Percé

Located at its east end, Percé is the bustling tourist epicentre of the Gaspé Peninsula, with a permanent population around 3,000. Though it's a proud member of the Most Beautiful Villages in Quebec (Association des plus beaux villages du Québec), Percé may be off-putting at first: the crowds, tacky souvenir shops, endless roadside motels and gîtes, and miscellaneous tourist schlock is a jarring contrast to the majestic scenery along Route 132 that visitors have likely spent the past few hours or days drinking in. But there's a good reason for the brouhaha: Percé Rock (Rocher Percé), the arch-shaped offshore rock formation from which the town takes its name, is an awesome natural wonder that has become an iconic emblem of the Gaspé Peninsula, attracting thousands of visitors annually. It and the nearby Bonaventure Island (Île Bonaventure), a massive breeding colony for a variety of aquatic birds, make up Percé's (and the Gaspé Peninsula's) marquee attraction, Bonaventure Island and Percé Rock National Park (Parc national de l'Île-Bonaventure-et-du-Rocher-Percé).

Understand


In 1971, the boundaries of Percé were expanded to their present size when the surrounding villages of Barachois, Bridgeville, Cap-d'Espoir, and Saint-Pierre-de-la-Malbaie were amalgamated into the town. Locals still occasionally use the old names, but all attractions and other points of interest in these former localities are covered in this article.

Percé is very much a seasonal destination. The tourist season runs roughly from the middle of June until the end of September, during which time the streets, shops, restaurants, and lodgings are often annoyingly busy. Most businesses and attractions are also open during the shoulder seasons of mid-May through mid-June and late September through mid-October, with reduced hours in some cases. However, off-season Percé can seem almost like a ghost town. If you find yourself in town during the winter, the website Holiday Destination Percé (see the "Visitor information" section below) has a full rundown of activities and services that remain open all year; these trend heavily toward winter sports such as snowmobiling, snowshoeing, and dogsledding.

Percé boasts a population of about 3,300 clustered in a chain of villages splayed along the shoreline.

History
For thousands of years, the Percé area was a fishing ground for the local Mi'kmaq people, and it was known to Europeans beginning in the 17th century (explorer Samuel de Champlain sighted and named Percé Rock in 1603, and the area served as a stopover for ships headed to Quebec City). But it was not until the early 1800s that permanent settlement of the town kicked off. At first, Percé was a quiet fishing village like many of its neighbours on the Gaspé Peninsula, but after Percé Rock came onto travellers' radar screens in the early 20th century, tourism began to gradually take over as the town's economic mainstay. As well, during World War II, the Royal Canadian Navy operated an important wireless intercept station at Percé which was responsible for detecting Nazi U-boats prowling in the waters off Canada's east coast.

Climate
Tourist season in Percé is generally June to September, and the warmest months are July and August. January and February are the coldest months, with the temperature usually not rising above. The rainiest months are April, May, June, July, August, October and December.

Visitor information
Holiday Destination Percé is the website of the Percé Tourist Information Centre (Bureau d'accueil touristique de Percé). It's a comprehensive resource for visitors to Percé, featuring the usual listings of attractions, hotels, restaurants, shops and bars — but also, notably, an events calendar, printable historic and architectural walking tours, a low tide schedule (useful for getting to Percé Rock without a boat), and up-to-date information on road construction and closures in the local area.

Percé's brick-and-mortar is right in the centre of town, at 142, rue de l'Église. It's open on a seasonal basis: daily from 08:00 to 20:00 in July and August, with shorter hours during the shoulder months of June and September.

By car
This is how the vast majority of visitors get to Percé. The town is on Provincial Route 132, the main trunk road on the south shore of the St. Lawrence.

To get to Percé from Quebec City, take Autoroute 20 east to the end of the road in Trois-Pistoles, then continue eastward on Route 132. The distance is about, so plan for about eight hours in the car, excluding stops. You can shave a few kilometres off that distance by turning off at L'Anse-Pleureuse and taking the inland shortcut through Murdochville via Provincial Route 198, but that comes at the expense of some of the majestic scenery you'll see along the shoreline route.

If you're coming from the Maritimes, Percé is about 245 km (153 miles) from the New Brunswick border at Campbellton, via Route 132 East. The trip takes 2.5 to 3 hours.

By plane
The nearest airports with scheduled passenger service are Michel Pouliot Gaspé Airport (Aéroport Michel-Pouliot de Gaspé) in Gaspé and Bonaventure Airport (Aéroport de Bonaventure)  in Bonaventure, with service to Îles de la Madeleine, Quebec City, and Montreal. Those who are arriving from further afield should first fly into Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport (Aéroport international Pierre-Elliott-Trudeau) in Montreal or perhaps Jean Lesage International Airport (Aéroport international Jean-Lesage)  in Quebec City; you can catch a connecting flight to YGP from either of these airports via Air Canada Express.

Gaspé and Bonaventure airports have car rental facilities onsite or nearby (Discount, Enterprise, and National in the former; Thrifty in the latter) where you can continue your journey into Percé.

By bus

 * Operates daily a route between Gaspé and Rimouski including stops in Percé, Chandler, Bonaventure, Pointe-à-la-Croix (2 km from Campbellton), Amqui, and Mont-Joli. Travel time to Percé from Rimouski is 7.5 hours, from Mont-Joli is 7 hours, from Pointe-à-la-Croix is hours 3.75 hours, and from Bonadventure is 2.25 hours, and from Gaspé is 55 minutes.
 * Same day travel is possible to and from Quebec City with a transfer in Rimouski. Travel time to Percé from Quebec City is 14.5 hours.
 * Same day travel is possible to and from Montreal with transfers in Quebec City and Rimouski. Travel time to Montreal from Quebec City is 15.25 hours.

Get around


To get from place to place within Percé's city centre, walking is a fine option; if you're going further afield, a car is pretty much an absolute necessity. Taxi service is available, though it's pricey.

By bus
RéGÎM, the Gaspé Peninsula's rural public transit network, has two routes that serve Percé.
 * Route 31 makes two daily departures Monday through Friday from Chandler north to central Percé at 11:59 and 15:59, arriving at 12:53 and 16:53 respectively and making plenty of intermediate stops along the way. Return trips depart Percé at 13:00 and 17:00, arriving back at Chandler at 13:56 and 17:56 respectively.
 * Morning runs on Route 32 leave Paspébiac at 06:20, arriving in Percé at 08:08. Return trips (24-hour advance reservation required, call +1-877-521-0841) leave Percé at 09:00 and arrive back in Paspébiac at 10:50, where those headed further west can transfer to a Route 40 bus headed toward Carleton-sur-Mer. Afternoon departures from Paspébiac on Route 32 do not serve Percé, terminating instead at Grande-Rivière.
 * As well, Route 22 runs between L'Anse-à-Beaufils and Gaspé, serving Coin-du-Banc, Barachois, and other outlying precincts of Percé, though not the town centre. Gaspé-bound buses leave L'Anse-à-Beaufils Monday through Friday at 06:40, passing through Coin-du-Banc and Barachois at 06:52 and 07:00 respectively before arriving in Gaspé at 07:47. Southbound trips leave Gaspé at 17:50 and stop at 18:41 in Barachois, 18:50 in Coin-du-Banc, and 19:02 in L'Anse-à-Beaufils.

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.

In a pinch, you could also buy a ticket for a few dollars on the Orléans Express bus to one of Percé's outer precincts (there are stops in Barachois, Bridgeville, L'Anse-à-Beaufils, and Cap-d'Espoir); drivers sometimes even agree to pull over on the side of the road directly at your destination, but it may be awhile before another bus comes by to take you back to Percé.

Bonaventure Island and Percé Rock National Park
Bonaventure Island and Percé Rock National Park lie entirely within the city of Percé, and you have them to thank for all the gift shops, cutesy gîtes, and crowds of tourists here. The trickle of wealthy folks who started coming to see Percé Rock around the turn of the century became a steady stream after World War II, and in 1971, Bonaventure Island was purchased by the Quebec government and turned into a national park. Percé Rock was added on three years later. Today, upwards of 60,000 people visit the park each year.

Aside from the two titular components that are described in more detail below, Bonaventure Island and Percé Rock National Park also includes the Charles Robin Sector (secteur Charles-Robin), composed of a handful of meticulously restored 19th-century warehouses next to the dock that were built by Charles Robin, an entrepreneur from Jersey and founding father of Percé whose vast fishing company was a major player in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence cod fishery. Today, these buildings house the park's Discovery Centre, Le Chafaud Museum (see below), and La Saline, a meeting hall where special events are held by park staff.

Bonaventure Island and Percé Rock National Park is not a Canadian national park — despite its name, it's run by the Quebec provincial park service. Therefore, your Parks Canada Discovery Pass is no good here, but if you have an Annual Parks Quebec Network Card, your admission is free. (If you don't have one, and you're planning on visiting other parts of Quebec, it may be a wise investment: Parks Quebec's network includes dozens of parks, wildlife reserves and other attractions located in all parts of the province.)

As of 2021, for those without an annual pass, admission is $9 for adults and free for children under 18. Those 5 and under get in free. Parking is $10 for cars and RVs and $6 for motorcycles, and is not covered by the Parks Quebec Network Card. In 2021, the park was open daily 09:00-16:00 from May 31 to October 11, and from 08:30 during the peak tourist season of June 13 to September 18.





Town centre and around

 * For outdoor lovers, the national park isn't all Percé has to offer. In the mountains behind the town centre there's a trio of attractions that are accessible to hikers on a network of trails behind the town:







L'Anse-à-Beaufils
L'Anse-à-Beaufils is a little village 10 km (6 miles) south of Percé's town centre, named for a French nobleman who was rumoured to be the half-brother of King Louis XIV. It became part of Percé in 1971. Today, you'll find a pair of historic attractions clustered around the harbour at the mouth of the L'Anse-à-Beaufils River.



On the water
Percé takes full advantage of its scenic seaside location, with a host of aquatic activities awaiting visitors during the busy summer months.

Whale watching
The St. Lawrence estuary and its vicinity teems with whales during the warm months, and in Percé there are a pair of whale-watching outfits that afford you the chance of seeing a variety of species including fin, minke, humpback, and even the endangered blue whale, as well as white-sided dolphins and harbour seals. Both tours depart from the (Quai de tourisme) in the town centre. The season runs from May through October, with whales most numerous in July and August.



Boat tours
The boat tours to the national park are operated by the same two outfits that handle the whale-watching cruises. These cruises usually buzz by Percé Rock on their way to and/or from Bonaventure Island; keep in mind that if you disembark on the island you're required to pay the park entry fee which is not included in the prices quoted below. Tours generally last between one and two hours and run from mid-May through the end of October. Departures for both of these companies are from the Tourist Wharf.



Guided sea kayak tours are also offered:



Fishing
The waters in and around Percé teem with fish and marine life of diverse descriptions. If you're casting from one of the various docks and marinas around town, you'll probably have the best luck catching mackerel in July and August. As well, trout and salmon are abundant in the interior rivers, but unlike the former scenario, provincial permits are required (they're easily available in a number of places around town) and subject to seasonal restrictions.



The beach
When you want to take a break from adventuring and spend a day lazing on the beach, you have two options, and, north and south of the town centre respectively. Cap-d'Espoir is the smaller of the two, but it gets quite crowded in the summer; it's the site of the annual Festi-Plage music festival and also offers picnic benches and changing rooms. Meanwhile, at the long, sandy strand of Coin-du-Banc it's oftentimes just you, the crashing waves, and the breathtaking seaside landscape.

Hiking
From the windswept fields and weather-beaten forests of Bonaventure Island to the craggy mountains inland, the Percé area features a variety of landscapes for hikers.


 * Perfect for beginners, Bonaventure Island has 15 km (9 miles) of hiking trails of an easy-to-intermediate level of difficulty that boast scenic views out to the magnificent Percé Rock, into the island's giant nesting colony of northern gannets, and over the open sea (keep an eye out for whales!) The Chemin du Roy trail is the backbone of the network: it circles most of the way around the island, hugging the coast from the tour boat dock at L'Anse à Butler to L'Anse Chatouilleuse, a distance of 4.7 km (2.9 miles) in all. Meanwhile, Sentier des Mousses, Sentier des Colonies, and Sentier Paget are a bit more difficult: they cross through the forested, somewhat hillier interior of the island, linking to Chemin du Roy at both ends. Whichever route you choose, it's essential to return to the dock at L'Anse à Butler before the last tour boat departure, or else you'll be spending the night!




 * Despite an upward climb of more than 300 m (1,000 feet), it's also relatively easy going on the Mont-Sainte-Anne and Mont Blanc Trails (Sentiers du Mont Sainte-Anne et du Mont Blanc) (linked map in French only): the trails are either paved or well-manicured dirt tracks that boast rest stops, washrooms, and picnic benches at frequent intervals. Sprawling through the mountains just inland from the town centre, this is a network of 13 km (8 miles) of interconnected routes that begins at the rear of the parking lot behind the (Église St-Michel) at 57, rue de l'Église. A secondary entrance just off Route 132 north of the town centre is perfect for those coming or going from Mont Blanc. Aside from their namesake attractions described above, the trails themselves also boast panoramic views that take in a huge chunk of the eastern Gaspesian coast as well as the national park. On a clear day, you can even see Miscou Island, New Brunswick.
 * Tucked away in the mountains behind the town centre (slightly further afield than Mont Sainte-Anne and Mont Blanc), the Route des Failles extends from the small hamlet of Cannes-de-Roches through to the south end of the town centre. The Route des Failles is a paved road that can be traversed on foot, by bike, or in a car — but be extremely careful if you're using a vehicle, as this is an exceptionally curvy road that includes about a half-dozen hairpin turns in only 5.7 km (3.5 miles) of distance. But for hikers who can handle the changes in elevation, the Route des Failles' reward is worth the effort: at the summit is an extravaganza of breathtaking panoramic mountainscapes and seascapes (you can't see Percé Rock from here, though).
 * Further still from the centre of town, particularly avid hikers can enjoy a more extensive network of trails  (linked map in French only) that extend through Percé's outskirts. The two components are:
 * the Mountain Trail (Sentier des montagnes), which is the shorter but more difficult of the two: it runs for 14 km (8.7 miles) from the, where it links with the Route des Failles and the Mont Sainte-Anne/Mont Blanc trail network, to the fishing harbour at L'Anse-à-Beaufils, with several steep ascents and descents along the way. Those who liked the magnificent alpine vistas of the Route des Failles will find more of the same here: the scenic lookouts and photo opportunities come fast and furious as you make your way from peak to peak, with breathtaking views over the craggy mountains and pristine coast. For the grand finale, the trail descends the Côte de la Fourche and follows a babbling brook southward toward the coast, where it ends at...
 * the River Trail (Sentier des rivières), 27 km (16.7 miles) of easy-to-intermediate hiking that leads north to Coin-du-Banc. First, you straddle the peaceful valley of the L'Anse-à-Beaufils River (crossing over it repeatedly on five lovely rope bridges) as you make your way north to Val-d'Espoir. Then, you cross over some comparatively easy-to-traverse hills, follow a pair of bucolic mountain streams, and pass by a beautiful waterfall on the charmingly and aptly named Emerald River (Rivière aux émeraudes) before ending up at a parking area a few hundred metres (about a third of a mile) from Route 132.

If you're visiting Percé in autumn and plan to hike, please note that hunting season runs from late September through mid-November. During those times, it is essential to wear bright-coloured clothing and take other sensible precautions. This doesn't apply on Bonaventure Island, where hunting is prohibited per the regulations of the national park.

Birdwatching


Aside from the obvious answer (Bonaventure Island), there are a number of other places around Percé where an abundance of bird life can be found, such as Cap-d'Espoir, Pointe-Saint-Pierre, and the Malbaie Lagoon (Barachois de Malbaie) in Coin-du-Banc. In addition to the famous northern gannets, Percé is home to a number of different types of migratory birds including puffins, red-necked grebes, and various species of scoters, guillemots, mockingbirds, and warblers.

With a mission of promoting the awareness and conservation of bird life in the region, the Gaspé Birdwatchers' Club (Club des ornithologues de la Gaspésie) (website in French only) is an exhaustive source of information and organizer of activities for birders in Percé and all over the area. The club frequently hosts birdwatching excursions at sites throughout the Gaspé Peninsula, and their website contains a comprehensive list of migratory species that frequent the area and their usual times of arrival, as well as information for winter birdwatchers. Membership is open to all.

In the winter
Though the Gaspé Peninsula has been recognized in the pages of National Geographic magazine as one of the top winter destinations in North America, Percé in particular is very much a seasonal town that largely shuts down after the end of October. If you're in town during the cold-weather months, the website Holiday Destination Percé has a comprehensive list of the handful of attractions, lodgings and services that do remain open in the offseason.


 * Aux Jardins de l'Anse is a charming gîte (bed and breakfast) outside of town that operates dog-sledding excursions between January and March.  for details.
 * As well, the Mont Sainte-Anne and Mont Blanc hiking trails (see above) are open to snowshoers in the winter.

Buy
There's something about Percé that inflames the creative spirit — actually, it's not hard to figure out why; the magnificent landscapes and the allure of the sea are full of infectious enchantment. At any rate, the work of local artists and artisans figures heavily into the stock of Percé's many souvenir stores. Handmade jewelry is another frequent find, often made with semiprecious stones found on local beaches, such as agate, jasper, onyx, and (if you're lucky) gaspeite, a rare greenish mineral unique to the Gaspé Peninsula.

Eat
Eating in Percé is all about separating the wheat from the chaff. Sure, by and large the restaurants here serve the kind of overpriced, lackluster fare typical of tourist towns. But a little bit of searching — especially outside the town centre — will turn up some really nice dining experiences. When in doubt, ask a local.

Also, if you're a fan of seafood, you're in luck: that's all anyone seems to eat here, and it's an experience not to be missed. The cod, salmon, scallops, lobster, and other fruits de mer served up in Percé's restaurants are almost unanimously locally sourced, fresh and delicious.

Drink
Percé doesn't have a bar scene to speak of. If you're looking to kick back with a tall cold one after a long day of sightseeing and you don't want to do so at a restaurant or your hotel's lounge, you're limited to a pair of options located in the town centre.

Luckily for craft beer fans, though, one of those options is the official outlet for Pit Caribou (website in French only), a microbrewery headquartered in L'Anse-à-Beaufils that turns out about two or three dozen beers sold throughout Quebec and beyond — including the award-winning "Étoile du Brasseur" American brown ale.



Sleep
Accommodation is definitely something that Percé is not lacking. There's a huge variety of hotels, motels, campgrounds, and vacation homes to choose from, but for a true Gaspesian experience, it's best to stay at one of the town's charming gîtes (see below).

Hotels and motels
Percé's hotels are clustered mostly on the northern and southern outskirts of the town centre, and with the exception of the Riôtel and a few others, they tend toward the small and the quaint. Most properties offer rooms with a view of Percé Rock, but it pays to request one in advance as, understandably, those tend to sell out the fastest. On the other hand, for budget travellers it's handy to know that rooms without ocean views often come at a discount.



Gîtes
The concept of the gîte du passant, or simply gîte, roughly equates to what is known in the Anglosphere as a bed & breakfast. However, the gîte seems to be proportionally a more common form of accommodation in Quebec, and nowhere is that truer than in Percé, where they outnumber standard-style hotels by a wide margin. If you're looking for a truly distinctive lodging experience — charmingly decorated rooms with antique furniture and a peaceful ambience, hearty meals each morning, and attentive hosts that take pride in helping their guests make the most of their stay — a gîte may be the option for you. However, if you're a solo traveller or just looking for a place to lay your head for the night, you may feel out of place: gîtes tend to be geared toward romantic couples' getaways or occasionally families with children, and guests may be subject to a minimum length of stay. It pays to call ahead.



Connect
Percé, along with the rest of the Gaspé Peninsula, is served by area codes 418 and 581. Ten-digit dialling is mandatory for local calls, so to reach a number within Percé 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.

The is located in the town centre at 147, route 132, in a large, modernist-style office building that also contains the courthouse and city hall. There are also post offices in Barachois, Cap-d'Espoir, Saint-Georges-de-Malbaie, and Val-d'Espoir.

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

Go next

 * If you're heading up Route 132 from the direction of Chaleur Bay, the next town you'll come to is Gaspé. Where Percé is the tourist capital of the Gaspé Peninsula, Gaspé is its commercial capital, and at first blush the town seems to be all business. Look a little closer, though, and you'll find some nice off-the-beaten-path tourist destinations like the Gaspé Regional Museum (Musée de la Gaspésie), a perfect place to go when your outdoor plans are rained out: you can learn everything you want to know about the region's history, culture, and people. There's also a wonderful sandy beach at Haldimand, and Canada's tallest lighthouse at Cap-des-Rosiers. However, Gaspé is probably best known to tourists as the gateway to...
 * Forillon National Park (Parc national du Canada Forillon), a wild and wonderful expanse of tree-clad mountains and rocky shore centred on Cap-Gaspé, the furthest-east tip of the Appalachian Mountains on the American continent. Hike through dense boreal forests, past placid pebble beaches lined with historic fishing shacks, and admire wide ocean vistas on your way to the lighthouse at land's end. Sea kayaking, whale-watching, snorkelling, and cross-country skiing are just a few of the activities awaiting you at Forillon.
 * If you're heading south and west from Gaspé, Chandler is the next town you'll pass through. This large industrial town was founded on the pulp and paper milling industry and is the birthplace of Mary Travers, better known as "La Bolduc", a pioneering chansonnière (singer of traditional Québécois folk songs). It's also the Gaspé Peninsula's port of call for the M/V CTMA Vacancier, a cruise ship that plies the St. Lawrence river and estuary from Montreal; as such, it's a major gateway to the far-flung Îles de la Madeleine, in the Gulf of St. Lawrence.
 * Further down Route 132 past Chandler is Bonaventure, where the longstanding Acadian presence in the Chaleur Bay region is represented by the Quebec Acadian Museum (Musée acadien du Québec), a sprawling complex that tells the story of the Acadians through artifacts and exhibits in the main museum as well as historically accurate artisans' shops and other buildings elsewhere. Bonaventure is also home of the Gaspé Biopark (Bioparc de la Gaspésie), a small zoo that features a few dozen animals indigenous to the region.