
The coastal route in Quebec’s Côte-Nord ranks among Canada’s great road trips. From Tadoussac at the mouth of the Saguenay Fjord, Highway 138 follows the north shore of the St. Lawrence for about 840 kilometres to the end of the road at Kegaska, not far from the border with Labrador. The most popular section is the 650-kilometre stretch from Tadoussac to Havre St-Pierre, the main jumping-off point to visit Mingan Archipelago National Park Reserve, a group of islands just offshore.
The road is known as the Route des Baleines, or Whale Route, with a reputation for being among the best places in the world for whale watching. An astounding 13 whale species frequent these waters. Several places along the route offer whale watching excursions, plus it is not at all unusual to see whales right from shore.

The trip combines spectacular coastal and mountain scenery with wildlife, including whales and seabird colonies, historic sites, a chance to connect with Innu culture, parks and nature preserves galore, waterfalls, and picture-perfect coastal communities. As a bonus, the traffic dwindles as we venture farther east, even in summer.
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