river kayak rental services in Charlevoix in two locations: Baie-Saint-Paul and La Malbaie.
Whether you’re at an advanced level or a beginner, Katabatik can help you with initiation sessions, training and development. They also offer certificates of aptitude, supervised hiking, adventure internships, expeditions, and much more.
Check out our other articles on the best things to do in the Charlevoix region!