Côte-Nord mean 'North Shore'. It covers much of the northern shore of the Saint Lawrence from Tadoussac to Blanc-Sablon.

The official tourist guide of the North Shore is a booklet containing the majority of tourist information about the region, hotels, restaurants, activities, cities and events. It is available in French and English.

You can get the guide in the visitor information centers of the Côte-Nord. Consult the list of tourist intormation offices of the Côte-Nord. The official tourist guide is also found in attractions and venues that request it.

French is the main language on the territory.  We also find the innu-aimun, the naskapi and the English. Note that the Lower North Shore speaks more English than French.

There are several access roads to the North Shore.  The main road artery is Route 138 (R-138), which connects all municipalities from Tadoussac to Kegaska in Côte-Nord and from Vieux-Fort to Blanc-Sablon in the Basse-Côte-Nord. Many ferries from the Bas-Saint-Laurent and the Gaspésie are available. The bus and plane are also at your disposal. Visit the Access to Côte-Nord page for more details. For visitors coming from Labrador, it is necessary to use Route 500 Trans-Labrador, then Route 389 to Baie-Comeau. It is highly recommended that you plan your trips well before departure.

Route 138 is a well maintained and safe road. The speed limit is 90 km / h and 50 km / h in municipalities. The road mostly runs along the north shore of the St. Lawrence. It ends at the level of the municipality of Kegaska in Minganie. It takes back from Vieux-Fort to Blanc-Sablon. The segment between Tadoussac and Kegaska is 845 kilometers long and 75 kilometers between Vieux-Fort and Blanc-Sablon.

Measuring from the ferries of Tadoussac to Kegaska, Route 138 measures 845 kilometers, which can translate into more than 10 hours of road. You will also have a 10-hour drive back to Tadoussac. We suggest you plan stops on the way and others on your way back to enjoy the area and make the route more enjoyable. The 138 is full of spectacular views, which enhance the course. You can also fly to Sept-Îles or the boat Bella Desgagnés from Rimouski.

The cellular telephone companies Telus (Koodo) and Bell largely serve the occupied territory of the Côte-Nord (municipalities, route 138 and Fermont area). Other telephone companies such as Rogers, Fido and Vidéotron do not offer large coverage on the Côte-Nord. We invite you to consult the coverage map of your cell phone company, when planning your stay in the Côte-Nord.

• Telus network coverage
  
• Bell network coverage
  
• Vidéotron network coverage
  
• Rogers network coverage
  
• Virgin network coverage

It is strongly recommended to book your accommodation, especially in peak season when establishments are filling quickly and has sold-out. Plan your trip and book your accommodation will allow you to relax and fully enjoy your trip.

Essipit, Pessamit, Uashat, Mani-Utenam, Mingan (Ekuanitshit), Natashquan (Nutashkuan), La Romaine (Unamen Shipu), Matimékush - Grand Lac John and Kawawachikamach. Discover the Côte-Nord Native tourist attractions and activites.

Whales are present in the St. Lawrence River from May to October. Visit the website http://baleinesendirect.org/en/ for more details about whales of the St. Lawrence.

Consult the list of companies offering the whale watching tour on this page.

Two: the Manic-2 dam and the Jean-Lesage Generating Station; the Manic-5 dam and the Daniel-Johnson Generating Station.

You can go on Anticosti Island, by boat and by plane (charter flights). Several cruise companies offer the ferry, including the Relais Nordik. The company Voyages Coste specializes in organizing travel and package to Anticosti Island.

It is recommended to rent a truck on the island, rather than bringing your car by the merchant boat (N / M Bella Desgagnés). The roads of the island are not asphalted and
can be particularly bumpy.

No, except guide dogs (MIRA) or service dogs. It is forbidden to bring a dog to the island of Anticosti.

Dogs and other domestic animals are prohibited in national parks, except for guide dogs.

On the other hand, dogs are allowed in wildlife reserves such as the Port-Cartier Wildlife Reserve - Sept-Îles (Sepaq).

Yes, it is possible to kayak between islands of the Mingan Archipelago. However, you must bring your kayak. Note that there is no company offering the rental of sea kayak in the area of the archipelago. Safety first, you will find all the details to help you plan your sea kayak excursion on the Mingan Archipelago National Park Reserve of Canada page.

To get to the Basse-Côte-Nord during the summer, it is necessary to take the cargo ship N/M Bella Desgagnés of Relais Nordik company. The ship travels along the Basse-Côte-Nord to bring refreshments to the villages

To get to the basse-Côte-Nord during winter, locals and travelers use the snowmobile trail named Route Blanche. It crosses the Basse-Côte-Nord villages and becomes the main road for snowmobiles during this season.

Yes, simply by carrying your snowmobile on a trailer. For visitors coming from Bas-Saint-Laurent or the Gaspé Peninsula, you can take the ferry F.-A.-Gauthier from Matane to Baie-Comeau (or) Godbout. The Société des Traversiers du Québec authorizes passengers to cross with their snowmobiles. For visitors coming from Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean, take the Trans-Québec 93 trail (TQ93) to Sacré-Coeur and then the Trans-Québec trail 3 (TQ3). For visitors from Newfoundland Labrador, take La Route Blanche from Blanc-Sablon to Kegaska. 

The Côte-Nord is a coastal region as its name suggests. There are fewer mosquitoes by the sea. However, like all other regions, it is recommended to use a mosquito repellent during a forest excursion. Note that each summer season brings a lot of flies and mosquitoes according to the temperature, the humidity and the amount of rain received.

Yes, there are two: the Centre de ski Mont Ti-Basse and the Station récréotouristique Gallix. Both venues offer a variety of winter sports activities. Also note that there are several places to practice cross-country skiing on the territory.