Tadoussac and the Saguenay Fjord

The Saguenay River runs through a fjord of about 100 km, carved by glaciers, between rock cliffs reaching 350 meters, before emptying into the Saint Lawrence near the village of Tadoussac. At the meeting of the two waters, the cold, salty water from the depths rises and brings abundant food, which attracts whales to the estuary every summer.

Tadoussac is one of Canada’s most sought-after places for whale watching. In season, common porpoises, minke whales, humpbacks and sometimes blue whales usually feed near the coast, and a population of belugas lives in the estuary year-round. The area is part of the Saguenay–Saint-Lawrence Marine Park, with rules for how boats may approach the animals.

The village, one of the oldest in Canada, was a fur trading post since 1600 and has an 18th-century wooden chapel, sand dunes overlooking the river and trails around the bay. Up the river, Saguenay Fjord National Park protects both shores, with viewpoints, trails and the statue of Notre-Dame-du-Saguenay on Cap Trinité.

At the end of the fjord lies the city of Saguenay, which brings together Chicoutimi, Jonquière and La Baie, with museums about the timber industry and the 1996 floods.

This destination brings together 2 cities: Tadoussac, Saguenay.