10 Day Trips from Québec City

And Farther East ... 

Route 138 runs northeast from Québec City, parallel to the mighty St. Lawrence. You're in for quite an array of scenery as you venture upriver, deeper into the province's bucolic Charlevoix region.

Baie-St-Paul, the region's first "big" town, woos travelers with its friendly sidewalk cafes, artist galleries, and charming little inns. It's also a good place for bird-watching, especially at Réserve de Faune du Cap-Tourmente, a bullrush marsh preserve that's the seasonal home to a variety of raptors, geese and warblers. The preserve features some 20 km of hiking trails, belvederes for taking in the views, picnic areas, and even quadricycle rentals.

 Domaine Charlevoix, also in Baie-St-Paul, is a lush nature park that's open to visitors from June through October. The park's Pierre-Harvey trails lead through the forest to the manor house, and from there you can hike to two waterfalls (Surprenante and Magnifique) and on down to the banks of the St. Lawrence. Meanwhile, the payoff for tackling the trail leading up the Félix-Antoine-Savard terrace is a humbling panoramic that includes the Isle-aux-Coudres and the dramatic St. Lawrence shoreline.

A favorite stop for photographers and cyclists, the L'Île-aux-Coudres is accessible only by a ferry that departs St. Joseph-de-la-Rive. Rustic and unassuming, the island seems like a country unto itself, and its inviting shops and small hotels certainly make it hard to leave. Be sure to check out Le Moulins (19th-century windmills) on the southwest side, and don't forget your camera.

In tiny St. Joseph-de-la-Rive, one place you must visit is Papeterie St-Gilles, a working parchment mill founded in the 1960s. Splurge on a few packages of their designer paper, which bears the subtle-yet-distinctive image of Saint Giles.

Route 138 and the more scenic 362 next lead to La Malbaie and her castle-like Fairmont Manoir Richelieu's Charlevoix resort. For first-class pampering and accommodations, the Fairmont has no peers in the region.

With La Malbaie as a "home base," the opportunities for exhilaration and exploration are boundless – whale-watching and fjord cruises, golf along the banks of the St. Lawrence, hikes through the Riviere Malbaie gorge, and even casino action.

Go North, Young Man (or Woman)

If a northern retreat is the plan, Route 175 wastes little time (approximately 30 minutes, in fact) leaving the shopping centers and traffic signals of Québec City behind and delivering travelers into the dense, green forests of the Parc de la Jacques-Cartier, one of Quebec's most photogenic national parks. In the summer, the tree-covered mountains and steep river valleys offer themselves up for hiking and other outdoor pursuits. Primitive and serviced campsites are available in designated areas throughout the park. Rather not "rough it" too much? Yurt and cabin rentals are available as well.

Go further north for even wilder times at the Réserve Faunique des Laurentides, which encompasses over 7800 square km of wilderness area. A favorite of hunters and fishermen, the reserve is also tops on the lists of experienced hikers, canoers and campers seeking rawer, less watered-down versions of their favorite pursuits.