Although southern Gaspésie is often in the shadow of more popular vacation spots to the east, such as Percé and Forillon National Parc, it definitely should not be overlooked by those looking to discover some of the region’s hidden gems. Beautifully sandwiched between the sea and mountains, Carleton-sur-Mer makes an excellent base from which to explore the beautiful attractions and scenery that southern Gaspésie has to offer, including swimming in the warm waters of the Baie des Chaleurs, kayaking in crystal-clear rivers, hiking through beautiful mountain scenery, and discovering a thriving foodie scene. Below we present our guide to the Best Attractions and Things to Do in Carleton-sur-Mer to help you get the most out of your time in the area.
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You might also be interested in these pages:
Gaspésie Best Attractions and Road Trip Itinerary
10 Awesome Hiking Trails to Discover in Gaspésie
Best Things to See and Do Percé
Gaspésie’s Most Beautiful Lighthouses
Location of Carleton-sur-Mer
The small town of Carleton-sur-Mer (population of approximately 4,000) is located along Gaspésie’s southern coast, in the Baie-des-Chaleurs region of the Gaspe Peninsula. Most people will visit Carleton-sur-Mer (and the rest of the Gapsé Peninsula) via a road trip from Montreal or Québec City. Although it is a long drive, it is very scenic, particularly as you get east of Québec City.
To get here from Québec City, it’s about a 5h30-hour drive (550 km) and it’s about a 8h drive from Montreal (800km). There are a lot of great places along the way where you can spend a night (or more) to break up the long drive, and we detail some of these in our Gaspesie Road Trip Itinerary Travel Guide. Some of our favorites include BIC National Park near Rimouski and Gaspésie National Park in central Gaspésie.
An alternative way to reach Percé is to take a bus with Orléans Express from either Montreal, Ottawa or Québec City. However, you’ll be limited in your ability to visit the region afterwards, which is best explored with your own or rented vehicle. Public transportation options in Gaspésie are limited and infrequent given the region’s low population density.
If coming from elsewhere in Gaspésie, Carleton-sur-Mer is about a 2h30 drive from Percé, about a 1h30 drive from Gaspésie National Park, and about a 2h30 drive from Matane.
If you need to book a rental vehicle, we highly recommend using Discover Cars to get the best rates on your rental in Montreal.
We also highly recommend Airalo (eSIM card) for your connectivity needs when travelling abroad. Airalo is the world’s first and largest eSIM store with eSIM plans for 200+ countries and regions worldwide.
You can also fly into the region, but you will first have to transit through Montreal or Québec City. Three regional airports in Gaspésie have passenger services (Mont-Joli, Gaspé, and Bonaventure). Gaspé Airport (YGP) has direct flights with Québec City, whereas Bonaventure Airport (YVB), which is along the region’s south coast and is unrelated to the nearby Bonaventure Island, has direct flights from Montreal. Bonaventure airport is the closest to Carleton-sur-Mer, about a 45-minute drive east of town.
About Carleton-sur-Mer
Carleton-sur-Mer is the fifth largest town on Gaspésie’s south shore, located along Route 132 that follows the Baies-des-Chaleurs (Chaleur Bay) coastline. The current City of Carleton-sur-Mer was created in 2000 when the towns of Carleton and Saint-Omer were merged. It was originally called Carleton–Saint-Omer, but was renamed to Carleton-sur-Mer in 2005.
Today the town is one of the main tourist areas of the Baie-des-Chaleurs area of Gaspésie, which is known for its unusually warm waters relative to areas of Québec (it’s actually where you will find the warmest saltwater on the Atlantic coast north of the state of Virginia) and is a member of the 42 most beautiful bays of the world.
Carleton-sur-Mer is also backdropped by a beautiful mountain range and the Mont Saint-Jopseh Regional Park, making it a great area from which to enjoy outdoor and hiking adventures.
Best Attractions and Things to Do in Carleton-sur-Mer
Enjoy the Warm Waters and the Carleton-sur-Mer Beach
As mentioned above, the warm ocean currents that enter the bay from the Gulf of St. Lawrence result in some of the warmest saltwater on the Atlantic coast north of the state of Virginia, making it one of the few places in Québec where you can swim comfortably in the ocean.
The main swimming area is along the town’s municipal beach by the Parc des Horizons, located just west of the town’s wharf and marina. Although not a wide beach, it is fairly long stretching out to nearly 1 km in length. Because of the beach’s curvature, if you go towards the southern end of the beach, you’ll get to enjoy the view of the mountains behind the northwestern section of the beach.
Although you can walk to the beach from pretty much anywhere in town, there is a large car park next to the beach if needed. You’ll find washrooms, a few restaurants and beach volleyball courts by the beach. The beach is primarily in use from late June until early September.
There are other beaches around town, but they are more pebbly than sandy and don’t have any nearby facilities (you will see some of them pictured further below).
Take a Seaside Stroll Along One of Several Parks & Promenades
From the beach, you can take a seaside walk along two different paths. A multipurpose boardwalk called the Promenade des Acadiens that runs parallel to the shoreline for about 2 km. Because this path is very popular with cyclists, we prefer walking on the quieter path that follows la Route du Quai, which takes you by its the town’s marina and all the way to the end of the town’s natural pier. The scenery is beautiful both in nice and rainy weather.
Near the end of the pier, a giant observation was set up to observe migratory bird populations that often nest in the coastal lagoon that sits between the pier and the peninsula to the east of it known as Tracadigash Point. The lagoon is called the Carleton Barachois and is known as one of the most beautiful bird sanctuaries in Quebec. The Canada goose, the cormorant, the great blue heron, the black-crowned night heron, the duck, the red knot and the black-backed gull are all regulars here.
Climb to the top of the tower for panoramic views of the surrounding scenery and mountains. From there you can also see Tracadigash Point, another great area to enjoy a seaside walk. It’s also where you will find the area’s largest campground and the town’s lighthouse (seen in the picture above) – though this lighthouse is actually a replica of the former lighthouse that used to be here.
Go Sailing /Take Sailing Lessons
We didn’t get to try any sailing due to a few rainy days during our time in Carleton-sur-Mer, but it is a very popular activity to do in the area. The place to go is Écovoile, which is located near the town marina just south of the municipal beach. They offer all kinds of lessons and you can also rent sailboats if you have prior sailing experience.
Hiking in Mont Saint-Joseph Provincial Park
At 555 metres above sea level, Mont Saint-Joseph is one of the highest points in the Baie-des-Chaleurs area and its summit offers a spectacular view of the open bay all the way to the New Brunswick coast – on a clear day that is because we were unlucky and had dense clouds significantly limiting visibility. That being said, we still had a great time hiking in Hiking in Mont Saint-Joseph Provincial Park – the rainy and foggy weather created an interesting atmosphere for some of the lower-elevation trails we explored. The park has more than 30 kilometres of hiking trails that are open from mid-June until early October (the last day usually falls on Canadian Thanksgiving). Although the park has several long trails, we’ll focus here on two trails that we enjoyed and can be easily completed in under two hours. Both trailheads are located a 5-to-10-minute drive from the center of town. To access the trails you will need to pay the daily park access fee is $10 (2024) and you can prepay your online here.
Mont St Joseph (Cap Ferré) Trail
This is a short trail that starts halfway up the mountain from a small car park off the mountain road and leads to the summit and a large lookout. The trail does have a fairly steep ascent but the terrain is fairly even making it a straightforward and quick climb. Unfortunately for us, given the cloudy and rainy conditions, we couldn’t see anything from the lookout. But we still found it to be a very pleasant hike nonetheless.
Distance: 3.2 km
Route Type: Out & Back
Elevation gain: 160 m (cumulative elevation gain: 186 m)
Start point: Car Park, rue de la Montagne
AllTrails rating: (4.4, 74 ratings (2024))
Duration: Most people complete the trail in about 70-90 min
Access Fees: Park daily rate
Smelt Loop Trail (Boucle de l’Éperlan)
A beautiful and peaceful trail that follows a gentle stream with some waterfall viewpoints. The fog during our visit definitely gave the forest a mystical feel.
Distance: 3.1 km
Route Type: Loop
Elevation gain: 110 m (cumulative elevation gain: 126 m)
Start point: Car Park, chemin à Bouchard
AllTrails rating: (4.7, 184 ratings (2024))
Duration: Most people complete the trail in about 50-70 min
Access Fees: Park daily rate
Not an AllTrails member yet? We highly recommend signing up for either their free or paid membership plans. The free plan allows you to find new trails and plan routes but can only be used while hiking if you have access to mobile data. The paid membership plan (AllTrails+) allows you to download trail maps for offline use and provides live progress updates and off-route notifications.
If you are still uncertain – you should know that the All Trails mobile application was voted the 2023 iPhone App of the Year by Apple.
Hiking Packing List
All Trails subscription – This comes in really handy for areas with little or no cell reception, as the annual subscription allows you to download trail maps for offline use.
External Battery – If you are using your phone to track your progress along the trail or to help with navigation, you certainly don’t want your phone to die on you. That’s especially true in the unlikely event that you might get hurt or need assistance.
Hiking poles – These can be particularly useful in steep trails or muddy/boggy trail conditions.
If you don’t want to hike but would like to enjoy the summit views, you can also drive to the top. The summit is also home to the Notre-Dame-du-Mont-Saint-Joseph Oratory, a former pilgrimage destination and Breton-style chapel built in 1935 that features remarkable mosaics and stained-glass windows.
Go Kayaking on Bonaventure River
This was one of the most fun things we did while in Carleton-sur-Mer. The Bonaventure River begins at Bonaventure Lake in the Appalachian mountains and flows downstream 126 kilometres before emptying into Baie-des-Chaleurs by the town of Bonaventure, a 45-minute drive east of Cartleon-Sur-Merc.
The Bonaventure River is considered to be one of the clearest and most pristine rivers in the world, and one of the best ways to enjoy the river is by gently kayaking/canoeing down the river with Cime Adventures. They have all sorts of tours available including the more popular 8km (2-hour) and 20 km (4-5 hours) tours, where you can select your choice of canoe, kayak, double-kayak or paddleboard. All departures take place in the morning.
We were a bit unlucky as we faced a strong headwind during our kayaking excursion, but on most days the river’s current does most of the work for you – all you really have to do is steer. So it’s a fun, easy and safe activity even if it’s your first time. The shortest tour (2hr) starts at $40 per adult (with reduced rates for children), with longer tours being more expensive.
Visit the Animals at the Gaspésie Bioparc
If you weren’t sure about driving 45 minutes to kayak down the Bonaventure River, well we have a second reason to visit the Bonaventure area: the Gaspésie Biopark. The Bioparc is a museum institution with a scientific vocation that gives prominence to the indigenous species of Quebec all of which are subdivided into 5 different ecosystems: the bay, the barachois, the river, the forest and the tundra.
The Gaspésie Bioparc is home to around forty different animal species native to Quebec. In addition to the more well-known land mammals, there is also a pavilion of Québec amphibians and reptiles as well as an insectarium with impressive living and naturalized collections.
The Bioparc is open daily from early June until mid-October (9h – 17h). The entry fee for an adult is $26 (2024) with reduced rates for children. Tickets can be purchased online in advance here. At different times during the day, it is free to attend the feeding of the seals, raccoons, lynx, black bears, wolves and several other species. You can also experience an overnight adventure with wolves by staying in a rustic trapper-style cabin that has an impressive view of the wolves’ habitat.
Explore Migusha Fossil Park
We sadly ran out of time in the area and didn’t get a chance to visit this interesting and unique Québec National Park. Designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1999 in recognition of its wealth of well-preserved fossils, Migusha Fossil Park preserves a world-renowned fossil-rich cliff and is home to the only fully intact specimen of Elpistostege watsoni ever discovered. Elpistostege watsoni, which lived 380 million years ago, is an extinct marine species that marks the transition between aquatic and terrestrial life; it was essentially a tetrapod-like fish that had digits embedded in its pectoral fin and could potentially walk on land.
The park is a great attraction for anyone fascinated by the world of fossils and paleontology. The park is located a short 20-minute drive west of Carleton-sur-Mer.
Visit Native Pow-Wow Grounds
Gesgapegiag is one of two First Nations reserves on the south shore of the Gaspésie, most of whom are of Mi’kmaq ancestry. Here you can see impressive Gesgapegiag First Nation Ceremonial Pow-wow grounds with colourful wigwams and the unique wigwam-shaped Kateri Tekakwitha Church. Both are easily visible from the main road (132), about 15 minutes east of Carleton-sur-Mer.
Where to Eat in Carleton-Sur-Mer
For such a small town, Carleton-Sur-Mer has an impressive array of great restaurants for fine dining and experiencing different cuisines from around the world. Here are some of our favourites, including the best coffee shop in town and a great microbrewery to discover.
Brûlerai du Quai: Small coffee shop right on the waterfront with a large outdoor terrasse. They have a reputation for high-quality fresh-roasted coffee and also sell a wide variety of locally made chocolate products. Open daily from 730am – 5 pm.
Bistro le Frigidaire: This unique establishment is a fish shop by day and a fine dining restaurant by night, where a small bistro area and outdoor terrasse open come dinner time.
Le Naufrageur (Microbrewery): One of the most popular spots in town to enjoy some local beers in a lively outdoor setting. A variety of finger foods and snacks showcasing local Gaspésie flavors.
Le Saint-Honoré: Definitely our favorite place to enjoy a meal in Carleton-sur-Mer. This small establishment is run by co-owners from Auvergne (France) where you can enjoy French specialties in addition to a variety of delicious locally-inspired dishes.
How Long to Stay in Carleton-Sur-Mer
We recommend staying at least 2 nights, but ideally 3 to get a chance to experience most of what the area has to offer. You can easily spend a day relaxing by the beach, another day hiking in Mont-Saint-Joseph National Park, and another visiting nearby Bonaventure (kayaking and Bioparc).
Where to Stay in Carleton-Sur-Mer
Being such a small town located along the coastline, most of the best accommodation options are packed near one another, and all are pretty close to the waterfront, promenades and restaurants, so there isn’t really a bad area to stay in. We can recommend Motel L’abri, which is one of the better-rated options in the area, conveniently located near the town’s center, and has several rooms equipped with large kitchenettes for self-catering.
Another interesting option is to stay in one of the Mont Saint-Joseph Geodomes for $256/night (2024). It’s an interesting place to stay with amazing views (assuming it’s not too cloudy such as when we passed by a few of them) if you don’t mind being a bit further from everything else.
Best Time to Visit Carleton-sur-Mer
Although the warmest months to visit are July and August, they also tend to be the busiest. We would suggest visiting in late June or late August/early September to benefit from good weather with fewer other tourists around. That being said, given the short season when the region is open to tourism, there isn’t really a bad time to go. Because of its remoteness and harsh winters, many sites and attractions in the area are only open for a few months during the summer months (usually from early/mid-June to mid/late September).
Where to visit after Carleton-Sur-Mer
If you are visiting Carleton-Sur-Mer as part of a longer Gaspésie road trip, there are so many great places to visit either before or after you visit this lovely town. We will focus on three great spots below, but we cover many more places in our Gaspésie road trip itinerary and travel guide.
Explore nearby Forillon National Park
Forillon National Park is one of 42 Canadian National Parks and was the first established in Québec in 1970. One of the best things to do in this national park is to explore the beautiful coastal hiking trails it has to offer. You can also do some sea-kayaking and whale-watching tours.
For more information on visiting the park and its hiking trails, check out our guide on the Best Hiking Trails in Forillon National Park.
Île-Bonaventure-et-du-Rocher-Percé National Park
Just an hour south of Forillon is the unique Île-Bonaventure-et-du-Rocher-Percé National Park, which is composed of two distinct areas: the region’s famous Rocher Percé (pierced rock) that juts out of the water just off the coast, and Bonaventure Island, which accessible only by boat, where you will find beautiful coastal hiking trails and the world’s second-largest Northern Gannet colony.
For more information on visiting and the best hiking trails, check out our Île-Bonaventure-et-du-Rocher-Percé National Park guide (though we cover visiting the Rocher Percé in a separate guide (Best things to see and do in Percé), which includes information on how to visit and experience the Rocher Percé, on hiking trails in the Percé UNESCO Geopark, and on some of the best seafood joints and microbreweries to discover in the area.
Gaspésie National Park
Gaspésie National Park is located in the heart of the region’s mountainous region, with 25 peaks towering over a thousand metres (3,280 ft). The park is known for its rugged mountains and fantastic hiking opportunities (including the International Appalachian Trail that runs through the park). Unlike the other national parks in Gaspésie, there are no nearby towns, so it’s the perfect place to get lost in nature.
For more information on visiting the park and its hiking trails, check out our guide on the Best Hiking Trails in Gaspésie National Park.
Planning a trip to Gaspésie?
You might be interested in these pages (coming soon):
Gaspésie Best Attractions and Road Trip Itinerary
10 Awesome Hiking Trails to Discover in Gaspésie
Gaspésie’s Most Beautiful Lighthouses
We also highly recommend these guidebooks:
Lonely Planet Best Road Trips Ontario & Quebec
Gaspé the Romantique ‘Revisited’: A Road Trip Guide to the History, Legends and Attractions
Want to Discover More Quebec Hiking Trails?
You might be interested in these pages (coming soon):
Best National Parks for Hiking Near Montreal
Best Hiking Trails in the Laurentians
Best Hiking Trails in the Eastern Townships
Photography Gear
If you like our photography, you might be interested in some of the gear we use to shoot our travel and hiking destinations.
Camera Body – Nikon Z 6ii Fx-series Mirrorless Body
Main Lens – NIKON 24-120mm F/4G ED VR AF-S
Zoom Lens – Sigma 745-306 150-600mm f/5-6.3
Polarizing filters – Urth Circular Polarizing (CPL)
Camera Tripod – K&F Concept 64-inch Camera Tripod
Mini-tripod – Lammcou Flexible Camera Tripod
Camera/hiking backpack – Vanguard Alta Rise 48 Backpack
Universal Travel Adapter – VYLEE Universal International Power Travel Plug
Other Travel Essentials
Travel Insurance
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e-Sim cards
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Car Rentals
Discover Cars is our go-to website for car rentals. We almost always find our preferred rate there.
Transfer from Airport
Welcome Pickups is our favourite private transfer service, which you can pre-book at a fixed price. Currently available in 220 cities all over the world (mostly in Europe, but with several major cities in Asia, the Middle East and the US).
Kiwitaxi is another private transfer service – we haven’t tried it yet, but it’s currently available in a few more countries (102 as of 2024).
Hotels and Accommodations (coming soon)
Photography Prints
If you found this blog useful, you can help support our blog by purchasing low-cost digital prints. Printed physical prints are also available for purchase.
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Well, that wraps it up! We hope you enjoyed our Best Attractions and Things to Do in Carleton-sur-Mer and that it will prove useful for planning your trip to the beautiful Gaspésie region of Québec.
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