Beyond Quebec City: A scenic road trip through Eastern Townships, Quebec Maritime and Charlevoix

Quebec is so much more than its charming capital city. This circular Quebec road trip heads from Montreal and Quebec City into Eastern Townships, Quebec Maritime, and Charlevoix for dark-sky parks, whale watching along the St. Lawrence River, agritourism farm stays, sustainable lodgings, national parks, lighthouses, and quiet villages that showcase the province’s wilder, more rural side.

From cobblestone streets to European charm and historic stone buildings, Quebec City has much to offer travelers. Once you’ve seen it, however, don’t think for a moment that you can check off the entire province of Quebec. The province itself spans nearly 600,000 square miles and opens its expansive arms to welcome you as soon as you leave the hectic city. It doesn’t take long to go from skyscrapers and traffic congestion to small towns and country byways. 

Get into regions like Eastern Townships, Quebec Maritime, and Charlevoix – none of them all that far from the bustling city – for a true rural treat featuring lakes, dark-sky parks, country living, coastal escapes, and grand national parks. There, you will discover the beating heart of what makes Quebec a destination that is so much more than its capital city. 

I took a circular route, heading southeast from Montreal into the Eastern Townships, then east into the larger Quebec Maritime region and its southern bank area, Bas-Saint-Laurent. From there, I crossed the St. Lawrence River to the Maritime’s area called Côte-Nord, then headed back farther west along the river into Charlevoix on my return to Quebec City and Montreal. Car ferries make a loop tour like this easy.

Not to forget is how much of the area borders the United States. The Eastern Townships are just a skip across the border from Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine, while much of the southern border of the Bas-Saint-Laurent area of Quebec Maritime also snuggles up to Maine. It’s not hard to bite off chunks of any part of Quebec province east of Quebec City.

What will be difficult is deciding what to do! Visit charming towns and sample cheeses from small cheesemakers or wines from small winemakers. Explore national parks on foot. Paddle the St. Lawrence River. Go whale watching. Stay on small farms and watch the pigs being fed. Enjoy dark skies and visit the world’s first International Dark Sky Reserve. Tour a lighthouse or two. Stay in sustainably focused lodgings. Laze in the sun on a beach. Maybe even practice a little French. The choices are endless.

Explore Charlevoix on a day trip or weekend from Quebec City

The closest excursion from Quebec City heads east along the northern bank of the St. Lawrence River to the towns and parks of Charlevoix. In hardly more than an hour, you will feel very far from highways and high-rises as you squish sand between your toes or go whale watching. The Charlevoix region was formed by a huge meteorite that fell to Earth 450 million years ago, creating an impact crater with terraced rings that is nearly 34 miles wide. And that is where Charlevoix’s towns sit today.

Find out more about this phenomenon at the Observatoire de l’Astroblème in La Malbaie. See chunks of rock from the meteor and, if your timing is right, sit in on a presentation or a stargazing session from the deck.

Le 362 retro roadside motel in Charlevoix offers simple lodgings with a fashionable flair.

What you definitely don’t want to miss in the area is a stay at Le 362, a converted roadside motel that today is a chic boutique lodging with retro décor overlooking the water. Next door is Le Sainti, the restaurant owned by the same couple – another must-see, especially for anyone who considers themselves a foodie. Chef Luc Pouliot creates high-end delectables from regional and seasonal ingredients. Tell him you trust him to serve you his tasting menu sight unseen!

Head up to the Hautes-Gorges-de-la-Rivière-Malbaie National Park, one of about 24 in Quebec, for any number of hikes, or consider a river cruise along the Rivière Malbaie Valley with a naturalist.

Hautes Gorges park’s Draveur Visitor Center from across the dam where you can pick up hiking trails to take you to big views.

 In the town of Baie-Saint-Paul, just a quick hop from Quebec City for an afternoon or evening, you can stroll the beach, watch kitesurfers, explore the area's maritime history at the Museé Maritime de Charlevoix with both indoor and outdoor exhibits, and do a little small-town shopping. 

The Maritime Museum of Charlevoix lets you climb aboard historic ships to see what living was like — Maurice enjoyed his talk with the captain.

 So now you’ve gone from beaches to grand mountains and quiet trails to river valleys – and you’re still within two-three hours of the streets and hubbub of Quebec City!

Watching kite surfers from the beach makes for casual diversion from village streets and shopping.

Across the border from the USA: Eastern Townships beckon with dark skies

The Eastern Townships are a world away from the bustle of Quebec City to the north and Montreal to the west. Smaller crowds, but endless charm. You’ll find farms and agritourism, craft food makers, and lodging focused on sustainability.

Ferme au Pied Levé lets you meander the farm and visit with the animals.

The 176-acre Ferme au Pied Levé near Magog features local flavors so farm fresh you can spend personal time with the pigs, guineafowl, goats, cows, and all their friends. The “gîte,” or B&B, has just five rustic rooms with modern conveniences, overlooking the farm and gardens. Hosts Marie-Thérèse Bonnichon and Denis Carrier offer a “Table Champêtre,” which literally means “country table” but is a tag that can be used only by those offering fresh, hyper-local, multi-course meals. 

If Marie-Thérèse is not too busy, you can hang out in the kitchen while she preps meals and later wander the farm as Denis feeds the animals. I only wish I could have stayed longer than one night at such a peaceful place.

The abbey’s blue cheese was a pure delight.

Not far away is the Abbey at Saint-Benoît-du-Lac, where you can taste abbey-made, monk-supervised cheese, ciders, and apple products. This will make leaving the abbey without a bag full of purchases from the abbey store pretty difficult! 

My tiny house stay at the sustainably focused, back-to-nature lodging at Aux Cinq Sens.

Another lodging that focuses on reconnecting guests with nature is nestled in the tiny burg of Piopolis on the southwest side of Lac Mégantic. The Aux Cinq Sens (“the five senses”) lives up to its name. Its units are scattered across a 20-acre parcel, ranging from yurts and tiny house rentals to camping and trailers converted into lodgings. Hosts Paule and Benoit focus on back-to-nature living and prioritize sustainability, including as little garbage as possible, low water use, recycling/upcycling, solar power, and rustic outdoor showers. Activities include stargazing and learning about medicinal plants. Here, you get deep, comfortable quiet in the woods without any falderal.

The observatory on the summit in Mont Mégantic National Park that’s been there since 1978.

The real highlight, at least for me as a night photographer and outdoor lover, are the dark skies, particularly at Mont Mégantic National Park, the first international Dark Sky Reserve in the world – and it’s only about 30 minutes from the US-Canada border. Head into the ASTROLab astronomy activity center near the park’s entrance. A research-focused observatory has been at the top of the mountain since 1978, although Megantic first became a national park in 1994. If no research is underway, you may be able to snag an observatory tour. 

Mont-Saint-Joseph summit chapel at night with the valley below, stars and the Milky Way.

With more than 40 miles of hiking trails, you can choose short or long routes, but you can also drive through the park and stop at viewpoints for grand vistas. I was lucky enough to get special permission to enter the park at night for a night shot (above) from the top of Mont-Saint-Joseph.

Whale watching, dramatic coastlines & maritime culture in Quebec Maritime

The four regions that make up the Maritime area of Quebec stretch to the easternmost tips of Canada. Although the area encompasses forests and high mountains, its emphasis is on all things maritime. In Quebec Maritime, the sea and the river dictate the pulse of life – hike in national parks, head out to see whales (even just from the coastline!), or try to check off 40 lighthouses.

Since my Quebec tour was a circle road trip, getting to the far reaches of this region, such as Gaspésie or the Magdalen Islands, was sadly not in the cards. But you can find whales and coastlines in the more accessible areas of Bas-Saint-Laurent and Côte-Nord – with car ferries to shuttle you between them as needed. 

Nature exploration is also an emphasis here, including the marshlands at Cacouna Marsh, the simple trails that wind through the wetlands, and the glamorous sand dunes and sprawling beaches along the river, sometimes dotted with farms and barns. 

The lawn at Côté Est restaurant in Kamouraska has a lawn and tables right on the St. Lawrence River.

A culinary highlight in the village of Kamouraska is the Côté Est restaurant, a Michelin “Bib Gourmand” restaurant, which means it is recognized for high-quality cooking at a good value. I can certainly vouch for the quality. The interior is not fussy, and an outdoor riverside terrace offers sunset views to enjoy with your beverages and seasonal cuisine.

Can you say VIEW? This was my “Perchoir,” or perch, for a night in the woods above the St. Lawrence River, as shown by owner Elyme Gilbert.

A real treat not far from Kamouraska are the Perchoirs du Cirque: Pretend you are an eagle for a night or two in these “perches,” suspended and/or mounted from the hillside. Although there are seven little cabins perched in the forest, you will never see or hear anyone else. All are sustainably created with upcycled and recycled materials wherever possible. The perches are magical, with panoramic views of the river from on high. There is no running water, showers, or electricity, but each perch has its own dry toilet and comes with all kinds of goodies, including wine, beer, fruit juice, coffee and tea, plus muffins and fruit for breakfast. 

Early season practice starts in the spring for the performers with the Cirque de la Pointe-Sèche next door to the Perchoirs lodgings.

Next door is the Cirque de la Pointe-Sèche, also run by Perchoirs owner Elyme Gilbert. Yes, it’s an outdoor circus-like theater that combines music, dance, theatrical performance, and high-flying aerials. Since it’s outdoors, shows run only in July and August. If you want to stay at the Perchoirs, too, book early! I visited during a pre-season practice. 

Whale- and wildlife-watching cruises take you out to sea, but the point in Tadoussac oftengets you up close to whales without a boat.

The St. Lawrence River and its coastline are renowned for whale-watching, particularly in the Côte-Nord area around Tadoussac at the mouth of the Saguenay River, and across the river in Charlevoix, all part of the Whale Route. I took a whale-watching cruise but saw more whales from the coastline. They come very close to the Pointe-de-l’Islet, which is an easy loop walk of just over a half mile in Tadoussac. Just hang out along this point that juts into the river and get ready to see whales!