Matapédia

At the west end of the Bay of Chaleur, Matapédia is a popular base. An entry point to the Gaspé Peninsula, it is at the confluence of the Matapédia and Ristigouce Rivers, which have some of the country’s best salmon fishing. At the heart of a spectacularly beautiful region, complete with green hills, rushing rivers, steep-sided gorges and plenty of wildlife, Matapédia has superb hiking. The International Appalachian Trail runs through this part of Québec, from Matapédia to Cap-Gaspé, passing through the Chic-Choc mountains. Matapédia is also close to The Battle of the Restigouche National Historic Site, where the last naval battle between ...

At the west end of the Bay of Chaleur, Matapédia is a popular base. An entry point to the Gaspé Peninsula, it is at the confluence of the Matapédia and Ristigouce Rivers, which have some of the country’s best salmon fishing. At the heart of a spectacularly beautiful region, complete with green hills, rushing rivers, steep-sided gorges and plenty of wildlife, Matapédia has superb hiking. The International Appalachian Trail runs through this part of Québec, from Matapédia to Cap-Gaspé, passing through the Chic-Choc mountains. Matapédia is also close to The Battle of the Restigouche National Historic Site, where the last naval battle between France and England took place in 1760. On display here are the reconstructed remains of The Machault, a vessel that was part of a French relief expedition. The frigate spent more than 200 years at the bottom of the Restigouche estuary until underwater archaeological excavations uncovered a large collection of artifacts – now on display in the interpretation center – that provides fascinating insight on life and trading between France and its colony.

About the Expert

Joanna Ebbutt is the author or editor of three Insight Guides to Toronto and Canada, and coauthor of Off the Beaten Track: Western Canada. She has been writing about travel for three decades, including chasing the aurora borealis in Northern Ontario.