Travel highlights

The beautiful beaches of Québec

		In Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean, the Saint-Gédéon municipal beach offers a splendid view of Lac Saint-Jean, sunsets and all. It is supervised, and has showers, changing rooms and a picnic area, with a campground nearby. The Véloroute bike path runs nearby, and an interesting stop to make is at Saint-Gédéon’s little marsh, where 200 species of birds make their home. www.ville.st-gedeon.qc.ca
		Rawdon municipal beach, on the edge of its namesake lake in the Lanaudière, is one of the natural attractions of this beautiful region near Montreal. Its golden sands cover a natural slope and is surrounded by magnificent countryside. The (supervised) beach has changing rooms, a picnic area, restaurant and games area. Water recreation includes sailing, windsurfing and pedal-boating, but motorboats are not allowed. www.municipalite.rawdon.qc.ca
		North of Petite-Nation in the Outaouais, Lac Simon is a magnificent stretch of water covering 80 square kilometres in area and more than 100 metres deep. This lake’s remarkably clear water is peppered with small islands and surrounded by bays. Its two-kilometre-long white sandy beach is known for its beauty and tranquility. Common watercraft are canoes, kayaks, pedal-boats and rowboats, with people fishing and scuba diving. www.parcsquebec.com
		In Oka national park, in the Laurentides region, Lac des Deux Montagnes has a beautiful beach supervised by a team of lifeguards. Visitors can take pedal-boats, canoes and kayaks out on the water and on to peaceful stops along the shore for picnics. In a section at the end of the public beach, naturism is tolerated. The park itself has the amenities for camping, cycling and hiking. www.parcsquebec.com
		Over in the Gaspé, Carleton municipal beach in downtown Carleton-sur-Mer, where the hotels are, is irresistible. It has supervised swimming, as well as kayaking, windsurfing and all sorts of water sports. You can also collect agates and shells on the beach. Opposite the village, Banc Laroque is a superb sea arm that in days of yore was called barre à choir (“landing stage”), which is surrounded by several kilometres of beaches that are very popular among walkers. There is a campground on the arm with 282 sites. www.carletonsurmer.com
		Haldimand Beach is considered to be one of the most beautiful on the Gaspesian Peninsula. On Route 132 just eight kilometres from downtown Gaspé, the quality of its water and sand is outstanding. It’s also supervised by a team of lifeguards, which is not the case in most beaches in the Gaspésie region. www.tourismegaspesie.com
		The Magdalen Islands (îles de la Madeleine) are renowned for their long beaches of fine sand where you can swim, walk, listen to the birds or collect shells. Grande Échouerie beach, on the Grande-Entrée shore, is without a doubt one of the most attractive in the archipelago. It’s the only one that’s supervised, and it has showers, washrooms, games areas and picnic tables. www.tourismeilesdelamadeleine.com Original article by Sylvie Ruel, Translated by John Woolfrey Photos credits : Ville de St-Gédéon, Municipalité de Rawdon, Centre touristique du Lac-Simon, Steve Deschênes, Sépaq, Parc National d'Oka, Tourisme Gaspésie, JP Huard, ATRG, Tourisme Iles de la Madeleine.