Lac Saint-Jean

Lac Saint-Jean covers around one thousand square kilometres and sits in a basin of sandy soil left by a post-glacial sea, which is why it has genuine sand beaches rather than the rock shores usual on Shield lakes. The Véloroute des Bleuets circles it, two hundred and fifty-six kilometres of signed cycle route through farmland and blueberry barrens; the region grows a large share of Quebec's wild blueberries and the nickname bleuets attaches to the people as well as the fruit. A long-distance swim across the lake, the Traversée internationale, has been held since 1955. Val-Jalbert and the Saguenay fjord are on the same circuit.

What you actually see

• The Véloroute des Bleuets - a 256-kilometre signed cycle circuit of the lake.
• The sand beaches - genuine sand on a large northern lake.
• The blueberry country - barrens and farms producing wild blueberries.
• The lake crossing swim - an international marathon swim held since 1955.

When to go

June to September for cycling and beaches; blueberry harvest runs late July into August. The lake swim is in late July. Winter brings snowmobiling on a large trail network.

Honest expectations

The lake is big enough to get rough quickly in wind. The cycle route has road sections shared with traffic. Services are French-first throughout the region.

Nearby

Val-Jalbert lies on the shore; the Saguenay fjord is east.