This adventure follows easy cycling terrain through a viscerally French, historic area known as the Navigator’s Route. Although the roads are now paved (mostly), and well-signposted, you will follow the same path as the first explorers: Jacques Cartier, and founder of Quebec city Samuel de Champlain.
The gently rolling, quiet country roads on the southern shore of the mighty Saint Lawrence River takes you to quaint Quebecois villages including five of the ‘25 Most Beautiful Villages in the Province.’ You will rest in truly unique places, from a lighthouse on Île Verte, to a cozy, wood-floored mansion set in beautiful gardens. In Trois Pistoles, when the fog rolls in from the river, the jazz bar is a favorite retreat, and your idiosyncratic inn will charm you with its rural flair. This is where, the locals say, you can meet the devil if you go to the cross on the night of the full moon.
As you cycle along the St. Lawrence River banks, observing the shorebirds and wildlife, admiring the waterfront homes reminiscent of turn-of-the-century seaside resorts, and marveling at the traditional eel nets reaching out to sea, you might even catch a glimpse of passing whales. In the evening, you can enjoy the sun setting over the Charlevoix Mountains north of the river - rated by the National Geographic as one of the most beautiful sunsets in the world
Route Notes: This is an easier trip than most, on a mix of paved and unpaved roads and fairly level terrain. The distances are not short, but van support will be abundant. Expect to ride on hard pack gravel and dirt roads on Ile Vert, well suited for hybrid bicycles. Highlights include the cuisine – bakeries and delicious food throughout the tour; the island – always a hit, the scenery and the people.
Inn Notes: We have selected inns of the highest possible standards, and endeavor to secure rooms with private bathrooms for all guests. In a few villages on this adventure, there are no inns with private washrooms for each room, in which case we try to reserve the entire inn for your exclusive use. Nonetheless, on some nights you may have to share a bathroom with other guests. If you are uncomfortable with this, we will try to make alternative arrangements for you. Please discuss this with us when booking.
2008 Guided Dates: Jun 15-21; Jul 6-12; Jul 20-26; Aug 2-8; Aug 10-16; Aug 23-29; Sep 14-20.
Custom groups and self guided: Available any time. Tour starts: Day 1, Quebec City Airport, 3:30 pm and Auberge Saint Antoine, 8 rue Saint-Antoine at 4:00pm. Finish: Day 7, Quebec City Airport, 5:00pm or Auberge Saint Antoine 5:00pm.
Tour Itinerary:
Day 1: Quebec City to La Pocatière. The tour starts with a late afternoon hour and a half complementary transfer from the Auberge Saint Antoine, or, the Quebec City Airport to La Pocatiere; gateway to Bas Saint Laurent. Introductions and bike familiarization will proceed dinner which is included on the guided trips only. Lodging: Le Diablo Vert, La Pocatière or La Chevriere, La Pocatière.
Day 2: La Pocatiere to Kamouraska 50km (31 mi) + options. Start your day with some riding through quiet country roads, you will encounter St Pacôme part of the 25 most beautiful village’s in the province network. During your week you will come across 5 of these remarkable villages in all. Next, ride close to one of the biggest rivers in the world (The Saint Laurence!) up to Kamouraska, famous for its medieval festival. There admire the Kamouraska archipelago. The tide, which retreats quite far from the shoreline when low, allows for travel to some of the islands on foot. Breakfast is included. Lunch is included on guided trips only. Lodging: La Grande Voile, Kamouraska.
Day 3: Kamouraska to Notre Dame du Portage 48km (30 mi). Leave Kamouraska for some coastal and rural riding to St André. There make a lunch stop at ‘les battures ecologiques’ and enjoy a spectacular view of the massive Laurentian Mountains. Then follow the flow of the river to Notre Dame-du-Portage, another of ‘the Most Beautiful Villages in the Province.’ This village was a strategic exit and entry point located at the end of the great canoe carrying trail between the St. Lawrence River, Acadia and the Maritime provinces. Breakfast and dinner are included on both guided and self-guided trips. Lunch is also included on guided trips only. Lodging: Auberge du Portage, N-D-M du Portage or Le P’tit Paradis, N-D-M du Portage.
Day 4: Notre Dame du Portage to Ile Verte 40 km (25mi) + options. Today you will travel to yet another of the Most Beautiful Villages in the Province, Cacouna, the name of which is derived Indian word for “land of the porcupine’’ While coasting, with any luck and binoculars, you may even catch sight of the whales that often swim nearby. Then head toward Ile Verte where the ferry awaits you! Step back in time on this Island of 45 inhabitants. There you will stay in the oldest lighthouse keeper’s residence in the province. The lighthouse is run by a shrewd businessman who looks like a hippie. He raises lamb on a salt marsh, which gives the meat a distinct flavor, unique but similar to that of lamb raised on the salt flats near Mont St. Michel in Brittany, France. Breakfast is included. Dinner is included on guided trips. Lodging: La Maison du Phare, Ile Verte or alternative.
Day 5: Ile Verte to Trois Pistoles 55km (35mi) + options. Enjoy the quiet and peaceful country roads of Ile Verte. Then take the ferry back to the main land and cycle to Trois-Pistoles. From a distance you will see the enormous church of Notre Dame-des-Neiges. You can cycle the green forest path to see waterfalls then follow the Trois Pistoles River back to the St. Lawrence River. Make a stop at the government wharf to catch a glance at Ile aux Basques. The Basques were melting down whale fat there long before Jacques Cartier. Breakfast is included. Lunch is included on guided trips. Lodging: Auberge le Bocage des 2 Gamins, Trois-Pistoles.
Day 6: Trois Pistoles to Le Bic 60 km (38mi). Inland rural exploration of The Basques Highlands, followed by a stop to stock up on local specialties such as maple-based alcoholic beverages, unique in Quebec. Don’t miss the spectacular look off on your way to Saint Fabien, home to wild falcons, frequently seen flying from the cliffs. Then cycle to the village of Bic and its Provincial Park, where you can hike or ride on well maintained, spectacular trails, such as Pic Champlain (345 meters) and a 10-kilometer network of hiking/biking trails. Breakfast is inlcluded. Lunch and dinner are included on the guided trips. Lodging: Le Mange Grenouille, Bic.
Day 7: Le Bic exploration, or optional trip to Reford Gardens, followed by a return to Quebec City by approximately 5:00pm. Breakfast is included.
Testimonials:
"Inns were better than expected. Liked them for different reasons, but all were warm, welcoming, comfortable. View, decor, attention to detail, personal attention of hosts, unique character and atmosphere are among things we liked. Each day, a pleasant surprise awaited us what would our inn be like?"
(Sam & Marcy H., CT)
Notes:
Airfare is not included in the tour price.
Guided Cost: $2395 (per person, includes 7 days, 6 nights, 6 breakfasts, 4 lunches, 4 dinners, ferry to and from Ile Verte, luggage handling, guide & van support, maps & route notes)
Self-Guided Cost: $1995 (per person, includes 7 days, 6 nights, 6 breakfasts, 1 dinner, luggage handling, transfers where necessary, maps & route notes)
Also see tour packages in:
Canada
Quebec
Bicycle Touring
Hiking & Trekking
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