Kamouraska (Bas-Saint-Laurent)
One of Quebec's most beautiful villages on the south shore of the Saint Lawrence River, known for its heritage houses, island sunsets and eel-fishing tradition. Follow the riverside road to Rivière-du-Loup for sunsets and whale watching.
Kamouraska is in the Lower Saint Lawrence region of Quebec, on the south shore of the Saint Lawrence River, about 160 km from Quebec City. Here the river is about 20 km wide, fresh and salt water meet, and broad tidal flats and rocky hills rise from the shore, with the Charlevoix mountains on the opposite bank. Founded in the 17th century, Kamouraska is listed among Quebec's most beautiful villages, known for its traditional old houses, bakeries, smoked fish and eel-fishing tradition.
The main activity is driving along the riverbank on Route 132. Stroll through the old village of Kamouraska, visit the regional museum and the eel display centre, and take a boat or paddle to the Kamouraska Islands, then watch the sunset from the wharf in the evening. Continuing east past the tidal flats ecological area at Saint-André, the Plum House and the village of Notre-Dame-du-Portage, drive about 45 km to Rivière-du-Loup. There you can see the waterfall park and the Musée du Bas-Saint-Laurent, watch the sunset from the river headland, and take a boat out to watch whales. You can also take a boat to Rabbit Island for hiking, or visit the century-old lighthouse on Green Island. About 50 km southwest, you can tour the Aulnay Seigneury.
The best season is June–September, with temperatures of 15–25°C. Boat tours, ferries and most attractions operate only in summer. September–October brings fall colours and the eel-fishing season, which has its own appeal. Winter is cold and many shops close. Kamouraska is about 2 hours' drive from Quebec City via Highway 20. VIA Rail and long-distance buses reach Rivière-du-Loup, but the rural sights generally require a car. A stay of 2–3 days, in Kamouraska or Rivière-du-Loup, is suggested. The local language is mainly French, and accommodation on summer weekends should be booked in advance.
Top sights
- Kamouraska Village – One of Quebec's most beautiful villages, with 18th- and 19th-century houses, bakeries and galleries lining the St. Lawrence River, and spec…
- Pointe de Rivière-du-Loup – A headland park in Rivière-du-Loup, famed for one of the world's most beautiful sunsets, and home to whale-watching boats and the ferry ter…
- Musée régional de Kamouraska – A regional museum housed in a 19th-century convent school, telling the story of rural life in Kamouraska and its famous murder case.
- Site d'interprétation de l'anguille – A local fishing family’s eel culture centre that explains traditional intertidal fish weirs, with smoked eel to taste.
- Kamouraska Islands – A chain of rocky islets in the river off the village; boat or kayak trips reach them for seabirds, seals and estuary views.
- Berceau de Kamouraska – A memorial site on the eastern riverbank with the first church and cemetery of the 1674 settlement, overlooking the islands.
- Halte écologique des battures du Kamouraska – An ecological reserve beside Saint-André village, with rocky hills overlooking the estuary’s tidal flats, camping sites and birdwatching tr…
- La Maison de la Prune – A century-old family orchard in Saint-André village growing heritage plum varieties, where you can tour the orchard and buy plum jam and sw…
- Notre-Dame-du-Portage – A riverside resort on the western side of Rivière-du-Loup, with a river boardwalk, a saltwater pool and an old wharf that are perfect for w…
- Île aux Lièvres – An uninhabited 13-km-long island nature reserve in the river, with 45 km of trails through conifer forest and coastline, and cabins for ove…
- Parc des Chutes de Rivière-du-Loup – A waterfall in the city with a drop of about 33 m, surrounded by walkways and forest trails, where you can see the water up close from the…
- Musée du Bas-Saint-Laurent – A regional art and ethnography museum in Rivière-du-Loup, known for its large collection of 20th-century photographs of rural life.
- Île Verte Lighthouse – Built in 1809, the third-oldest lighthouse on the St. Lawrence River stands on the quiet Île Verte, where you can tour the tower and stay i…
- Seigneurie des Aulnaies – A well-preserved New France seigneury with a 19th-century manor house and a still-working water mill, offering costumed guided tours.
Where to eat
- Côté Est – A local restaurant listed in the Michelin Guide's Bib Gourmand selection, set in an old priest's house facing the St. L…
- Lauzier Fish Shop & Bistro de la Mer – An old-fashioned fish shop that smokes its own fish, known especially for smoked eel and smoked sturgeon. You can eat i…
- Boulangerie Niemand – A handcrafted bakery in a Queen Anne-style Victorian house across from the church, known for German-style breads made w…