I’m kayaking the Jacques Cartier River with Cath Simard (@mydetoxtravel) before heading to Québec City to explore the cobblestone streets and old buildings the UNESCO World Heritage Site is known for – and treat myself to many of the sweets and treats I can find along the way!
The Québec region stole my heart. It really is unlike any other city in North America. Set on the banks of the St Lawrence River, the ‘Old Town’ is in fact a UNESCO World Heritage site whose cobblestone streets and historic buildings sometimes make it feel more like Europe than Canada. What makes the area even cooler is how much there is to do close by.
Jacques-Cartier National Park
Only 30 minutes outside of Québec City, in Parc National de la Jacques-Cartier in the Laurentian Mountains, you'll find one of the most beautiful glacial valleys in the world. It's one of those special places that's surprisingly close to civilization but feels like you're in the middle of nowhere. Since the middle of nowhere is one of my favorite places to be, I was pretty excited about the adventure ahead.
To show me around the park, I met up with Cath Simard, a local photographer who has spent countless hours hiking and shooting in the park. This, however, was to be her first trip through the park by kayak. As we poured over maps to come up with a plan, I could tell that she was looking forward to this as much as I was.
The weather report was’t looking very good, and our first day in Parc National de la Jacques-Cartier started with some heavy rain. At first I was disappointed, as I thought it would have been awesome to see this place with bluebird skies. In the end, however, I wouldn’t have traded the weather for anything–especially given that we were about to paddle in one of the most gorgeous National Parks in the world, and we had the river to ourselves thanks in large part to the rain.
Québec City
I could easily have spent a week exploring Parc National de la Jacques-Cartier. But I'd also been looking forward to checking out Québec City itself, and what better time to do it than when I had a personal tour guide in Cath. Standing on the cobblestone streets of Old Québec, it was hard to believe we were a mere 30 minutes from where we has just been paddling. The transition is definitely a bit of a shock to the system but it's a welcome one. It is an absolutely beautiful city and the energy was amazing.
I can say unequivocally that Québec City lives up to the hype. The city is so rich with history and full of so much great energy. And then, only a stone's throw away, you have Parc National de la Jacques-Cartier which is, hands down, one of the most beautiful places that I've ever been.
My time in the Québec region was an incredible adventure. I made wonderful new friends and I can't wait to go back to the Jacques Cartier River.
Special Thanks To:
Aventure Écotourisme Québec | Sépaq | Québec City Tourism
