Charlevoix
A region shaped by a meteorite crater fifty-four kilometres across, farmed and painted inside the rim.
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Around three hundred and forty million years ago a meteorite about two kilometres across struck here, leaving a crater roughly fifty-four kilometres in diameter; the flat farmland of the region sits inside it and the hills around Baie-Saint-Paul are the eroded rim, which is visible from the air and on any relief map. The impact fractured the rock and produced the soil that supports the farms. Charlevoix has drawn painters since the nineteenth century and Baie-Saint-Paul is full of galleries. The region became a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in 1988, and its farm-to-table food route is among the strongest in Quebec.
What you actually see
- The crater rim - hills encircling the farmland, visible as landscape.
- The gallery villages - Baie-Saint-Paul and its long painting tradition.
- The farm route - cheesemakers, cider and producers on a signed circuit.
- The St. Lawrence shore - whales offshore and cliffs along Route 362.
When to go
June to October, with autumn colour in late September and early October the peak season; whales are in the estuary from summer into autumn. Winter brings skiing at Le Massif.
Honest expectations
The crater is a landform, not a visible bowl from the ground, and needs a map to appreciate. Autumn weekends bring heavy traffic. Accommodation is expensive in season.
Nearby
Hautes-Gorges lies north; Quebec City is southwest.
What to pack for Charlevoix
Chosen from what this place is for. Tap a kit for the full checklist.
Opening times, ticket prices and seasonal closures change - check the official source before you go: official site.