Gaspé

With a population of over 15,000 and a history that stretches back to the dawn of European colonization in what is now Canada, Gaspé is the largest city and unofficial capital of the region with which it shares its name. As the Gaspé Peninsula's most important service centre and transportation hub, almost every visitor to the region will pass through at one point or another on their travels.

But Gaspé presents something of a conundrum: no one comes to this part of Quebec in search of urban creature comforts, and — especially for tourists who've just been wowed by the majestic scenery while driving into town along the St. Lawrence, or spent a day taking in the touristy atmosphere of Percé down the road — at first glance Gaspé can seem like a workaday, all-business kind of town, a bit lacking in charm.

But that doesn't necessarily mean you should hit the road as soon as you've touched down at Michel Pouliot Airport, stocked up on fuel or provisions, or whatever has brought you to town. Stick around awhile and dig a little deeper, and Gaspé's low-key but worthwhile range of attractions might surprise you.

Understand


In 1971 — under the auspices of one of the Quebec provincial government's frequent spates of municipal reorganization — no fewer than eleven surrounding municipalities were annexed to Gaspé, among them Cap-aux-Os, Cap-des-Rosiers, Douglastown, Haldimand, L'Anse-au-Griffon, L'Anse-à-Valleau, Rivière-au-Renard, and York. While you'll still see these and other old place names on road signs along Route 132, and locals still often refer to them in conversation, all the points of interest within these former towns are contained within this article.

Additionally, Gaspé's city limits encompass the entirety of Forillon National Park, which is not covered in this article.

History
Gaspé's paramount importance in the colonial history of North America is unbeknownst even to many Québécois. Indeed, this city lays claim to the title of "Cradle of French America": in 1534, seven years before his failed attempt to establish a settlement at Cap-Rouge (and nearly three-quarters of a century before the foundation of Quebec City), the famous explorer Jacques Cartier, while sheltering in Gaspé Bay during a storm, came ashore briefly somewhere in the city and planted a crude wooden cross in the ground in the name of the French crown, thus setting the 200-year history of "New France" in motion. The indigenous Mi'kmaq people referred to the area as gespeg (meaning "land's end"; a reference to Cap-Gaspé at the east end of the peninsula), which was Gallicized by the colonists into its current name.

Despite its historical significance, the area remained a backwater for pretty much the entire two-century period of French rule. It was not until 1763 when settlement of what is now Gaspé began in earnest — and those first settlers were Englishmen, to whom Gaspesian land was given away free of charge after control of Quebec was firmly in British hands. They were followed in short order by waves of French-speaking Acadians expelled from their former homes in Nova Scotia, "United Empire Loyalists" driven out of what's now the United States after the revolution there, and immigrant fishermen and shipbuilders (the latter largely hailing from Jersey) who came from Europe to take advantage of the rich cod fishery in the surrounding waters. Gaspé's first post office opened in 1804, and the village was officially incorporated in 1855.

Gaspé hit its stride in the 19th century, with an economy centred around its importance as a port for the trans-Atlantic shipping trade — indeed, for a brief time around the turn of the century Gaspé figured among Canada's major seaports, with hundreds of foreign ships every year pulling into the deep, sheltered bay to take advantage of the city's status as a duty-free port, hundreds more setting off for distant lands with stocks of wood pulp, copper ore, dried cod, and other local goods, an impressive presence of branch consulates of countries such as Italy, Norway, and Brazil helping to further grease the gears of international trade, and a culture much more multilingual and cosmopolitan than the sleepy fishing and logging villages elsewhere in the region. However, despite the arrival of the railway in 1911, Gaspé's port was unable to compete with larger and more centrally-located alternatives like Montreal and Halifax, and today it derives its significance mostly as a regional centre of population, business, and industry; the kind of place small-town folks from around the region head to go shopping, have a nice dinner out, and enjoy a semblance of city life.

Visitor information
Gaspé Forillon is the official tourism website for the titular city and park: a comprehensive source of information including a visitor's guide, listings of hotels, restaurants and events, a lovely photo album, and even a mobile app for iPhone and Android users to download.

Gaspé's main Tourist Information Centre (Bureau d'information touristique de Gaspé) is located in the former VIA Rail station at 8, rue de la Marina, just across the bridge from downtown Gaspé. It's open year-round on weekdays from 8:30AM to 4:30PM.

A number of the outlying hamlets that make up the modern-day city have their own tourist information centres. The at 884, boulevard de l'Anse-à-Valleau is open daily 9AM-5PM from June 12 through September 30. Additionally, the building at 17, rue de la Langevin that houses the Forillon Yacht Club (Club nautique Forillon) and the Fishery Interpretive Centre (Centre d'interprétation des pêches) also does triple duty as the home of the Rivière-au-Renard Tourist Information Kiosk, open between June and September.

By car
As with the vast majority of the peninsula's cities and towns, Provincial Route 132 — Quebec's main trunk road along the south shore of the St. Lawrence river and estuary — serves as Gaspé's main drag.

Coming from the direction of Montreal and Quebec City, follow Autoroute 20 eastward until the highway dead-ends at Trois-Pistoles. From there, make a left, following the signs for Route 132, then turn right and proceed eastward 314 km (195 miles) to L'Anse-Pleureuse. From there onward, you have several options:




 * The quickest and most direct route into Gaspé would have you turning right at the junction with Provincial Route 198, the inland route via Murdochville that dumps you directly in the town centre. However, this option comes at the expense of missing out on the most majestic of the Gaspé Peninsula's shoreline scenery, and it's not really that much shorter.
 * You can also follow Route 132 itself all the way into town, though the route it takes is circuitous indeed: after entering the city limits and passing through L'Anse-à-Valleau, Rivière-au-Renard, and other outer hamlets on a southeastward trajectory along the shore of the St. Lawrence, the road turns sharply to the southwest at Cap-des-Rosiers, winding and meandering its way through Forillon National Park before doubling back toward the northwest along the shore of Gaspé Bay. From there, it crosses over the mouth of the Dartmouth River and turns yet again toward the southeast on its final approach to Gaspé's town centre.
 * The Goldilocks option, which is almost as fast as the inland route via Murdochville and also lets you enjoy most of that scenery, involves turning south on Provincial Route 197 at Rivière-au-Renard and rejoining Route 132 just before the aforementioned bridge over the Dartmouth River, thus cutting off the sinewy Forillon portion of the route.

Depending on which of those routes you take, from Quebec City to Gaspé you're looking at a drive of anywhere between seven-and-a-half and eight-and-a-half hours, excluding stops. If you're coming directly from Montreal, add another two and a half hours.

If you're coming from the direction of the Maritimes or certain parts of New England, the route is much more straightforward: pass through New Brunswick via Provincial Route 17, cross into Quebec at Campbellton, then follow Route 132 east from there. Gaspé is about 330 km (205 miles) past the provincial border, a drive of roughly three and a half hours excluding stops.

Airport
(Aéroport Michel-Pouliot de Gaspé) is about 10 km (6 miles) outside the city centre at 60, rue de l'Aéroport. Enterprise and National have car rental facilities onsite. Air Canada stopped all flights to the airport in July 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Flights to Gaspé from Quebec City (1.75 hours).

By bus

 * Two routes operate daily between Gaspé and Rimouski. The routes travel as follows:
 * Route follows the St. Lawrence River along the north side of Gaspé Peninsula. Includes stops in Grande-Vallée, Sainte-Anne-des-Monts, Matane, and Mont-Joli. Travel time time to Gaspé from Matane is 5 hours, from Mont-Joli is 6 hours, from Rimouski is 6.5 hours.
 * Route follows the south side of the Gaspé Peninsula to near the provincial border with New Brunswick and travels inland to and from the St. Lawrence River. Includes stops in Percé, Chandler, Bonaventure, Pointe-à-la-Croix, Amqui, and Mont-Joli. Travel time time to Gaspé from Rimouski is 8.5 hours, from Mont-Joli is 8 hours, from Pointe-à-la-Croix is 4.5 hours, from Bonaventure is 3 hours, and from Percé is 50 minutes.
 * Maritime Bus operates buses to Campbellton, NB, which is a 2 km taxi ride to Pointe-à-la-Croix, QC. Maritime Bus connects communities in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island.
 * In the case of both routes, same day transfers are possible to and from Quebec City (involving a transfer at Rimouski) and Montreal (involving transfers at Rimouski and Quebec City). Travel time to Gaspé From Quebec City is 11.75 hours and from Montreal is 14.5 hours.
 * In the case of both routes, same day transfers are possible to and from Quebec City (involving a transfer at Rimouski) and Montreal (involving transfers at Rimouski and Quebec City). Travel time to Gaspé From Quebec City is 11.75 hours and from Montreal is 14.5 hours.

By bike
The main trunk line of the Route Verte — the largest network of bicycle routes on the American continent, with tentacles stretching over the entire province of Quebec — passes through the Gaspé Peninsula. Route Verte 1 largely follows the course of Provincial Route 132, though construction of bike lanes and other infrastructure is not yet complete throughout the entirety of the route. Indeed, Gaspé is accessible by bike from Percé and points south by way of a bike lane along the side of Route 132, but approaching from the other direction along the St. Lawrence, cyclists along 132 must ride directly in traffic lanes for 82 km (51 miles) between Sainte-Madeleine-de-la-Rivière-Madeleine and Rivière-au-Renard, where the roadside bike lanes finally re-emerge.

For details of Route Verte 1's trajectory through the city of Gaspé itself, see the corresponding section below.

On foot
The International Appalachian Trail (IAT; in French Sentier international des Appalaches or SIA) traverses Gaspé at the tail end of the North American mainland portion of its route. For long-distance hikers approaching from the west, the scenario is at first a continuation of the relatively easy and flat terrain they've been enjoying for the past several kilometres (miles): after crossing into the Gaspé city limits, the trail first hews closely to the coast and/or Route 132 and then, after a brief but steep climb about 2.5 km (a mile and a half) past Grand-Étang, passes along the crest of a high ridge slightly inland. There, you can link up if you like with the Windmills Trail (Sentier éolien), a 6.3 km (nearly 4-mile) loop through the Cartier Énergie Éolienne wind farm. After that, it's a slow and gradual descent back toward the St. Lawrence, passing by the lighthouse at Pointe-à-la-Renommée on another easy stretch of trail. After L'Anse-à-Valleau, though, the script flips: you take a sharp turn inland, loping over hill and dale through dense pine and birch forest, then you turn east through a verdant river valley and continue into Forillon National Park.

Sépaq, the provincial park and wildlife service, operates a number of backcountry campsites and lean-to shelters along the Québécois portion of the IAT. See below for information on the ones within Gaspé.

By boat
Located at 10, rue de la Marina, the marina at the accommodates visitors arriving by boat with over 90 slips just outside of the city centre. In 2017, non-members were charged $1.55 per foot per day for docking, with longer-term visitors enjoying a 50% discount for every third day. If you're rigging your sailboat to a boom instead, it's $18/day. Launch fees apply as well; see the marina's website for details on those.

By train
Gaspé's (Gare intermodale) is located at 8, rue de la Marina, just across from the city centre. Train service into Gaspé provided by VIA Rail ' s Montreal-Gaspé line, has been suspended since 2013  Though VIA Rail intends to resume service once repairs are made, there's no timetable for when that might happen, and the Montreal-Gaspé line may just be eliminated.

Get around
Walking would be a fine way to get around for those who don't intend to venture beyond the city centre, but let's face it — in a place like the Gaspé Peninsula, that's true of almost nobody. That being the case, a car is pretty much a necessity for getting around these parts.

By bike
In the city of Gaspé, Route Verte 1 exists in three discontinuous segments:


 * From Rivière-au-Renard, roadside bike lanes along Route 132 extend eastward for 10 km (6½ miles) into L'Anse-au-Griffon, then divert inland along a gravel-paved off-road trail through Forillon National Park. At the other end of the park, it's another 19.5 km (12 miles) of bike lanes along 132 between La Penouille and the corner of Rue Louise, just outside of Gaspé town centre.
 * Beginning at the rear parking lot of the Carrefour de Gaspé shopping centre near the harbour, Route Verte 1 picks back up, following the course of an asphalt-paved off-road "rail trail" for 10 km (a little more than 6 miles) through Sandy Beach and into Haldimand, terminating at the intersection of Route 132 with rue de la Plage. This is arguably the most pleasant of the three segments, with nice views across the bay toward Forillon and precious few hills to contend with.
 * A short distance west of Haldimand, on-road bike lanes re-emerge along Route 132 and continue southward past the airport, through Douglastown, and across the city line into Percé.

In the breaks between these segments, the trajectory of Route Verte 1 nominally proceeds along Route 132. However, for the time being, cyclists must ride directly in traffic lanes through these discontinuities as bike lanes and other infrastructure have yet to be constructed.

Bike rental is available from:


 * Auberge Griffon Aventure, in L'Anse-au-Griffon at 829, boulevard du Griffon — from early May through mid-October, at a rate of $10 per half-day (9AM-12:30PM or 1:30 PM-dusk) or $20 all day.
 * the (Pavillon des sports Marcel-Bujold), on the campus of Gaspé Peninsula and Îles de la Madeleine Community College (Cégep de la Gaspésie et des Îles) — call +1 418-368-6939 for rates and availability.

By taxi
Taxi service is available from:

By bus
The parking lot of Place Jacques-Cartier shopping centre in downtown Gaspé serves as the main hub for RéGÎM, the regional public bus network serving the Gaspé Peninsula and the Îles de la Madeleine. No fewer than six of the system's bus routes begin, end, or pass through this nexus.

Routes that are contained entirely within Gaspé's city limits include:


 * Route 20, which departs every weekday at 6:30AM from the (Bureau de poste de l'Anse-à-Valleau) at 922, boulevard de l'Anse-à-Valleau, passing through Petit-Cap, Rivière-au-Renard, and Saint-Majorique and arriving at Place Jacques-Cartier at 7:33AM. Return trips depart daily at 4:47PM and arrive in L'Anse-à-Valleau at 5:36PM.
 * Route 21, which departs every weekday at 6:29AM from at 2, chemin du Portage in L'Anse-au-Griffon, passing through Forillon National Park and Saint-Majorique and arriving at Place Jacques-Cartier at 7:35AM. Return trips depart each weekday at 4:47PM and arrive in L'Anse-au-Griffon at 5:38PM.
 * Route 23, a loop through Gaspé's western outskirts including the communities of Wakeham, Sunny Bank, and York. There are two trips every weekday: a morning run that departs Place Jacques-Cartier at 7:40AM, returning at 8:25AM, and an afternoon "express" run (passing over most of the stops within Gaspé's city centre) that departs at 3:45PM and returns at 4:19PM.
 * Route 24, a loop through Gaspé's southeastern outskirts including the communities of York, Haldimand, and Sandy Beach. Buses depart Place Jacques-Cartier every morning at 7:40AM, returning at 8:30AM.

Routes that arrive in Gaspé from outlying towns include:


 * Route 22, which departs every weekday at 6:40AM from L'Anse-à-Beaufils, stopping at Place Jacques-Cartier at 7:38AM, and ending its run a short distance east of the city centre at (École C.-E.-Pouliot) at 7:47AM. Return trips depart the high school at 5:50PM, pass by Place Jacques-Cartier at 6:02PM, and arrive in L'Anse-à-Beaufils at 7:02PM.
 * Route 26, which runs Friday only, departing at 8:45AM from Murdochville, stopping at Place Jacques-Cartier at 10AM, and ending its run at Gaspé Hospital in York at 10:25AM. Return trips depart the hospital at 4PM, pass by Place Jacques-Cartier at 4:25PM, and arrive in Murdochville at 5:15PM. There's also an abbreviated midday run between the hospital and Place Jacques-Cartier only, with departures from the former at 1PM arriving at the latter at 1:25PM, and in the reverse direction departing at 1:20PM and arriving at 1:45PM.

Fare is payable in cash ($4) or with tickets ($3 apiece, available in books of ten from participating retailers or directly from the bus drivers). If you're planning on making heavy use of RéGÎM during your stay in the Gaspé Peninsula, it might be useful to buy a prepaid Access Card (available online for $5), which are good for a whole month and entitle you to the same discounted $3 fare as tickets.

Museums and history
The Gaspé Peninsula is first and foremost an outdoor destination: the stunning views of forest-cloaked mountains and wave-battered shorelines visible from every window practically command visitors to emerge into the fresh air and majestic wilderness. But of course, the weather in this part of the world isn't always cooperative — and if you've got a rainy-day hankering to switch gears and learn a little more about the region's fascinating history and culture, the city of Gaspé is the place to be.

Your first stop should be...



Then, if you want to dig deeper, you might also check out the following attractions.





Art

 * In Memory of Her (En mémoire d'Elle), on the grounds of the Gaspé Regional Museum, see above.



On the water
Surrounded on three sides by water, Gaspé boasts aquatic fun in myriad forms.

Beaches


The shore of Gaspé Bay is dotted with beaches that are popular summertime destinations for locals and visitors alike, including three within the city of Gaspé itself:


 * (Plage municipale d'Haldimand) is the most beautiful, the most centrally located, and the most crowded beach in Gaspé. Here you'll find pristine water, luscious white sand, a playground for the kids, and even a beachfront restaurant serving Mexican specialties, all a quick ten-minute drive from downtown. Lifeguards patrol the waters in high season (late June through late August), and an annual sand castle competition draws crowds of onlookers in late July.
 * For those in search of a more private beach getaway, (Plage de Douglastown) lies further south, on the other side of the lagoon. Douglastown boasts a setting almost as beautiful as Haldimand's — and an even greater length, a sand spit fully a kilometre and a half (a mile) long — yet its more off-the-beaten-path location and lack of any amenities means it's more often than not just you, the rustling dune grass, and the crashing waves.


 * Finally, in the shadow of Forillon National Park is found (Plage de Cap-aux-Os), the smallest of the three. The water here tends to be a bit chillier, but that doesn't stop folks from coming down to enjoy swimming, sunbathing, a quick meal at the snack bar, or kayak rental courtesy of Cap Aventure. Public washrooms are offered, and leashed pets are welcome.

Fishing
As you've probably gathered from reading thus far, fishing is a really big deal around these parts. Indeed, the fishery was the region's economic lifeblood for centuries, and although tourism has since usurped that status for the most part, it retains a good deal of importance even today.

But fishing isn't just an industry here — it's a way of life, for locals and visitors alike. Fishing in Gaspé can be as simple as finding a wharf or a dock and casting your line into the water, which can be done any time of year without a licence. Mackerel and smelt are popular with Gaspesian wharf fishers: the former are most plentiful in late July and early August, while smelt fishing is strictly a wintertime pursuit — ice fishing shacks are a common sight on Gaspé Bay starting in January, when freeze-up typically occurs.

Away from the shore, brook trout teem in the waterways of inland Gaspé. Locals generally don't bother with trout fishing, which has led to an abundant population — some say an overpopulation — in the fast-flowing streams and crystal-clear lakes of the Chic-Chocs. You can easily reel in some whoppers up here in the mountains; 2-kg (4½-pound) specimens are not at all uncommon. However, unlike wharf fishing from shore, trout fishing does require a licence from the Quebec Ministry of Forests, Wildlife and Parks (Ministère des forêts, de la faune et des parcs du Québec). This costs $20.19/$39.56 per day or $46.30/$148.57 annually, for Quebec residents and nonresidents respectively. Please also see the Ministry's website for information on other regulations that may apply to the specific body of water you're planning to fish.

But if there's one single species that comes to the mind of fishing connoisseurs when they hear of the Gaspé Peninsula, it's the Atlantic salmon — a species that, thanks to the efforts of the Quebec Salmon River Management Federation (Fédération des gestionnaires de rivières à saumon du Québec or FGRSQ), is on the rebound after decades of decline. With 22 world-renowned rivers managed by that organization, you're hard-pressed to find better salmon fishing anywhere — and you'll find two of those rivers within the city of Gaspé itself.


 * The Saint-Jean River Wildlife Reserve (Reserve faunique de la rivière Saint-Jean) is the city's premier salmon-fishing venue, with a season that extends from May 25 through September 30 (catch-and-release only through the end of July up to a maximum of three fish per person; one catch-and-keep per person is permitted thereafter; size limits may also apply). The Saint-Jean flows eastward through Gaspé's southern precincts before emptying into Douglastown Bay, and is divided by the FGRSQ into three different zones, each with their own regulations. In Sector 1, which begins at the Route 132 bridge and extends about 10 km (6 miles) inland, the number of fishermen on any given day is limited to eight; for Sector 2, which extends further inland beyond the city line, regulations are still more stringent at two per day. Advance reservations are required, and you're best off booking as far ahead as possible. Day passes allowing fishing on the Saint-Jean cost $34.60/$67.20 in Sector 1 and $46.99/$91.98 in Sector 2, for Quebec residents and nonresidents respectively.
 * The Dartmouth River Controlled Harvesting Zone (Zone d'exploitation contrôlée de la rivière Dartmouth) runs roughly parallel to the St. Lawrence along the northern part of the peninsula's interior spine and empties into Gaspé Bay a few kilometres (miles) northwest of the city centre. Like the Saint-Jean River, the Dartmouth is divided into seven zones, with Sector 1 comprising almost the entirety of the portion of the river within Gaspé's city limits. Though this sector features "unlimited access" — with no maximum number of fishermen allowed in the water simultaneously — the season is shorter (June 1 through August 31) and catch limits are no less stringent. In addition, a short stretch of river near the western boundary of the city falls within Zone 2, where you're back to the advance-reservation system with two anglers on the river at a time. Day passes for salmon fishing on the Dartmouth cost $41.02/$60.51 in Sector 1 and $73.75/$109.63 in Sector 2, for Quebec residents and nonresidents respectively.

Day passes can be purchased at the at 25, boulevard de York Est, which is open daily from 8AM-6PM, and the quoted fees are in addition to that of the provincial fishing licence mentioned above.

If ocean fishing is more your thing, the folks at Auberge Griffon Aventure run 2½-hour excursions aboard the Balbuzard where you can angle for mackerel along the coast or, weather permitting, head out to the deeper waters of the Gulf of St. Lawrence in pursuit of the Atlantic cod. Departures happen twice daily from mid-June through mid-September, at 6:30AM and 5PM, from Cap-des-Rosiers Marina. Additional departures may also be added to the schedule based on demand. Tickets cost $70 for adults, $50 for kids 17 and under, $220 for families of two adults and two kids, or $250 for families of two adults and three kids. Rods and tackle are provided, and — most convenient of all — no licence is necessary!

Boating
Of course, fishing isn't the only thing you can do on a boat here: from kayaks to sailboats to stand-up paddleboards, the waters surrounding Gaspé teem with fun-seekers of all different stripes. The colonies of grey and harbour seals that congregate on the shore of the bay, in Forillon National Park, are a popular destination for boating excursions departing from Gaspé.





Canyoneering
The folks at Auberge Griffon Aventure describe the guided canyoneering excursions they offer on Chesnay Creek as "like an outdoor waterpark designed by nature" — and indeed, there's hardly a more fun way to spend five hours in Gaspé than donning a wetsuit and helmet and slip-sliding down foaming river rapids into emerald green pools of crystal-clear water. Gear is provided for you (but do bring a bathing suit to wear underneath your wetsuit, as well as a pair of non-slip waterproof shoes); tours leave rain or shine, but may be cancelled in the event of high water levels in the canyon. Every day at 9AM between June 22 and September 2 (or later in the year, weather-depending), tour groups depart from the parking lot of Restaurant Chez Ron on boulevard de York; beginning July 16, one additional departure daily at 11:30AM occurs on high-demand days. Rates are $71 for adults and $61 for kids age 8-17.

Golf


If "full-size golf" isn't your thing, Gaspé also boasts a pair of mini-golf courses.



Horseback riding




In the winter
Although National Geographic magazine has ranked the Gaspé Peninsula among the Top 10 cold-weather destinations in North America, the wonders of wintertime in this part of the world remain a well-guarded secret. Don't be fooled by the dirt-cheap hotel rooms and ghost-town feel in the streets: there's plenty to do in Gaspé offseason. (That goes double if you're a winter sports fanatic.)



Buy
No, it's not the wonderland of souvenir trinkets that you'll find just down the road in Percé. However, being the largest city in the region by far, Gaspé naturally has a respectable range of shopping opportunities of a somewhat more conventional bent. These are concentrated principally in and around the city centre — especially along the surprisingly fashionable shopping street of rue de la Reine.

Shopping centres
A case in point of the above. If you're the type of person whose tastes run toward the name brands and well-known designers that are sold at chain clothing stores, Gaspé is pretty much the only game in town on the peninsula that shares its name.



Eat
The restaurant scene is one area in which Gaspé definitely does not lag behind other cities on the Peninsula in terms of interest to visitors. For instance, if you've come to the region to check out Bonaventure Island and Percé Rock, sure you could stick around for dinner in one of Percé's overpriced, touristy eateries — but if you're in the mood for a more refined and distinctive experience, Gaspé is the place to go.

Northern outskirts
Away from downtown, dining options get less fancy and high-concept, but no less appealing. If an unpretentious casse-croûte (snack bar) serving local fare is what you're after, seek it out in Gaspé's outer precincts.



Grocery stores
Self-caterers in Gaspé have an abundance of options.



Drink
To the extent that nightlife exists in the Gaspé Peninsula, you'll find it mostly in Gaspé — or, to be more precise, in Rivière-au-Renard, home of two of the three places listed below.



Sleep
Except where indicated, all rates quoted in these sections are for double occupancy in high season (July and August).

Hotels and motels
Most often, bedding down for the night in these parts means either checking in to a charming old gîte or roughing it in a campground. Not so in the Gaspé Peninsula's urban core: here traditional hotels and motels predominate.

City centre and around




Northern outskirts




Gîtes
The Gaspé Peninsula is a romantic kind of place, a perfect fit for those looking for a peaceful getaway somewhere that brims with historic character, with friendly and accommodating hosts that start each day off for you with a hearty breakfast and knowledgeable words of advice on what to do around the local area. That's where the gîte du passant — or just gîte for short — comes in. Proportionally speaking, in the Gaspé Peninsula (if not necessarily in Gaspé itself), gîtes are an even more popular lodging choice than bed & breakfasts (basically the same concept) are in the English-speaking world. You'll find a decent selection of them in the hamlets ringing Forillon National Park, especially Cap-des-Rosiers.

Northern outskirts




Cottages and vacation homes
Whereas hotels and motels are the most popular lodging option in the city centre, and gîtes tend to cluster in the northern outskirts toward Forillon, vacation cottages predominate south of downtown. If a convenient homebase between Gaspé and Percé is what you're after, read on.

Campgrounds
Relative to neighbouring towns, Gaspé has a surprising paucity of campgrounds. If none of the options listed here are to your liking, check out what Forillon National Park has to offer.



Backcountry camping
Sépaq, Quebec's provincial park and wildlife service, maintains a provincewide network of 35 unserviced campsites and shelters that are open by prior reservation to hikers on the International Appalachian Trail. In all cases, these sites are open from June 24 through October 11, full payment must be made in advance, and hikers should have their ID and proof of reservation on hand at all times to show to any officials who may happen by. Hikers must bring all their own supplies, including sleeping bags, mattresses, flashlights, toilet paper, matches, and cooking and eating utensils, and clean up after themselves upon departure. A portable cookstove might also be a good idea, as fires are allowed only in specified areas, and only if forest fire danger is listed as low or moderate. In addition, all sites are located near a water source, but said water might not be potable; best practice is to boil thoroughly before drinking.

There are three Sépaq IAT shelters within the city of Gaspé (not including those in Forillon National Park). From west to east, they are:

Hostels and guesthouses
Rounding out the gamut of lodging options in Gaspé is a pretty respectable range of hostels and accommodations of a similar bent.





Connect
Gaspé, along with the rest of the peninsula, is served by area codes 418 and 581. Ten-digit dialling is mandatory for local calls, so to reach a number within Gaspé or the immediate vicinity, it's still necessary to dial the area code first. To call long-distance within Canada or to the United States, dial 1, then the area code, then the number. For international calls, dial 011, then the country code, then the city code (if applicable), then the number.

Gaspé's main post office is located downtown in the (Immeuble Frédérica-Giroux) at 98, rue de la Reine, and is open weekdays 8:30AM-5:30PM. Branch post offices can be found in Cap-aux-Os, Cap-des-Rosiers, Douglastown, Fontenelle, L'Anse-à-Valleau, Petit-Cap, Rivière-au-Renard, Saint-Maurice-de-l'Échouerie, and York Centre.

Media
Le Pharillon is a free weekly newspaper covering local news, culture, sports, and events in Gaspé and the neighbouring cities of Percé, Chandler, and Grande-Vallée.

Health care
(Hôpital de Gaspé) is just outside of downtown at 215, boulevard de York Ouest.

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 * While the points of interest listed in this article are all well worth your time, it would be a shame to leave Gaspé without experiencing its most prominent tourist attraction by far: Forillon National Park. Though inside the city limits, Forillon seems a world away: 242 km² (94 square miles) of rugged forest sandwiched between Gaspé Bay and the St. Lawrence Estuary, with a mind-boggling diversity of landscapes and ecosystems packed inside. Hikers, nature lovers, whale-watchers, watersports enthusiasts, and even history buffs will all find something of interest here at the bout du monde (end of the world).
 * Just south of here you'll find Percé, an unabashed tourist town that's the perfect antidote to Gaspé's button-down, all-business vibe. Rather than the hustle and bustle of urban life (or as close as you can come to that around these parts), on tap in Percé are all the souvenir shops, ice cream stands, and miscellaneous touristy bric-a-brac you could want — not to mention Percé Rock (Rocher Percé), the iconic arch-shaped rock formation that's the Gaspé Peninsula's main tourist draw by far, and which, together with the seabird haven of Bonaventure Island (Île Bonaventure), make up yet another entry in the region's roster of national parks.
 * Heading the other way along Route 132? The next major town, about two hours' drive away, is Sainte-Anne-des-Monts. Here in the Upper Gaspé's main population centre, salmon fishermen who were impressed by their catches in the Saint-Jean and the Dartmouth will find more of the same along the Sainte-Anne River, kitesurfers flock to the windswept Cartier Beach (Plage Cartier), and the annual Driftwood Festival (Fête du Bois Flotté) is an end-of-summer haven for sculptors working in an offbeat medium. However, Sainte-Anne-des-Monts is best known to tourists as the gateway to...
 * Gaspésie National Park, the rooftop of the Gaspé Peninsula, perched at the summit of its highest interior mountains about half an hour south of Sainte-Anne-des-Monts via Route 299. If you thought the Gaspé portion of the International Appalachian Trail was remote, wait till you get a load of the Grande Traversée, a 100-km (62-mile) backcountry adventure that passes through the territory of the only remaining caribou herd south of the Saint Lawrence on its way to Mont Jacques-Cartier, the highest peak in the Chic-Chocs. And if you're a skier who (understandably) found Mont-Béchervaise less than impressive, you can hit the slopes here in five separate ski and snowboard areas.