For our next weekend at the water’s edge, and less than 5 hours’ drive from Montreal, we’re going to take our favorite route: Highway 40, which follows the north shore of the St. Lawrence River northwards.
Villages become rarer, big rocks along the water’s edge grow into cliffs and mountains, and buildings seem to shrink into doll’s houses, nestled in the region’s lush nature…
We arrive in Port-au-Persil – after a few hours’ drive, because these landscapes have to be earned – and when we open the car windows, we can breathe!
A postcard hamlet
The tiny hamlet, which looks like a postcard you’d want to land in for a while, lies at the end of a small bay: the cove of Port-au-Persil.
It was founded by a Scotsman, Neil McLaren, in the 19th century, and it was his son who built its emblem, a small white wooden chapel on the water’s edge.
You can walk from the (new) quay to the chapel (built in 1893) over the large, flat rocks along the river’s edge and, if you can’t visit it, the view itself is well worth the detour.
Walks in Port-au-Persil
The area around Port-au-Persil is the Saguenay-St. Lawrence Marine Park. The Park is renowned for its biodiversity (cetaceans, and the St. Lawrence beluga in particular), its fjord and its exceptional natural beauty.
The municipality of Saint-Siméon, in which the hamlet of Port-au-Persil is located, has set up a reception building and a network of trails to discover the area on foot, with relaxation areas and audiocassette panels to listen to the local history.
To find out which trails are ideal for short (or long) hikes, click here!
Artistic interlude
For those who feel inspired by the beauty of the area, there’s a pottery center offering workshops that will give your skin a rest after spending hours basking in the sun on the big stones by the river…
We love the Port-au-Persil Pottery website, which is firmly rooted in the very early 2000s and will give us all the info we need to book – it’s here.
Workshops are available from June 18 to August 24.
Where do we stay?
There are several hotels around Port-au-Persil, but to sleep in the center of the hamlet, we’re staying at Airbnb L’Embelli, a beautiful blue house facing the bay. Info here!
And for the most beautiful sunrises in Quebec, as promised, we’re staying at the Motel Horizon in Saint-Siméon , which has an incredible view of the river and a perfect angle for red northern sunrises…
Have a nice weekend!