DESTINATIONS QUEBEC | CANADA
CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: Whale breaching in St Lawrence River; Canyon Sainte-Anne; Baie-Saint-Paul; Performers on a festival bus at Le Festif! PICTURES: Shutterstock/Juliana.B; Caroline Perron; Gremm
This bohemian town has long been known for its creative heritage. In the 1980s, a troupe of stilt- walking performers gained acclaim here. Founder Guy Laliberté took the show on tour across the wider
province where it became known as the now-legendary Cirque du Soleil. Today a row of art galleries and indie boutiques makes up the town’s main street, with colourfully clad locals out in full force for the festival.
Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac Quebec City
One of Canada’s most recognisable hotels, this castle-like, Gothic-inspired feat, which first opened in 1893, has hosted everyone from Winston Churchill to Queen Elizabeth II over the years. A National Historic Site of Canada, it’s located in the heart of Old Quebec, with 610 rooms and suites and a shiny lobby decked out in elaborate chandeliers, oak-panelled walls and marble floors. Lavish fine-dining restaurant Champlain offers wine-paired tasting menus (think wagyu beef, oysters and Arctic char)
under a gilded ceiling. Le Sam bistro serves more casual French dishes, and the 1608 bar ranks in Canada’s 100 Best Bars list. Rooms are comfortable and contemporary, offering sweeping views of Old Quebec and the St Lawrence River, and the location is excellent, with the city’s key attractions on the doorstep. Book it: Fairmont Queen rooms start from £199 per night (room-only).
fairmont.com
travelweekly.co.uk
But it’s not just about the music scene. Set at the heart of Quebec’s picturesque Charlevoix region and on the shores of the St Lawrence River, Baie-Saint-Paul makes an excellent base for some outdoor adventures. One morning we head out on a five-mile kayaking trip to see its scenery from the water. Drifting along with the flow of
the current, an occasional torrent of rapids provides an exhilarating boost. It’s a serene way to see this delightfully untouristy part of eastern Canada. Prices start from about £32 with local activity provider Katabatik.
WHALE OF A TIME It’s only the first of the adventures in store here. The St Lawrence River, which cuts through the heart of Charlevoix and wider Quebec, is one of the best spots in the world for whale-watching. Humpback, minke, beluga, fin and blue whales all inhabit its waters, and one afternoon, we head out on a Zodiac from nearby Baie- Sainte-Catherine to try our chances at spotting them. It’s unlike anything I’ve ever experienced before – not
We watch as
its giant, silver-grey back arches above the water metres from the boat, its tail emerging with a gracious swish
least because we find ourselves in the eye of an apocalyptic storm. We zip across the water as the
rain pelts down, then pull up in what feels like the middle of the sea (this is not your standard river, at around 15 miles wide in this stretch, with even wider sections and stronger currents further up in the gulf). Our guide points to a black speck in the distance – then a jet of spray erupts before the silhouette of a tail nosedives into the water. A few minutes later, another humpback appears closer still. We watch as its giant, silver-grey back arches above the water metres from the boat, its tail emerging with a gracious swish.
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