Lighthouse Tour Along Québecs Coastal Routes

Maritime Heritage in Bas-Saint-Laurent, the Gaspésie & in Côte-Nord

Jul 7, 2009

Lighthouses are visible beacons of maritime history along the coasts of Québec, and many of them offer interesting ways to experience the old way of life along the sea.

The coasts of the province of Québec are long and follow rough coastal waters along which lighthouses often served as life saving beacons on the cliffs and peninsulas jutting out into the treacherous waters of the North Atlantic or the wide mouth of the Saint Lawrence River. Passing ships always were on the lookout for their warning lights that helped them circumnavigate dangerous stretches in the river or along steep cliffs. Lighthouse foghorns sounded wide over the water even when the looming towers were unvisible in dense fog.

Lighthouses Along Québecs Coasts - Heralds of a Glorious Past

Most of the lighthouses along the coasts of Québec are historic. Modern techniques have replaced them and they are bereft of their original tasks. But most of them are lovingly maintained. They illustrate the crucial role Québecs waterways played in the history of the province, and serve as reminders that these maritime routes are as important today for trade and travel into the heart of the continent. 40 lighthouses along the coasts of Bas-Saint-Laurent, of the Côte-Nord and the Gaspésie peninsula are witnesses of the glorious past of Québecs maritime history. And 18 of them allow visitors to delve deeper into their past and their traditions, be it on a guided tour, while sipping a hot cup of tea above a churning sea or even spending a cozy night while storms are raging around the lighthouse.

Anybody interested in the maritime past of Québec can follow a route to historic lighthouses along the coastal parts of Québec through the Bas-Saint-Laurent, around the Gaspésie peninsula and along northern banks of the Saint Lawrence River on the Côte-Nord. And there are several ways to experience this:

Learn Exciting Stories of Wild Coasts and Remote Nature

Many interesting details await anybody who ventures into one of the lighthouses along Québec's coasts: a visit to one of the two oldest lighthouses of Canada still in use, a climb up the highest lighthouse of the country or a story about the shipwreck of the Empress of Ireland which sank in 1914 and took 1012 passengers with it into the depths of the ocean.

The only wooden lighthouse can be discovered as well as those that serve as viewpoints for unusual wildlife: from below the lighthouse at Cap-de-Bon-Désir whales and dolphins can be viewed along their feeding beaches where they swim close to shore. And on Anticosti Island visitors can view a very rare kind of deer that only exists on this island.

Enjoy a Cup of Hot Tea Together with a Great View of the Sea

All lighthouses are built on spectacular locations along the coast. They were there to warn passing ships of the dangers these places had in store for the vessels. Today some of these lighthouses offer meals or just a hot cup of tea or chocolate together with the added pleasure of watching the play of wind and waves on the other side of the restaurant windows. The lighthouses at Pointe-au-Père in Bas-Saint-Laurent, on Cap-Chat in the Gaspésie and at Pointe-des-Monts and Pointe Carleton on the Côte-Nord offer this sensual delight.

Sleep Like a Lighthouse Keeper

Why not experience the life of a lighthouse keeper? There are some lighthouses in Québec that offer overnight stays in the originial lighthouse or in adjoining buildings that are turned into inns. However, todays accommodations are much more comfortable than they used to be when the lighthouses were still actively used. Overnight stays are possible in these lighthouses:

In Pot-à-l'Eau-de-Vie and on the Île Verte in the Bas-Saint-Laurent, on Cap d'Éspoir in the Gaspésie, in Pointe-des-Monts, Pointe Carleton and Cape-de-Rabast on Anticosti Island which are all on the Côte-Nord.

The copyright of the article Lighthouse Tour Along Québecs Coastal Routes in Quebec Travel is owned by Monika Fuchs. Permission to republish Lighthouse Tour Along Québecs Coastal Routes in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.