Canada & New England Cruises: Excursions

Explore Gaspe, its surroundings and magnificent Forillon National Park. In the Micmac language, Gaspe means Land’s End. Gaspe is associated with the beginning of western history in North America; the cross that Jacques Cartier erected here in 1534 has made it the birthplace of Canada. The town is unique, covering 606 square miles (975 square km), with 93 miles (150 km) of coastline exposed to the sea! Wherever one is in Gaspe, water – either fresh or salty – is never far away. The deep, coastal indentation is the Bay of Gaspe – a magnificent body of water sheltered by the surrounding mountains. Edged by stretches of sandy or pebble beaches, the bay becomes the gathering place for swimmers, boaters and water-sports enthusiasts.

A visit to Forillon National Park is sure to be a unique adventure. The tip of Forillon, which was declared a Canadian national park in order to preserve the wild beauty of its coast, reveals various geological formations and phenomena up to 450 million years old. Its majestic landscapes cover a 152 square mile (244 square km) area that is carved out of the sea, cliffs and mountains. Here, where the land joins the sea, are born pebble beaches, dizzying cliffs, small coves, rocky capes and fine sand beaches. The presence of ten different rock formations, colonies of seabirds and enigmatic Arctic-alpine plants give this park its unique character. The park also bears witness to an important cultural and historical heritage. The mark humans have left on the Forillon landscape speaks of how closely their lifestyle was attuned to the natural environment. In fact, ‘Harmony between man, the land and the sea’ was chosen as the theme that would guide promotional activities in the park precisely because of the significant natural and cultural characteristics inherent to Forillon.

To the west of the village, you can explore Fort Peninsule, an old lookout and vestige of the Second World War. A little-known episode of the Second World War took place right in the Bay of Gaspe. Located in the northern area of Forillon National Park, Cap-des-Rosiers Lighthouse, erected in 1858, is one of the tallest beacons built by the Canadian Coast Guard in Quebec. Canada's tallest lighthouse, it soars 112 feet (34.1 meters) into the air. The Cap-Bon-Ami Sea Cliffs constitute the rock walls corresponding to the peak front and are located at the northern side of the Forillon Peninsula. Those escarpments are huge especially near the sea, from the end of the Cap-des-Rosiers plains to Forillon extremity. All of the littoral wall vary in heights and can go to 197 feet (180 meters) at the south-east of Cap-bon-Ami. Seabirds give the park a definite maritime feel. Each year, the spring migrations bring double-crested cormorant, black guillemot, black-legged kittiwake, gulls and razorbill, all attracted by suitable breeding sites and an abundance of food in the waters of the Gulf of St. Lawrence and Gaspe Bay. The sea cliffs of the Cap-bon-Ami area accommodate the park's largest gathering of birds during the breeding period, including thousands of black-legged kittiwakes. Designated a historic monument and a national historic site of Canada, the Manoir Le Boutillier was constructed around 1850 by John Le Boutillier, a leading cod merchant originally from Jersey (one of the Channel Islands). The lively tour introduces visitors to a facet of the regional heritage of the Gaspe Peninsula; the restored manor is as it was when John Le Boutillier occupied the house (1850-1860).

Wrap up your tour with lunch at Centre Culturel Le Griffon, a unique cultural center with a maritime atmosphere. Located in a former authentic cold store built in 1942, The Centre Culturel Le Griffon houses a number of services for visitors including the Cafe de L’Anse, a historic exhibit on the time when cooperatives came into being, and an artists’ studio.