The best outdoor activities in Gaspesie

Discover what to do in Gaspésie! Thanks to its authentic and atypical charm, Gaspésie is increasingly targeted by tourists. To maintain its image and popularity, the Gaspé has multiplied the number of activities to be done on site to enjoy and discover the region.

The Gaspé Peninsula has been inhabited for more than 9000 years, at that time, the Amerindians of the Micmac Nation lived there. It was in the 16th century that the French decided to conquer the Gaspé Peninsula but did not settle there permanently, they only used the coast to take advantage of cod fishing. It was not until 1676 that the Europeans really settled there with the first fixed post. Until the English conquest in 1760, the Gaspé Peninsula developed around fishing, but unfortunately, when New France capitulated, the fishing installations were destroyed by the English, making the region deserted and driving the inhabitants back to Europe.

In spite of this, some people took refuge in the forests to continue to live in the region, thanks to them the Gaspé Peninsula was able to continue to develop and today there are nearly 135,000 inhabitants living in the region.

Forming a large peninsula in northeastern Canada, the Gaspé is known for its abundant fishing. Much used for cod and salmon, larger marine animals are in Gaspesian waters. In the 1900's, whaling included right whales, humpback whales, fin whales and blue whales. The crossing of the St. Lawrence River and the Gulf of St. Lawrence brings in even more fish and other marine animals and promotes fishing.

On land, the Gaspé is north of the Lower St. Lawrence and New Brunswick. It has many valleys, mountains such as Mont Jacques-Cartier, which reaches a height of 1268m, and even national parks such as Île-Bonaventure-et-du-Rocher-Percé and Miguasha.

Culturally, the Gaspé is proud of its history and will tell you about it in a brand new museum that will explain their past in detail. The population, who live exclusively on the coast, have a strong relationship with the sea and fishing. Indeed, the whole economy and development of the Gaspé was based on this activity.

Now that you have discovered the Gaspé, we can move on to the most important part of the question: what to do in the Gaspé? Well, have fun and enjoy the region with all kinds of activities!
Start your day of activities with a paragliding or hang gliding flight to admire the whole Gaspésie from the sky. Enjoy the relief, valleys and lakes of the region from above, with an incredible panorama. After seeing it from above, discover the Gaspésie on land, on a hike, a bike ride or even a fat bike. Pass through the Quebec trails or ride along the coast on a quad bike that will mix the pleasure of the eyes with the sensation of speed! Cross entire forests with your feet in the air on a 100-metre high zip line that will offer you a view of the Gulf of St. Lawrence, Percé Rock and Bonaventure Island! Finally, come down the fast-flowing rivers of the Gaspé Peninsula on an unforgettable canyoning trip. And yes, there's never a dull moment in the Gaspé... And it's not over yet!

On the St. Lawrence River or in the gulf of the same name, board a boat for a trip to meet the whales that live there. A magical moment that you won't forget! Afterwards, you can go kayaking, sailing or canoeing and enjoy the region's coast and lakes. Finally, put on a wetsuit and discover the Gaspé Peninsula's seabed.

The list of activities is long but at least you know what to do in Gaspésie! So prepare your trip and let's go for a real adventure!

Quebec Maritime