One of many charming small towns nestled in the picturesque Charlevoix region of Québec, Baie-Saint-Paul is undoubtedly the most charming of them all. Located just an hour north of Québec City, this quaint town of 7,000 inhabitants is more than worthy of a stop, if not an overnight stay, during your time in Charlevoix. Although Baie St-Paul offers its unique charm year-round as an artists’ town with a rich cultural scene, we find that it becomes particularly wonderful and appealing in winter, caught in between the frozen coastal landscape of the St Lawrence River and the snow-covered landscapes of the nearby mountains to the north. From skiing to snowshoeing, to snowmobiling to dog sledding, to visiting one of several art galleries and craft shops to discovering the trendy food scene, there’s definitely something to do for everyone. To help get the most out of your time when visiting Charlevoix, we put together this guide to the Best Things to See and Do in Baie-Saint-Paul. If you plan on visiting during summer or fall, worry not, as several of the activities that we will cover will also be possible outside of winter.
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Best Hiking Trails near Baie-Saint-Paul (Charlevoix)
Grands-Jardins National Park Guide
Baie-Saint-Paul Location and Map
Baie-Saint-Paul was established as a village in 1678 as part of New France. Its geographic location rendered it quite isolated from the rest of the province and made nearly it inaccessible (other than by boat) for almost 150 years until a road was built in 1812 connecting it to Québec City. Today, Baie-Saint-Paul is a small (population of 7,000), quaint and picturesque town in the beautiful Charlevoix region of Québec (link to Google Maps).
How to Get to Baie-Saint-Paul
The easiest to reach Baie-Saint-Paul is by car.
From Montreal: About a 4h drive (360 km)
From Québec City: About a 1h drive (95 km)
Although you reach the town by long-distance bus from either Montreal or Québec City and can explore most of the small town on foot (the historical center can easily be covered in an hour), you will need a vehicle to enjoy most of the other activities you can do around town.
If you need to book a rental vehicle for your hiking excursion, 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.
Best Things to See and Do in Baie-Saint-Paul
Stroll Along the Charming Rue Saint-Jean-Baptiste
Although not a particularly long street, Saint-Jean-Baptiste Street is the historical center of Baie-Saint-Paul where you’ll find tons of restaurants, craft and gourmet shops, as well as art galleries (you’ll also find several other galleries and museums along Route 362, just off of Saint-Jean-Baptiste). The most famous of the art galleries are probably the Iris Art Gallery, which offers a wide variety of artworks contemporary to abstract and features the work both of local and non-local artists.
If you are looking for a great place to have dinner, we can highly recommend both la Buvette Gentille (tapas-style restaurant where each plate can be paired with a specific wine) and le Bistro des Artistes where you can enjoy great food in a quaint decor right in the center of town. For a more low-key and hearty meal, check out Joe Smoked Meat, known for its delicious, well you guessed it, smoked meat! For a great coffee and dessert place, look no further than Café Arômes et Saveurs.
Sample Some Local Foods and Dishes
If you are interested in bringing back some delicious food from the Charlevoix region, you might want to check out Charcuterie Charlevoisienne (local butcher shop) and Laiterie Charlevoix (lots of local dairy and a huge selection of cheese products), both are found up the 381 road close to Saint-Urbain, the next village north of Baie-Saint-Paul.
Finally, with a dedication to sweets of all sorts, La Chocolaterie du Village located in the center of town, serves a large selection of Belgian chocolate treats.
Visit Some Furry Friends at Alpagas Charlevoix
Just a short 15-minute drive east of Baie-Saint-Paul is where you will find Alpagas Charlevoix, an Alpaca farm that offers paid self-guided tours of the animal enclosures and that also has a large boutique selling a variety of products made from Alpaca wool. They also offer trekking activities where you can be accompanied by Alpacas! You can visit the both Alpacas and the shop year-round. A self-guided tour of the Alpaca enclosures costs $10 per adult (2024), with reduced rates for children.
Discover Grands-Jardins National Park
This Québec National Park is one of our favourites in the province – a park known for its exceptional outdoor recreation opportunities and gorgeous landscapes. The park is home to a collection of mountains glacier-carved valley, the highest of which is Mont René-Richard (994 m/3,261 ft) and the most prominent of which is Mont du Lac des Cygnes (969 m/3,179 ft).
Our favorite hiking trail in the park is the Mont-du-Lac-des-Cygnes trail, but you can also find out more about the other trails the park offers in our Grands-Jardin National Park guide.
Take a Drive Along La Route des Montagnes
If you want to see some of the stunning scenery without having to climb a mountain, that can easily be achieved by driving La Route des Montagnes, which translates to “road of the mountains”. It is the official nickname of the road that leads to the Grands-Jardins National Park (you can see the road down in the valley in the pictures below).
The road’s official name is Route 381, one you can take out of Baie-Saint-Paul. After passing the small village of Saint-Urbain, the road will begin to enter the glacier-carved valleys of the National Park. There are several viewpoints and parking lots where you can stop to admire the view for free. If you stop inside the National Park, you only need to pay access fees if you use the hiking trails.
Unless you want to keep exploring further, we advise stopping around this point using one of the turnoffs, as this roughly marks the end point of the most spectacular part of the drive. Getting here from Baie-Saint-Paul and then back should roughly take about 1h30.
Go Alpine Skiing at Le Massif de Charlevoix
We are not avid alpine skiers, but if you are you will definitely want to check out Le Massif, which has stunning views of the St Lawrence River and the steepest vertical drop in Canada east of the Rockies (770 m (2,526 ft)). It’s also one of the few ski areas that is accessible from both the base and summit. When heading down the slopes it often looks like you are about to ski straight into the St Lawrence River.
Go Snowshoeing or Cross-country skiing
For those of you who prefer flatter surfaces for your winter activities, look no further than the beautiful Centre de Plein Air Les Sources Joyeuses, an outdoor recreation area with over 20km of cross-country ski trails, over 15km of snow-shoe trails, and 5km of walking trails. The visitor center is located a 35-minute drive east of Baie-Saint-Paul, and you can also rent any equipment you might need there. Daily rates (2024): use of walking trails $7, use of snowshoe trails $13 and use of cross-country ski trails $20 (reduced rates available for children under 12).
Go Dog Sledding
This is such a fun winter activity and we highly recommend trying it at least once if you haven’t. The dogs are so fun and so friendly. The best place to enjoy this activity near Baie-Saint-Paul is with La Reine et le Millionaire, located just 10 minutes outside of town.
Depending on your level of dog sledding experience, you can either choose to be guided by a musher (a sled driver pulled by a team of dogs) or take control of the hitch yourself. If you would just prefer to visit the dogs without going on a sledding adventure, that’s an option too! They also have a cabin on their property that can accommodate up to five people. It’s best to book ahead.
Visit Sainte-Irénée Beach
A popular beach in the summer, the sandy cove turns into a serene and peaceful coastal setting in winter. The small village of Sainte-Irénée and its church (a short drive or uphill walk from the beach) are quite picturesque as well. Located just a 25-minute drive from Baie-Saint-Paul, it’s a great way to spend an hour strolling along the shores of the St. Lawrence River. There’s also a long pier that juts out 200m into the river.
Visit the Beautiful Coastal Village of Port-au-Persil
The hamlet of Port-au-Persil is a member of the select club of the Association of the Most Beautiful Villages of Quebec. It is a traditional village with houses scattered along the river and with as its symbol, a small white wooden chapel located near the rocks. There aren’t any attractions per se here, but the coastal beauty here is enchanting and undeniable.
Visit the Maritime Museum de Charlevoix
A short 15-minute drive from Baie-Saint-Paul lies this fascinating maritime museum, fun for the whole family. It is suggested to plan at least 90 minutes to tour the site, which includes a shipyard, sawmill, shop and workshop, and also several outdoor attractions including four boats that you can visit.
A guided tour (in French only) is included with the entry fee ($20 for adults, reduced fees for children). Tours are held daily from June 24 to September 2, at 10:30 am.
Unfortunately, the museum is closed during winter, from mid-October until mid-May.
Take a Short Ferry Ride to l’Isle-aux-Coudres
Next to the Maritime Museum is where you can hop on to a ferry (with your car or bicycle) for the short crossing (20 minutes) to L’Isle-aux-Coudres. It’s a small bucolic island where you might want to linger for a bit. There isn’t much in terms of must-see attractions, but there are a few small shops that are worthy of your time.
Once you get off the ferry, you can go either right or left. It doesn’t really matter, as we recommend doing a full 23 km loop around the small island along its main road. We particularly recommend making stops at the Boulangerie Bouchard for its delicious pastries and the Cidrerie Vergers Pedneault, a year-round historic port market selling fresh & prepared farm foods, fish, crafts and wine. For a full list of activities and sights, we recommend checking out the island’s tourism website. The are at least a dozen crossings each day, year-round.
Discover Some Great Local Hiking Trails
Whether you don’t want to go as far as Grands-Jardins National Park or if you are looking for additional hikes to those found there, there are a few great spots that are closer to Baie-Saint-Paul. In particular, we really enjoy the Paysan Trail and the Marine Forest Trail, both of which we describe in greater detail in our guide on the Best Hiking Trails near Baie-Saint-Paul. The Marine Forest trail in particular might be appealing as the trailhead is just across the street from the Maritime Museum.
Where to Stay in Baie-Saint-Paul?
Without a doubt, our favorite place to stay in the area is at the Hotel & Spa Le Germain Charlevoix, located in the picturesque town of Baie Saint Paul, located a short 30-minute drive from the National Park. This modern boutique hotel is located just on the outskirts of town and features barn-inspired wood features throughout, with rooms available in five different pavilions. Also, as stated in the name, the hotel features a swimming pool, a steam room, a Jacuzzi, and a sauna, in addition to housing two on-site restaurants and a breakfast buffet.
There’s also a farm at the back of the hotel where you can often find highland cattle and other animals!
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
Airalo is the world’s first and largest eSIM store with eSIM plans for 200+ countries and regions worldwide. With Airalo eSIMs, travellers can get connected the moment they land at their destination and avoid nasty data roaming charges
eSIMS are a sustainable alternative to single-use SIM cards – they are 100% digital, require less energy to produce and be re-used rather than disposed of.
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 Guide on the Best Things to See and Do in Baie-Saint-Paul (Charlevoix) and that it will prove useful for planning your trip to the beautiful Charlevoix region of Québec.
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