Gaspé Peninsula road trip: Be inspired by the sea

If you live in Southern Ontario or Southern Québec as the majority of Canadians do, a Gaspé Peninsula road trip is your most direct route to the ocean. This drive is one of Canada’s best road trips and is a truly underappreciated off-the-radar drive!

The Gaspésie is home to some of Canada’s most scenic seaside roads. You’ll find unparalleled whale watching along its shores, a lighthouse route, amazing seafood, and a whole lot more. The Gaspé Peninsula is also home to unique locations such as Percé Rock, a colony of Northern Gannets on Bonaventure Island, and Forillon National Park of Canada.

Here, you’ll have a chance to slow down, take a deep breath, and allow yourself to be shaped by the sea. Here’s a look at the amazing sights and experiences you’ll discover along your journey.

I’ve completed this road trip twice, both times as part of media tours arranged with Quebec Maritime. Expenses were covered for me and my travel companions. This content was not subject to approval before publication.

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Approaching the Gaspé Peninsula road trip loop

Above, you’ll find our Gaspé Peninsula map highlighting key Gaspé Peninsula destinations.

On the Gaspé Peninsula, Quebec Route 132 forms a loop that connects in Mont-Joli, roughly 90 minutes east of Rivière-du-Loup. It’s possible to drive around the peninsula in 11 hours without stopping. But with so much to do, you’ll rarely be in the car for more than a couple of hours at a time.

We recommend setting aside at least five days to complete this road trip. Check out our detailed five-day Gaspé Peninsula itinerary here.

On your way to Mont-Joli, consider stopping at the Parc national du Bic. It’s one of Quebec’s 46 parks operated by SEPAQ, the provincial parks agency. (In Quebec, provincial parks are known as national parks or parcs national. Canadian national parks are identified as National Parks of Canada.)

This park offers multiple coastal views that can be reached with very short hikes. It makes a great spot for a leg stretch, a picnic, or an overnight camping adventure.

Just east of Rimouski, you’ll find Pointe-au-Père Lighthouse National Historic Site. Here, you can explore three separate exhibits. There’s the lighthouse itself, the HMCS Onandaga submarine, and a museum dedicated to the RMS Empress of Ireland. This ocean liner became known as Canada’s Titanic when it shipwrecked not far from this site in 1914.

Plan to spend at least two to three hours climbing the lighthouse and touring the military submarine and museum.

Once you reach Mont-Joli, you can choose to drive around the Gaspé Peninsula either clockwise or counter-clockwise. If you go counterclockwise and head south to start, you’ll drive through the inland portion first and save the most scenic seaside roads for the end of your journey. Our five-day Gaspé itinerary linked above highlights the counterclockwise route.

The Matapédia Valley

Heading southbound on Route 132 takes you through the Matapédia Valley. Here, the road traces the Matapédia River until it meets Chaleur Bay — la Baie-des-Chaleurs in French — on the peninsula’s south shore.

This entire Gaspésie road trip route is dotted with pastoral villages and many of Quebec’s most picturesque covered bridges. Have your camera ready to capture these unique rural landscapes!

Once you reach the village of Matapédia roughly three hours south of Mont-Joli, Route 132 takes a sharp turn to the east. It skirts the border with New Brunswick and follows the Restigouche River until it meets Chaleur Bay.

Baie des Chaleurs

You’ve reached the point where the river meets the bay when you find Battle of the Restigouche National Historic Site. This exact location is where the French forces fell in the Seven Years’ War. The outcome of this battle permanently altered the colonial direction of North America.

On the site’s lawn, 18 white squares are arranged in the grass. These represent the size of the French frigate Machault. The French deliberately sank this frigate during the battle to keep it from falling into British hands.

Route 132 continues along the shores of the bay as you head east. Don’t miss Ferme Bourdages Tradition in Saint-Siméon-Ouest. This family farm has been operating from this location since 1821. It produces jams, pies, and strawberry and rhubarb wines that are famous throughout Quebec.

In the village of Paspébiac, the Site historique national de Paspébiac explains how cod, not cash, was this area’s currency in the 1800s. Interpretive programs held within the buildings explain how business operated at this one-time fishing hub. Boat-building, blacksmithing, and the store where fishermen and workers traded are open for you to explore.

Percé Rock and Bonaventure Island

As you depart Paspébiac and continue to the east, you’ll soon crest a hill and be presented with one of Canada’s most iconic views. Percé Rock juts like a monolith out of the sea, with Bonaventure Island standing sentinel in the background.

What you may not realize is Percé Rock — le Rocher-Percé in French — looks slightly different each time you lay eyes on it. The limestone is crumbling into the ocean very quickly and dramatically. Geologists estimate this enormous rock will disappear into the sea altogether within 200 years.

Because the rock is constantly crumbling, visitors are not permitted to land on the island. The best way to view Percé Rock up close is to book a boat tour. Departures from the village of Percé circle around Percé Rock and then dock at Bonaventure Island (Île Bonaventure in French). Here, you can disembark and visit the Parc national de l’Île-Bonaventure-et-du-Rocher-Percé.

Bonaventure Island offers a wonderful day trip. It’s home to the most accessible colony of Northern Gannets on the planet! These birds are loud and a bit smelly, but they’re absolutely fascinating to watch. The hike from the boat dock to the Northern Gannet colony takes roughly 45 minutes each way.

Elsewhere on the island, additional hiking trails lead you through a former settlement and offer a scavenger hunt for kids. When they solve Pirate Duval’s puzzles, they’ll receive a small prize to remember the adventure. Ask for the activity booklet when you arrive.

In the village, there’s even more to explore. The Percé UNESCO Global Geopark has exhibits that explain the area’s geography, and trails allow you to hike up Mont-Sainte-Anne. La Maison du pêcheur transforms the area’s abundant fresh seafood into spectacular meals.

And there are few places with an energy quite like Percé’s Pub Pit Caribou. Stop in for a microbrew and some live music to cap off a fabulous day.

Forillon National Park of Canada

In Forillon National Park of Canada, your Gaspé Peninsula road trip will take you to the end of the world. Well, not really. But you will find the end of the Gaspé Peninsula, a point that’s named after that point, known in French as the Bout du monde.

To reach it, undertake one of the best family-friendly hikes in Eastern Canada along the Les Graves trail. In a sense, this trail lets you choose your own adventure. The main multi-use trail is well-cleared and offers intermediate hiking and fat biking. Along that path, numerous side trails can make your hike much more challenging. You’ll likely catch a glimpse of whales in Gaspé Bay along the way.

There are many more things to do in Forillon National Park. La Chute is a stunning waterfall that’s reachable via a brief hike off the main road. The Hyman & Sons General Store, Quebec’s only fully preserved World War II shore battery at Fort-Péninsule, and Penouille Beach are also all worth visiting.

Read more about the amazing things to do in Forillon National Park >

The Gaspé North Shore and the Lighthouse Trail

Once you’re ready to depart Forillon National Park, continue along Route 132 as it meets the peninsula’s northern shore at the Gulf of St. Lawrence. This stretch of Route 132 is one of Quebec’s most scenic drives and is among the top road trips in Canada.

This section of the route is where you’ll find many of the Gaspésie’s most famous lighthouses. The tour begins just outside the park’s northern boundary at the Cap-des-Rosiers Lighthouse. At a height of 34.1 metres, the Cap-des-Rosiers Lighthouse stands as the tallest lighthouse in Canada.

Work your way westward through the villages and scenic lookouts as you visit lighthouses along the way. Pointe-à-la-Renommée Lighthouse can be reached by driving a couple of kilometres down a dirt road just off the highway. Cap-de-la-Madeleine Lighthouse is immediately off Route 132, and La Martre Lighthouse ensures you won’t miss it with its bright red facade.

If you drive without stopping, it’s possible to complete this section of the route in just over four hours. We recommend dedicating at least one full day to make the most of this portion of your route. This will provide enough time to visit the lighthouses, explore the villages along the route, and linger while you whale watch from one of the many lookouts.

Extend your Gaspé Peninsula road trip

If you’d prefer to see different sights as you return from the Gaspé Peninsula, consider taking a ferry across the St. Lawrence River and driving back along the river’s north shore. By crossing at Matane or Trois-Pistoles, you can return via Quebec Route 138 and visit Saguenay-St. Lawrence Marine Park, the village of Tadoussac, and the region of Charlevoix as you make your way westbound.

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