Oh, Charlevoix! The region with the nicest landscape and views of the St Lawerence River. Route Des Saveurs is a road along green hills and mountains with numerous local producers. We were hopping from one artisan shop and producer to the other, and the views, oh the views! This post is about our week in the Charlevoix area in the summer, where we visited farms, art boutiques, pottery shops, restaurants, and beaches. All suitable for families with kids.
The post is written with locations from south to north along the river – from Petite-Rivière-Saint-François to La Malbaie. I marked with a star the locations which are part of the Route Des Saveurs (*). The area is about 1h+ from Quebec City and 3h40+ from Montreal. Here are our ideas about how to celebrate Charlevoix’s food, art and scenery.
Petite-Rivière-Saint-François
It is known for its beautiful scenery and hiking and is home to Le Massif mountains. We visited Park Des Riverains to enjoy the views and to relax next to the beach while the kids are playing.
Park Des Riverains (Promenade and beach)
Located on rue du Quai, it offers splendid views of the Charlevoix mountains. Enjoy walking along the promenade near the St Lawrence River, dip your foot in the freezing water and play in the splash pad and playground.
The park has a very small restaurant, picnic tables, and toilets.
Baie-Saint-Paul Area
* Omerto – Tomato Winery
Address: 328, Rang St-Antoine Nord, Baie-Saint-Paul, G3Z 2C3, QC
Boutique opening hours: June 15 to October 11, 7 days a week, from 10am-5pm.
Omerto winery produces world-first biological tomato wine. The boutique offers free tasting of their very special and tasty wine along with suggested cocktails. A quick video explains about their operations, and their friendly staff was kind to answer all our questions.
* Laiterie Charlevoix
Address: 1167 Boulevard Mgr de Laval, Baie-Saint-Paul, QC G3Z 2W7
A family-run business since 1948 offers an Economuseum and a boutique with local products and their specialized cheese selection. Picnic tables and toilets are available nearby. We had a quick stop there for cheese tasting and we bought food for a picnic in the nearby beach of Baie-Saint-Paul.
Parc Boisé du Quai (Beach)
Address: Rue Sainte-Anne, Baie-Saint-Paul. Near Katabatik (Kayak rental)
The park is offering free parking, picnic tables, and a kids’ playground. We visited the beach during low tide around noon and the St Lawrence River was far away. The beach can be very windy and muddy, but it was worth walking on the wet sand, soon to be covered by the high tide.
Baie-Saint-Paul City Centre
The main street is Rue Saint-Jean Batiste near the Church Église de Baie-Saint-Paul. This street has a wide variety of art boutiques and souvenirs shops. We visited cider and soap shops.
Cidrerie Vergers Pedneault
Address: 74 Rue Saint Jean Baptiste, Baie-Saint-Paul, G3Z 1M3, QC
* This store is part of the cider manufacturer, Cidrerie et Vergers Pedneault, which is located on Isle-aux-Coudres (part of the Route Des Saveurs).
Savonnerie Quai des Bulles
Address: 120 Rue Saint Jean Baptiste, Baie-Saint-Paul, G3Z 1L7, QC
This cute shop is selling soaps which are manufactured in a city called Kamouraska, opposite to La Malbaie on the south shore of the St Lawrence River.
* Le Mouton Noir Restaurant
Address:
This restaurant/bistro is featured on the La Route Des Saveurs for a reason. We had a nice evening there, enjoying local and tasty food while seating on the balcony, facing Riviere du Gouffre.
Viewpoint
When you leave Baie-Saint-Paul, on the Route du Fleuve (Route 362), towards Les Éboulements, there is a nice viewpoint. You don’t need to leave the main road to reach it and there are indications on the road.
Les Éboulements
* Les Jardins du Centre
This farm is close to the waterfront, where the road is separating from the Route du Fleuve. Head there on your way to Saint-Joseph-de-la-Rive to reach the ferry which departs to the beautiful Isle-aux-Coudres.
We spent the morning there doing self picking of blueberry and raspberry. The shop sells local products (homemade spreads and more) and has a small playground and picnic tables. The scenery from the fields was just gorgeous.
Address: 91 Rang des Éboulements Centre, Les Éboulements, G0A 2M0, QC
La Chocolaterie Du Village
Address:
Fresh chocolate pralines and ice cream – the perfect stop on a summery hot day.
Just next to the chocolate shop, there is a tiny museum inside a pottery shop in an old house which belonged to a local family since 1891. Head there to see how old tools were used. I believe this shop/museum is called “La Forge du Vittage”.
Les Foins Salés
A cute art boutique on the main street of Les Éboulements.
Alpagas Charlevoix Alpacas
Address:
Opening hours: Monday to Sunday 9am to 5pm
Entry fee: Adult : $8 , Children (3-12 years old) : $3.5
A tour guide is available at 10am or 2pm. Fees for the guided tour: Adult $10, Children (3-12 years old) $5.
The small farm has many informative signs on the short walking path about the animals and their behavior. You can feed the alpacas with green grass.
Miellerie du cratère de Charlevoix
Address: 3390 route du Fleuve, Les Éboulements, QC
Boutique opening time: 7th June to October 14th, 2019.
Stop there to buy honey and to really enjoy the views of the river.
Miellerie du cratere de Charlevoix
Saint-Irénée
Les Ateliers Charlevoix
Address:
A pottery shop with a wide selection of items. The lovely owner took the time to explain to us about his art and work techniques.
Plage Municipale De St-Irénée (Municipality Beach)
Address: 15 Route du Fleuve, Saint-Irénée, G0T 1V0, QC
You must visit this beach! It is so beautiful. You will probably not deep in the freezing water but this calm place is excellent for true relaxation. Our kids spent an hour playing and collecting the special stones from the sand.
Don’t forget the low/high tide is affecting this area. We visited this beach twice and in the late afternoon, the water was closer to the road, which was more convenient.
Opposite this beach, there is a nice small restaurant/take away food with ice cream. Picnic tables, playground, and toilets are available. Parking for both the beach and this casse croute is on the main road.
La Malbaie
Fairmont Le Manoir Richelieu
Address: 181 Rue Richelieu, La Malbaie, QC G5A 1X7
This special hotel hosted the G7 summit is 2018. It is located in the Malbaie near the St Lawerence River. Head there for an afternoon tea in a luxury atmosphere.
Quebec Family Hikes 