Excursions at Tadoussac

Tadoussac is a village of 814 souls that welcomes over 300,000 visitors each year. This demographic imbalance says it all: there is something here that exceeds mere tourist attraction. This is where the Saguenay meets the St. Lawrence, where freshwater from the northern lakes collides with the estuary's salt water, creating a nutrient surge that draws whales like a magnet. It is also one of North America's oldest European settlements — a fur trading post was founded here in 1600, before Quebec City.

Historical heritage

Jacques Cartier visited Tadoussac in 1535. François Gravé began the fur trade here in 1578. Pierre de Chauvin and François Dupont-Gravé established the first permanent trading post in 1600, making Tadoussac the first permanent French colony in North America. The Tadoussac Chapel, built between 1747 and 1750, is one of the oldest standing wooden churches on the continent.

The Grand Hotel Tadoussac, with its iconic red roof, has presided over the bay for generations. The Chauvin Trading Post has been reconstructed. The Marine Mammal Interpretation Centre operates from May to October.

Whales and marine life

The confluence creates ideal conditions: the Saguenay's cold, fresh waters meet the St. Lawrence's deeper, saltier waters, generating nutrient-rich turbulence. Fin whales and sometimes blue whales frequent these waters. Several outfitters offer boat, Zodiac, and kayak excursions. Peak whale season runs from July to October.

Tadoussac has been a member of the Club of the World's Most Beautiful Bays — the first official North American member, since 1998.

The Tadoussac dunes

A lesser-known detour: the Tadoussac sand dunes are the highest in Canada. A vestige of the last glaciation, they offer an unexpected landscape within this setting of fjord and boreal forest.

Practical information

Allow approximately one hour and thirty minutes from the chalet Le Littoral in Cap-à-l'Aigle, La Malbaie, Charlevoix. This is a full day — the kind of outing you plan and savour. The ferry crossing (free) from Baie-Sainte-Catherine is part of the experience. To skip the ferry, whale-watching cruises from Croisières AML depart directly from Baie-Sainte-Catherine.

Upon returning from a day in Tadoussac, your rental welcomes you with everything needed to decompress: the year-round outdoor spa, the wood fireplace for cool evenings, and a kitchen ready for preparing supper with finds from the Route des Saveurs. For a complete overview of the region and its activities, see our Charlevoix chalet rental guide.