Les Éboulements

Les Éboulements is actually area composed of several villages and hamlets: Saint-Joseph-de-la-Rive (village near the river), Les Éboulements-Center (along the river), Les Éboulements-Est (served by road 362), Bouchard (hamlet), Misère (hamlet), Sainte-Marie-de-Charlevoix (village) and the main village Les Éboulements.

Understand
Les Éboulements is a distinctive holiday destination thanks to:


 * its recreational tourism activities (hiking, bicycles, kayaks, museum visits, summer camps, dog sled excursions);
 * its reception infrastructure (resorts, accommodation in hotels, inns or lodges, agritourism, catering);
 * its Grande-Côte (route du Port) which made the reputation of the village of Saint-Joseph-de-la-Rive by offering an exceptional panorama and nostalgic memories of the accidents that occurred on this once dangerous road;
 * its location on the passage leading to Île aux Coudres. Note: the excursion on the river to Île aux Coudres via the ferry allows you to contemplate the relief of the coast and the mountains of Charlevoix;
 * the route du Fleuve (route 362 connecting La Malbaie to Baie-Saint-Paul) which runs along the north shore of the St. Lawrence River. Note: Many tourists take the Route du Fleuve (because of its maritime, rural and ancestral character) instead of Route 138 (main road) which passes further inland via Saint-Hilarion and Clermont;
 * the location of Mont des Éboulements as the point of impact of the Charlevoix astrobleme; Thus, the locality Les Éboulements offers magnificent landscapes of mountains, farms, forests and the river, in the heart of the gigantic crater.

The municipality Les Éboulements is part of the Association of the most beautiful villages of Quebec.



History
Almost 400 million years ago, the fall of a meteorite significantly modified the relief of Charlevoix, creating a crater 54 km in diameter; it is the eleventh largest impact site identified on earth. The impact zone would be located along the St. Lawrence River; 60% of the Astroblème de Charlevoix covers the north shore of the river and 40% is located under the river's water. The astrobleme begins on the southwest side a few kilometers west of Baie-Saint-Paul, up to Cap-à-l'Aigle, located on the east bank of the Malbaie River, in La Malbaie. The center of the astrobleme would be Mont des Éboulements (summit at 768 m), formed by the effect of the raising of the crater bottom following the impact. Since this impact, the crater has undergone significant metamorphosis under the effect of various erosion agents, making it more difficult to recognize its outline, particularly the part submerged in the St. Lawrence River. Consequently, experts define this ancient impact structure as the astrobleme. Inaugurated in 2014, an interpretation centre dedicated to the Charlevoix astrobleme is open to the public; this interpretation centre is housed in the former Club House of the Manoir Richelieu in La Malbaie.

In the past, the steep slope of the Route du Port (difference in level of 213 m over 2.1 km between the intersection of route 362 and rue Félix Antoine Savard (which runs along the bank of the river)) was the scene of lots of road accidents, especially when the road conditions were icy. The reconfiguration of the road and its careful maintenance make it possible to travel there with safety. This road segment offers an exceptional panorama of the maritime environment of the Baie des Éboulements.

Geography
In the territory of Les Éboulements, the sandstone zone on the north shore of the St.Lawrence River extends from Cap au Diable (Baie-Saint-Paul) to Cap de la Corneille which is located almost at the limit of Saint-Irénée (northeast side). This area of sandstone that we observe at low tide is wider in the area in the area of the village of Saint-Joseph-de-la-Rive.

The two main mountains of Les Éboulements are: Montagne des Orignaux and Montagne Les Éboulements (whose main peaks are: cap Chandelle and La Tourelle).

By car

 * From Tadoussac (, 1 hr 45 min), take the Tadoussac-Baie Sainte-Catherine ferry; take route 138 (westbound) to the village of La Malbaie; after the bridge spanning the Malbaie river, take route 362 to the village of Les Éboulements.
 * From Quebec City (, 1 hr 19 min), take route 138 eastbound to the village of Baie-Saint-Paul; take route 362 along the Saint-Laurent river to the village of Les Éboulements.

By train

 * Route:
 * Operates a daily train between Quebec City and La Malbaie with stops in Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré, Petite-Rivière-Saint-François, Baie-Saint-Paul, Les Éboulements, and Saint-Irénée. The trains departs in the morning from Quebec City and in the afternoon from La Malbaie. This tourist train runs 125 km with views of the Saint Lawrence River and mountains.
 * Operates a daily train between Quebec City and La Malbaie with stops in Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré, Petite-Rivière-Saint-François, Baie-Saint-Paul, Les Éboulements, and Saint-Irénée. The trains departs in the morning from Quebec City and in the afternoon from La Malbaie. This tourist train runs 125 km with views of the Saint Lawrence River and mountains.

By boat
A ferry links Île aux Coudres to Saint-Joseph-de-la-Rive. The river station is located at:



By plane
Les Éboulements is accessible by the airport managed by the MRC de Charlevoix-Est.