Percé Quebec Percé Rock and Bonaventure Island Gannets

Why visit Percé

The area was a fishing ground for the Mi'kmaq for thousands of years, and Samuel de Champlain sighted the rock in 1603 and named it Isle Percée, meaning pierced island. Permanent settlement began in the early nineteenth century, and the Jersey-born merchant Charles Robin built a fishing company that made Percé the most important fishing location on the peninsula.

Percé is a member of the association of the Most Beautiful Villages of Quebec, and its geopark was accredited by UNESCO in 2018. Summer brings crowds, souvenir shops and a long line of roadside motels, which can feel jarring after the quiet fishing villages along Route 132.

The rock and the island

Percé Rock

This giant arch-shaped rock stands just offshore and has become a symbol of the Gaspé. From a distance it can look like a ship under sail, and up close you see the natural arch through its base. Beside it stands a sea stack called the Obelisk.

Bonaventure Island

A short boat ride from the village leads to a seabird sanctuary where more than 280,000 birds are counted, most of them northern gannets. Boats land at L'Anse à Butler, where restored clapboard houses recall the island's fishing families. Walk the trails at your own pace, and stop for fish soup at the restaurant by the dock.

Trails and the harbour

La Grotte

Reached by a trail from chemin de la Grotte, this is not a cave but a small waterfall that tumbles over red rock into a pool inside a natural amphitheater between Mont Sainte-Anne and Mont Blanc.

Mont Sainte-Anne

Further up the same trail, the flat-topped summit was once called Roland's Table, and pilgrims climbed it on 26 July each year in honor of Saint Anne. Today hikers come for views over the village, L'Anse-à-Beaufils, Percé Rock and Bonaventure Island.

Mont Blanc

A longer hike takes you alongside the Sentier de la Crevasse, a deep crevice in the mountainside, and ends with a steep track to a summit that is slightly taller than Mont Sainte-Anne. The views reach along the coast north of Percé to open ocean.

Charles Robin Sector and Le Chafaud

Beside the dock, a handful of restored nineteenth-century warehouses built by Charles Robin now house the park's discovery center and Le Chafaud Museum, which displays paintings, engravings and photographs of the local landscape.

South of the village and L'Anse-à-Beaufils

Cap-Blanc Lighthouse

About two and a half kilometres south of the center, this octagonal red and white lighthouse was built in 1915 to replace an earlier structure and is no longer in service. It stands on campground land, so ask permission and respect any access limits before walking in for a photograph.

Historic General Store

In L'Anse-à-Beaufils, about ten kilometres south of the town centre, the general store built in 1928 now works as a living-history museum, with guided tours led by performers in period costume.

The Old Factory

A former fish processing plant near the harbour, La Vieille usine now serves as a bistro with a terrace over the water and as a venue for live music and plays.

Food and local flavors

Seafood is the main event in Percé, and most of what appears on menus is sourced locally. Look for lobster, scallops and cod, often served simply with butter or in a creamy sauce.

For atmosphere, head to the wharf area, where several restaurants occupy old fish warehouses with views across to the rock. A few places further along Route 132 serve generous portions of home-cooked seafood, and a bar and bistro at the north end of the center is known for lobster and maple syrup pie.

Where to stay

Percé town centre is the most convenient base, with motels, gîtes and inns near the wharf, shops and boat departures. It is the busiest area in July and August, so book well ahead.

Barachois and Cap-d'Espoir are outlying communities within Percé, good for drivers who prefer more space and fewer crowds. Barachois sits along a local bus route, though not the center.

Best time to visit

The tourist season runs roughly from mid-June to the end of September, and July and August are the warmest months. Many businesses stay open from mid-May to mid-June and from late September to mid-October, with reduced hours. Boat trips to Bonaventure Island operate from May to October. January and February are the coldest months, and out of season the village feels almost deserted, though winter sports such as snowmobiling, snowshoeing and dogsledding are available. Rain is possible in most months, so pack a waterproof layer.

Getting there and getting around

Most visitors arrive by car on Route 132. From Quebec City take Autoroute 20 east to Trois-Pistoles and continue on Route 132, a drive of about eight hours without stops. From the New Brunswick border at Campbellton it is roughly two and a half to three hours.

Orléans Express runs a daily bus between Gaspé and Rimouski that stops in Percé, with Gaspé about an hour away. Local RéGÎM routes link Percé with Chandler and outlying communities on weekdays.

A suggested itinerary

First day

Arrive, walk the wharf area and see the rock from the shoreline viewpoint.

Second day

Take a morning boat to Bonaventure Island and spend the day with the gannets.

Third day

Hike to La Grotte and Mont Sainte-Anne, then drive south to Cap-Blanc Lighthouse and the L'Anse-à-Beaufils general store, finishing at the Old Factory.

Practical tips

• Check the tide schedule and weather before booking boat trips.
• Visit the seasonal tourist information office in the center for walking tours, event calendars and road work updates.
• Book summer accommodation early, since July and August fill up.
• Pack a windproof layer, because the coast is breezy even in summer.
• Bring binoculars for the seabirds on Bonaventure Island.
• Stay on marked trails and keep a respectful distance from nesting birds.