Search
Brazil
Argentina
Bolivia
Chile
Colombia
Ecuador
Guyana
French Guiana
Falkland Islands (Malvinas)
Paraguay
Peru
Suriname
Uruguay
Venezuela
Germany
Austria
Belgium
Croatia
Denmark
Slovakia
Slovenia
Spain
Finland
France
Greece
the Netherlands
Hungary
Ireland
Iceland
Italy
Luxembourg
Norway
Poland
Portugal
the United Kingdom
the Czech Republic
Sweden
Switzerland
TurkeyCanada
the United States
Mexico
the Dominican RepublicTurkey
South Africa
Australia
Fiji
New Zealand
Papua New Guinea
Quebec · Canada
The north coast of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence: the limestone monoliths of the Mingan Archipelago and Anticosti Island, with canyons, waterfalls and fossils.
In the photo: Mingan Archipelago monoliths
Illustrative images. The pictures in this guide are illustrations based on the real place, not photographs, and may differ from it.
Get to know the place
Côte-Nord is the long Quebec coastline north of the river and the Gulf of Saint Lawrence, with forests, rivers, fishing villages and a single road, Highway 138. On the eastern stretch, near Havre-Saint-Pierre, are some of Canada’s most distinctive landscapes.
The Mingan Archipelago includes about a thousand islands and islets spread along 150 km of coastline. On several of them, the sea and ice have sculpted the limestone into monoliths — stone columns shaped like faces, vases and animals. The islands are part of a national park reserve, home to seabirds, seals and walking trails, and are visited by boat.
Opposite the archipelago, Anticosti Island is over 200 km long and has about 200 residents, all in Port-Menier. French chocolatier Henri Menier bought the island in 1895 and released deer there, which today number in the thousands. The national park features canyons, Vauréal Falls, pebble beaches and cliffs with fossils, and the island has been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 2023.
This is a trip for people who enjoy nature and remote places, requiring planning and reservations.
This destination brings together 1 city: Havre-Saint-Pierre.
One destination, many paths
Start with one city or combine several in your itinerary.
Boundaries: Statistics Canada (Statistics Canada Open Licence) / geoBoundaries. Adapted by Cidade Turismo.
Havre-Saint-Pierre is about 870 km from Quebec City via Highway 138 and has a regional airport (YGV). Anticosti is reached only by plane, to Port-Menier (YPN), or by the summer cargo-and-passenger ship that follows the coast.
The local experience
A national park reserve with about a thousand islands and islets along the coast, famous for limestone monoliths sculpted by the sea, visited by boat.
Before you go
A little planning leaves more time to enjoy the journey.
July to August, when boats to the Mingan islands operate and the puffins and Anticosti park are open. June and September are quieter, with some services reduced.
The seasons shown are the most usual ones; nature doesn't always follow the calendar.
Five to six days: two in Havre-Saint-Pierre and the Mingan islands, and three or four on Anticosti.
Havre-Saint-Pierre has hotels, inns and campgrounds near the harbour. On Anticosti, lodging is in Port-Menier and in park cabins scattered around the island, often sold in packages with flight and car.
Take your trash with you, follow the signs and support local businesses. In natural areas, follow the visiting guidelines.
Get your questions answered
By plane to Port-Menier, from Havre-Saint-Pierre, Sept-Îles, Quebec City or Montreal, or by the ship that travels the coast in summer.
By boat, on tours departing from Havre-Saint-Pierre and Longue-Pointe-de-Mingan, from June to September.
Yes, preferably a 4x4: the roads are unpaved and the attractions are far from Port-Menier. Rentals should be reserved in advance.
Five to six days, with two for Mingan and three or four for Anticosti.
The same as Montreal and Quebec City: UTC−5, and UTC−4 from March to November.
