Charlevoix Travels - St Anne de Beaupré to Baie Saint Paul

Charlevoix
The Charlevoix region of Québec spreads northeast along the St. Lawrence river.  The terrain in this area is lovely with rolling hills, beautiful vistas of the St. Lawrence River and quaint villages that dot the landscape. Generally speaking, once you leave the town of St. Anne de Beaupré you are considered to be heading into the Charlevoix region.
Whether you intend to hike, bike, kayak or visit from the comfort of your car you are in for a real delight. The trips below are arranged as possible day trips from Québec city which is often a base location for travellers coming to the area.
If you are have questions regarding other possible side-trips from any of these locations then post your question in the comment box. We know that travelers have individual preferences and approaches to travel that may not be covered here so ask away....

PART ONE: St. Anne de Beaupré to Baie Saint Paul

Leaving St. Anne de Beaupré you will find yourself climbing up into the hills where there are numerous opportunities for hiking/snowshoeing.

The Sentier des caps which originate in Sainte-Tite-des-Caps are a series of hiking/snowshoeing trails with amazing views over the St. Lawrence River.

Various sizes of huts/cabins are available and permit hikers to plan shorter overnight trips or longer trips that spread out over 50 kms.




Leaving Sante-Tite-des-Caps you continue to climb on your way up to the well known ski resort, Le Massif. Le Massif has grown into one of the most popular ski resorts in Québec with stunning views over the St. Lawrence and steep pitches for skiing that have drawn the interest of the Canadian ski team who now consider this as their eastern Canada training centre. Often referred to as one of Québec's best kept secret, the ski centre boasts the highest vertical drop east of the Rockies.

A few tips about Le Massif:

• There are two points of entry to the ski resort, with the first being the entrance to the summit. This is about 45 km. from St. Anne de Beaupré and will place you at the lovely Summit lodge where you will find the restaurant, Mer & Monts. The second entry is located approximately 15 km after the first and takes you down to the base of the mountain and through the little village of Petite-Rivière-St. François. The base lodge has a different atmostphere but equally as fun at the end of the ski day. A large variety of chalets are available for rent in this area if you are interested.

the diningroom has gorgeous food and phenomenal food. I would suggest you get to the hill early and ski hard starting at 8:30 so that you can quit for lunch around 1:30. You won't be putting your boots back on but you will be enjoying the wonderful choices on the menu and the fine service.

For more information on Le Massif Ski Centre click here.....

• If you stay in Baie Saint Paul you will have a wide variety of B&B's, inns and restaurants to choose from. In the winter the town is relatively quiet and in the summer it is hopping with artists and a great selection of restaurants.

• In the summer we strongly recommend that you dine at the restaurant Mouton Noire in Baie Saint Paul. Sitting outside on the terrace you can experience local food prepared in traditional style with all the amazing flavour that any foodie could appreciate. 
• Also in the summer, a trip to Baie Saint Paul is worthwhile during the International Contemporary Art Symposium. In addition to all the various art galleries that line the main street, the artists are located around the village and on the outskirts painting all the beautiful vistas that the area has to offer.
 

It is a one hour drive from Québec city to Baie Saint Paul making it a great day trip. A few tips are available on the following, for this particular area, just click and go:

1. Dining
2. Hotels, Inns and Café-Couette (BandB)
3. Things to Do

Click below for the next part of Charlevoix Travels:

PART TWO: Baie Saint Paul to La Malbaie