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The Gaspé Peninsula stretches eastward into the Gulf of St. Lawrence, a rugged arm of land where the Chic-Choc Mountains rise behind fishing villages strung along the coast. French, Acadian, Mi'gmaq, Loyalist and British influences overlap here, and the scenic Route 132 loops around the entire peninsula.
The most famous sight is Percé Rock, the massive arched limestone island off the village of Percé, with Bonaventure Island and its enormous seabird colony a short boat ride away. At the peninsula's tip, Forillon National Park and the Cap-des-Rosiers Lighthouse mark the meeting point of land and gulf, and the town of Gaspé offers services and history. Inland, Gaspésie National Park protects high summits and one of the last caribou herds south of the St. Lawrence. On the southern shore, Miguasha National Park preserves a UNESCO-listed fossil site, Reford Gardens blooms near Métis, and the Gaspesian British Heritage Village and Quebec Acadian Museum explain the communities that settled the Baie des Chaleurs.
The Gaspé is a road-trip destination that rewards an unhurried pace and flexible plans. Distances are long, villages small, and many attractions operate only in the warmer months. Travelers who enjoy coastal hiking, seafood and wide-open scenery tend to find it worth the drive.
WiserMap travel guideGaspé Peninsula Quebec Percé Rock Gannets and ForillonPlan a Gaspé Peninsula road trip in Quebec with Percé Rock, Bonaventure Island gannets, Forillon, the Chic-Chocs, Acadian Chaleur Bay and lighthouses.Read the guide
At 34 metres, the tallest lighthouse in Canada, built in 1858 on a headland near the northern entrance of Forillon National Park. It is a national historic site with guided visits and tower climbs in summer. Stop on the drive around the tip of the peninsula on Route 132.
A bright red octagonal wooden lighthouse built in 1906 in the village of La Martre on the north shore, still with its original lens and clockwork mechanism. A small museum on lighthouses is next to it. Guided visits run in summer, and the beach below is good for a walk.
The highway that loops around the whole peninsula for about 885 km, hugging cliffs, coves and fishing villages along the St. Lawrence and Chaleur Bay. Most people take at least five days. Drive it counterclockwise from Sainte-Flavie to keep the sea on your side along the north shore.
A provincial park in the Chic-Choc Mountains with more than 25 peaks over 1,000 metres, alpine tundra and the last herd of woodland caribou south of the St. Lawrence. The Gîte du Mont-Albert lodge is the base. Book campsites and lodging early, as the park fills in summer.
A UNESCO World Heritage Site on Chaleur Bay protecting cliffs packed with 380-million-year-old Devonian fish fossils, key to the story of how fish evolved into land animals. A natural history museum shows the best finds. Join a guided beach walk at low tide.
Known in French as Jardins de Métis, these gardens near Grand-Métis were created by Elsie Reford from 1926 and hold thousands of plant species, including the famous blue Himalayan poppy. An international garden festival adds modern installations. Allow two to three hours.
The highest summit in southern Quebec at 1,268 metres, in Gaspésie National Park, with a bare tundra top where caribou are sometimes seen. Access is by shuttle and a guided trail in season, to protect the herd. Expect cold wind at the top even in July and bring layers.
A sea museum in Sainte-Anne-des-Monts devoted to the marine life of the St. Lawrence, with touch tanks, aquariums and exhibits on sustainable fishing. It also runs boat outings to see how fishermen haul traps. It is a good stop with children on the north shore drive.
Musée acadien du Québec in Bonaventure tells the story of the Acadians who settled on Chaleur Bay after the 1755 deportation, through exhibits on family life, fishing and crafts. Some displays are bilingual. Combine it with the town's beach and a walk along the bay.
An open-air museum in New Richmond on Chaleur Bay with relocated and restored houses, a school and a general store showing the Loyalist, Scottish, Irish and English settlers of the coast. Costumed guides lead visits in summer. Allow about two hours to walk the grounds.
A Parks Canada site in Pointe-à-la-Croix recalling the last naval battle between France and Britain for New France, fought in 1760 on the Restigouche River. Remains recovered from the French frigate Machault are displayed. It is near the bridge to Campbellton, New Brunswick.
A wildlife park in Bonaventure showing animals native to the Gaspé Peninsula, such as caribou, bears, cougars, otters and seals, in habitats from tundra to bay shore. Feeding talks run through the day. Plan two to three hours, and arrive early in summer when it is cooler.
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