Rallye de Charlevoix 2027: dates, the La Malbaie, Clermont and La Pax stages, road closures, tips and a base camp for the rally weekend.
At the turn of October into November, once the maples have dropped their leaves and the St. Lawrence turns the colour of slate, La Malbaie changes its soundtrack. For three days, the roar of engines replaces the quiet of the shoulder season, safety tape goes up along the ditches, and whole families take up their positions by the roadside at dawn. The Rallye de Charlevoix is one of the few motorsport events run on roads that are open to everyone the rest of the year — roads you may well have driven on your way to the market. Here is how to experience it up close, whether you follow motorsport closely, are bringing curious kids, or are part of a team.
The Rallye de Charlevoix at a glance
The rally is held every year in late October or early November, in La Malbaie, Clermont and Saint-Hilarion. The 2027 edition is expected on the weekend of October 28 to 31, 2027 (to be confirmed by the organizers). The rally has been a local tradition since 1987 and a round of the Canadian Rally Championship since 2019 — the sixth round in 2026 — and it also counts toward the North American Rally Cup, the Eastern Canadian Rally Championship and the RSQ regional series.
The route covers roughly 200 kilometres of stages, on both gravel and asphalt. The format is that of the great rallies: a reconnaissance day, then two days of competition in which crews start one by one, at regular intervals, against the clock. Between stages, the cars drive on open public roads under normal traffic rules before meeting their service crews. That blend of raw speed and closeness is the whole appeal: you are watching a national championship round from the edge of a country road.
Airborne on an asphalt stage, in front of the crowd. Photo: Rallye de Charlevoix.
The Stellantis Cup, a new chapter
The rally has gone international. For the first season of the Stellantis Motorsport Rally Cup North America, in 2026, Charlevoix was chosen to host the final of this one-make series for the Peugeot 208 Rally4, a 212-horsepower car. The idea is simple: every competitor drives the same machine, so only driving skill separates them.
The series is decided on the best results from gravel and snow rallies in the United States and Canada, followed by a semi-final in Michigan and a final in La Malbaie, where points count double. In other words, the title is decided on Charlevoix roads. The winners earn a rally programme behind the wheel of a Stellantis group car — enough to keep crews pushing until Sunday's last stage.
Headquarters at Mont Grand-Fonds
In 2026, the heart of the rally moved. The service area, which had settled on chemin du Havre by the river, leaves the shoreline: tides of up to 18 feet are expected during the event, and the risk of damaging the cars was judged too high. Headquarters therefore moved, for at least one year, to Mont Grand-Fonds, La Malbaie's outdoor resort, about fifteen minutes from Cap-à-l'Aigle.
The resort's main lodge serves as base camp, with food and a bar, while the paddocks fill its large parking lot. For spectators, this is good news: headquarters is open to everyone, and it is the best place to see the cars up close, watch the mechanics at work between loops and soak up the atmosphere of the service park. The resort also sits closest to the forest stages. The organizers have not ruled out a return to chemin du Havre: the 2027 location will be set out with the programme. Runners will know it already: it is also the home ground of trail running in Charlevoix.
What the schedule looks like
In 2026, the event ran from Thursday evening to Sunday afternoon. The competition is preceded by a route reconnaissance day, and the timed special stages are concentrated on Saturday and Sunday morning. The organizers will publish the 2027 programme; to get a feel for the rhythm, here are the road closure windows for the 2026 edition, as published in the traffic notice:
| Day | Area | Roads closed |
|---|---|---|
| Saturday | La Malbaie — chemin des Falaises and chemin Mailloux (2 runs) | 7:00 to 9:45 a.m. |
| Saturday | Grand-Fonds area (3 runs) | 8:45 to 11:00 a.m., 1:00 to 3:15 p.m., 4:15 to 6:30 p.m. |
| Saturday | Lac Plongeon area (3 runs) | 9:00 to 11:30 a.m., 1:00 to 3:30 p.m., 4:30 to 7:00 p.m. |
| Saturday | Bataram area (out-and-back, twice) | 9:00 a.m. to 1:15 p.m., 4:30 to 8:45 p.m. |
| Saturday | Lac au Sable area (3 runs) | 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., 6:00 to 8:45 p.m. |
| Saturday | Clermont — Maisonneuve, du Parc and de la Rivière streets (2 runs) | 2:00 to 4:45 p.m. |
| Sunday | La Pax / Saint-Nicolas (3 runs) | 6:30 to 10:45 a.m. |
| Sunday | 6e Rang, Saint-Hilarion (3 runs) | 7:15 to 11:15 a.m. |
Areas and times change from one edition to the next, but chemin des Falaises, Clermont and La Pax have featured on the programme for several years. The detailed timing of each stage appears in the official programme, distributed in recent years by Pole-Position magazine. If you are staying locally, keep the traffic notice handy too: during closures, traffic is strictly prohibited in the areas concerned.
The town stages: La Malbaie and Clermont
A town stage, between houses and garden fences. Photo: Rallye de Charlevoix.
If it is your first rally, start with the town stages. The La Malbaie stage runs along chemin des Falaises, a legendary spot in Canadian rallying: its crests send the cars airborne, and the jumps grow bolder from one run to the next. In 2024, spectators from all over Quebec were in place by 7 a.m. to claim the best vantage points. In 2026, the road there was closed on Saturday from 7:00 to 9:45 a.m. for two runs — so arrive early, coffee in hand.
In the afternoon, the rally moves to Clermont, about fifteen minutes away, for a town stage through Maisonneuve, du Parc and de la Rivière streets. Hundreds of spectators line the route, and the mood is closer to a village fair than a championship round. Between the morning and afternoon stages, the Menaud distillery, right in Clermont, makes an obvious stop, and the best restaurants in La Malbaie will refuel you at lunchtime.
La Pax, where it all began
Sunday morning belongs to the purists. The back roads of La Pax have hosted the rally since its creation in 1987: this is the site that built the event's reputation. In 2026, three runs were scheduled there on Sunday between 6:30 and 10:45 a.m., on rang de La Pax, rang 1 and rang Saint-Nicolas, while the 6e Rang in Saint-Hilarion also hosted three runs, from 7:15 to 11:15 a.m.
The podium facing the river, at a previous edition. Photo: Rallye de Charlevoix.
These country stages take a little more planning than the town ones: you reach them by secondary roads, and you have to be there before the closure. Bring boots, a thermos and some patience — the show has to be earned, but cars flying past in the low light of a November morning are among the best memories of the weekend.
Crews from far and wide
The rally draws well beyond the region. The 2025 edition brought together some forty crews from Canada, the United States, Europe and Mexico, alongside the Canadian championship regulars. Nor is rallying a men-only affair any more: in 2024, at least 28 female co-drivers took part.
Behind every car stands a team: the driver and the co-driver, who reads the pace notes aloud at full speed, but also the service mechanics, family and friends who came to cheer. That is what gives the Rallye de Charlevoix its sense of community, as Tourisme Charlevoix puts it: it brings together people of every age, united by the same passion for a weekend.
Practical tips for spectators
In late October, Charlevoix weather can deliver anything. The 2024 edition was planned with snow in mind; 2025 opened in the rain and carried on in a steady wind. Dress as you would for a long autumn hike: layers, a waterproof shell, a hat and gloves, and footwear that does not mind mud.
- Respect the tape and the marshals. Spectator areas are marked out for a reason: a rally car arrives very fast and without warning.
- Get there before the roads close. Once a stage is closed, nobody goes in or out.
- Check the time change. Clocks fall back one hour overnight into the first Sunday of November: if it falls during the rally, as in 2026, you gain an hour of sleep before the Sunday-morning stages.
- Get the official programme to know when the first car is due on each stage.
Warming up after the stage
A morning on chemin des Falaises in the late-October wind leaves numb fingers and a reddened face. For many, the best moment of the weekend is getting back into the warmth: a hot shower, a fire, a shared meal spent reliving the day's jumps.
The outdoor hot tub and sauna at Le Littoral chalet. Photo: Charlevoix Chalets.
In Cap-à-l'Aigle, the outdoor hot tub and sauna at Le Littoral chalet recreate that ritual in private, about fifteen minutes from the Mont Grand-Fonds headquarters, and its large kitchen suits a team dinner as well as an early breakfast before La Pax. For anyone competing or crewing, it is also a way to keep the tension of the service park apart from the evening's rest. On Sunday afternoon, once the last podium is over, there is no rush: the drive home can wait until the next day.
For the 2027 rally weekend, see our Rallye de Charlevoix offer: book 3 nights and the 4th is on us — the night before, to arrive rested, or Sunday night, to avoid hitting the road right after the podium.
To rent a luxury chalet in La Malbaie (Cap-à-l'Aigle), Charlevoix, discover the Le Littoral chalet with heated pool, sauna and spa. Book your stay online or call 418-476-1442.