Tadoussac is one of my favorite, if not my favorite town in the whole province of Quebec. Unfortunately, or fortunately for me, it is often overlooked by visitors, but the small harbor town has so much charm and so much to offer that I don't think it will take much convincing before you add it to your list of future destinations. How to get thereFrom Quebec City, it takes about 3 hours to reach the town by following highway 138 and hopping on board the free, 15-minute ferry. There are also ferries from the Gaspe peninsula that will take you to nearby towns. I would recommend having a car, but there are also busses from Quebec or Montreal to the town center, where you can easily walk to wherever you need to go. Why i love it so muchI think part of it is that my extended family lives in Port-Cartier, 8 hours North of Quebec, and Tadoussac was the place we used to stop at for lunch on the way to visit them. We would bring food from home and have a picnic on the rocks while looking out for whales. But I think most of it comes from the fact that it is the closest place from Quebec where the St-Laurence river feels like the ocean. So whenever I'm in need of some vitamin sea, this is the closest place where I can go. There is also a lot of places where you can sit and look out at the water and just relax without being disturbed by people every two minutes. I guess it's my happy place. what to doOne of my favorite things to do in Tadoussac is sit on the rocks of Pointe de l'Islet and wait for the whales to come out and play. I bring a book and relax in the sunshine. I could easily spend hours there. But for people hoping for activities, there is plenty to do and see. Like I said, Tadoussac is one of the best places for whale observation, so there are cruises going out multiple times a day where you can see these huge animals from up close. You can also go kayaking or visit the Whale Interpretation Center. For those looking for a hike, the Fjord-du-Saguenay National Park is pretty close by and offers many different trails ranging from 1 or 2 hours to multiple-day expeditions. You can also hike to Baie Ste-Marguerite where the beluga whales come in to rest. Another place to see on your visit is the Dunes. When you turn into the village from the highway, just keep driving on the main road until you find a parking lot. That's where you'll find the Tadoussac Dunes, huge sand dunes where you can have fun on dirt bikes. For those not equipped with bikes, it is still a good view on the St-Laurence and if you go down the dunes to the beach, you'll find a small bay where you can go swimming, kayaking or paddle boarding. Just make sure you are able to come back up the dune with everything you brought down. I'm in pretty good shape and just with my backpack it was a workout! where to eatIn the village, you will find plenty of small restaurants, pubs and breweries, all of them good. Honestly, the hardest part is choosing which one to go to. There is also an ice cream shop by the Whale Interpretation Center and a chocolate shop right by the beach. If you are looking for a fancier meal, Hotel Tadoussac has a restaurant called Le Coverdale that I haven't tried yet, but is definitely on my list. when to goThe whole summer is a good time to visit Tadoussac, but it really depends what you are looking for. In June, you'll practically have the village to yourself, but most everything will already be open for the season, especially on weekends. But if you really want to see whales, try to wait a little later in the season as you'll have a better chance to see them starting in mid-July. By then, the village will be pretty crowded, but you'll still be able to find a spot on the beach or at Pointe de l'Islet. Parking spaces are hard to come by in the village though and I recommend parking at the parking lot on your right when you exist the ferry before even coming in the village. what if i want to stay longer than a day?Although you might have to make reservations way in advance, there are plenty of options to spend a night in Tadoussac. There are multiple campgrounds and bed and breakfasts and there is always Hotel Tadoussac if you want to stay in a historic building. Like I said though, the sumer months get pretty crowded, and don't expect to find a room or a campground on the day of. If you find one, you'll want to thank your lucky star! Tadoussac is slowly getting more recognition outside of the province, but it is still a hidden gem known mostly by local Quebec (province) residents. I'm happy more people are discovering it's beauty and appreciating its rugged nature. I'm just hopping locals and tourists alike keep being respectful to its residents and make an effort for it to stay the clean and beautiful town that it is. other articles you might enjoy
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It is no secret that Canada has beautiful winters and that the province of Quebec receives a lot of snow in the winter, but there are places in Quebec that receive just a little bit of extra powder and the Parc National des Monts-Valin is one of those places. Actually, the Ghosts Valley or, Vallée des fantômes, is the place where it snows the most in the whole province, receiving an average or 3 meters of snow each year. This amount of snow offers peak conditions for winter activities such as snowshoeing and cross-country skiing and some of the most beautiful views.
how to get to the ghosts valley
To get to the Ghosts Valley, you need to catch a ride on one of these bad boys pictured below. These mini buses equipped with snowmobile tracks are the only way to make it up the mountains in the winter. If you are lucky, you can make a reservation to stay overnight at one of the cabins available here, but if you aren't able to make a reservation for a cabin, you can still make a reservation for the shuttle. Try to book in advance because there are limited places and they often sell out months in advance.
my experience snowshoeing in the ghosts valley
I'm not going to lie, on the day that we visited, it was freezing cold. I mean -20 degrees, windy, my breath froze on my hair cold. But in the valley, where you are hidden from the wind, it really wasn't so bad and, to be honest, I was so amazed by the view and the amount of snow on the trees that it took me a while to even feel the cold.
The trail, from where the bus drops you off, is 2 km to a small cabin where you can go to warm up or eat a snack, and an additional 1 km to the summit. So basically, 6 km total. The trail is always uphill all the way to the summit, but most of the way it's not a very steep hill. It will be a challenge, but is attainable to anyone moderately active in my opinion. Most of the people that were there on this week day were retired and over 60 years old and, though they looked in fairly good shape, I don't think they trained for this hike. Honestly, I have hiked way longer trails and some that were way steeper, but it was still a challenge for me. I am not used to wearing snowshoes and they are pretty heavy. The cold also made it harder to breath and made me tire more quickly than usual. Still, I have no regrets visiting and absolutely enjoyed the whole day. It just made me appreciate the cabins and fireplaces a little bit more! The pictures really don't do it justice! The whole hike was beautiful! where to stay
If you can, try and rent a cabin directly at the park. If you can stay for 2 nights, that means you get a full day of playing in the heavy snow and the opportunity to see the sunrise or sunset.
If you can't manage a reservation directly at the park, make sure to make a reservation for accommodation close by as you have to arrive pretty early for the shuttle. Personally, we stayed in St-David-de-Falardeau in a dome that you can check out here and it was the perfect distance. We were a 15-minute drive away. There are also plenty of hotels in Chicoutimi, which would be a 30-minute drive form the park, but you'll find a wider range of options and more affordable prices there. what to bring
Warm clothes! I can't say this enough! Of course, you should check the weather and plan accordingly, but plan to bring extra layers and extra clothing so you can change when you get to the cabin and don't have to wait for the shuttle in humid clothes.
I also recommend bringing a lunch. We had to be at the park for 8 AM for our 8:30 shuttle and it was picking us back up at 2:30 PM so I was glad we had packed a sandwich and plenty of snacks. Also think about bringing water in a thermos or very well insulated bottles so your water doesn't freeze mid-hike. You need to bring your own snowshoes or cross-country skis or rent them at the park entrance. If you don't own any, make sure to plan ahead. If you are like me and enjoy taking pictures of your adventures, this is going to be a challenge for you. I had brought two batteries for my camera and both died before we even reached the summit because of the cold. I had to wear them in my mittens so they would warm up and work again for about five minutes. Same with our cellphones, they both kept dying from the cold. Make sure you keep your electronics in your coat and close to you so they last long enough for you to get good pictures of the hike. why you need to visit
I think the pictures pretty much speak for themselves. Wether you are from the area or visiting Quebec on a short trip, this will impress you. It is one of those pretty short and attainable hikes that have a very good effort vs views ratio. Even though it might be a challenge, you will still love every minute and appreciate every single turn around the bend.
In my opinion, it is a bucketlist hike that everyone will love and should do at least once in their life!
This trail is all of the reasons that I love hiking so much all wrapped into one. It has a little bit of challenge, a lot of views, a similar minded group of people and limited access so it's never crowded, a nice place to have lunch and warm up in case of inclement weather and the pleasure of being outside in nature. What more could you ask for?
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Sleeping in a dome had been a dream of mine for years, but they are pretty difficult to reserve and ridiculously expensive! But since one of my friends was coming for a visit and this whole staycation in the Quebec area wasn't costing us a dime in accommodation, we decided to splurge for one night of comfort and relaxation glamping in a dome tiny house. Here is what I thought about the whole experience staying at Les diamants de l'Éternel in St-David-de-Falardeau, Canada.
the amenities
To be completely honest with you, I think this bubble of a tiny house had more amenities than my whole apartment. There was a full kitchen with an oven, cooking plate, kettle, Nespresso coffee machine, wine and champagne glasses and even a fondue pot! There were two queen-size beds, one on the ground floor and one on the mezzanine upstairs, a TV with Netflix, two been bags and a beautiful bathroom with heated floors and a rain shower. I would comfortably live there full time if I could.
my experience
As you can probably imagine, I had an amazing experience! My friend, Erin, and I arrived at about 3 PM at the Eternel Spa in St-David-de-Falardeau and, although we couldn't get bring the car up the hill to the closest parking lot because of the snow, there was a second, easier to access parking lot and we were able to bring our excessive luggage to the dome on foot without an issue. They also have little toboggans you can use if you don't have enough hands for your bags.
The entrance was autonomous as I had been sent all of the instructions and the code to open the key box before hand. For a full tour, check out my Instagram Stories. We spent only one night in the dome, but it was so peaceful and relaxing. We took our time to read, have a long fondue dinner, watch a movie while eating chocolate covered strawberries and just enjoy our time together. The next day, we were close to the Parc national des Monts-Valin where we had to arrive at 8 AM for our shuttle up to Vallée des fantômes so the location was also perfect for us. was it worth it?
The price definitely made me consider other options before finally making the reservation, but looking back, I don't regret it at all. The fact that it was an experience in itself instead of just a regular hotel like we would have had to reserve anyway made it worth it in my opinion. We also saved money on food since we had a full kitchen and didn't have to go to restaurants for dinner and breakfast and we were able to make our lunch for the day comfortably instead of on a small desk with no utensils. It might not be an option for everyone, but if you can budget it I absolutely recommend splurging to spend at least one night.
I don't know if I will ever get the chance to sleep in a dome again. I hope so since it was such an amazing experience, but I don't usually spend so much on one night if there are other options. I do hope you all get the chance to try it at least once as it is something everyone should have the chance to experience.
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