Welcome to Hooked on Canada holidays and our cycling holiday in Canada. This biking vacation in Quebec, the fabulous French speaking region of Canada is in the region known as Saguenay Lac Saint Jean. This region is located around 450 km north of Montreal. Within this region is the huge lake known as Lac Saint Jean, indeed it is more than a lake it is more of an internal sea with over a 1000 square km of surface. Our four night self guided cycling tour takes you around the Lac Saint Jean all 265 km of it. The majority of the route is on dedicated cycle ways or hard shoulder cycle ways. This cycling tour is ideal for both beginners, experienced cyclists and also there families as the dedicated cycle ways make this a safe cycle tour for children.

Available June to September

As you travel around the Lake anti-clockwise you will see that the various regions you pass through have been split into themes , you start in the Maria Chapdelaine Country , then onto Floweres are meadows , onto the Polar Bear trail and lastly the Water Papar Aluminium section.

Day 1 Alma to Peribonka  39  miles 63 km
Today you start cycling north through the themed Maria Chapdelaine country named after the heroine of Louis Hémon’s famous novel! You will pass through the little village of Sainte-Jeanne-d’Arc through which the pretty Rivière noire (Black River) flows. On the banks, you will see an old mill built in 1902 that can still be visited. A little apart from the village sits one of those rare sights, a covered bridge. As you cycle out of the village along Chutes blanches (White Falls) road you can see the falls before you pass one of the largest dairy farms in the region.

Day 2 Peribonka to Normandin 40 miles 65 km
Now you enter the Flowers and Meadows region. You start our along the Péribonka River, you will no doubt notice great sandy fields where potatoes are grown. The wooded banks on the other side of the river are part of the Pointe-Taillon National Wildlife Park. Soon you will pass the Chute-à-Savane hydroelectric dam. The Pointe-Taillon National Wildlife Park boasts several miles of groomed cycling trails deep in the forest. Long, sandy beaches, flora and fauna abound in the natural habitat, especially moose and beaver. Your stop is at Normandin where you will smell the sweet perfume from thousands of flowers from Normandin’s Great Gardens. More than 17 hectares reflect the grandiose atmosphere of European gardens. Arranged around a decorative vegetable/herb garden, more than 65,000 annual plants and hundreds of perennials are arranged in patterns and emerge in explosions of vivid colour.

Day 3 Normandin to Roberval 37 miles 60 km

Now you cycle into the Polar Bear Trail on the west side of the Lake and follow the Lake as you cycle south. Roberval gets its name from Sieur de Roberval, the first viceroy of New France. The city is rich in architectural heritage evident in the justice courts, the town hall and many large residences located on St. Joseph Boulevard. This town is the originator of long distance swimming, the magnificent marina is the departure and arrival point for one of the most prestigious swimming marathons around called the Traversée internationale du Lac Saint-Jean (International Lake St. Jean Crossing).

Day 4 Roberval to Métabetchouan 22 miles 34 km
Today you continue within the Polar Bear Trail and into the Paper , water and aluminium section. This section you cycle very close to the Lake as it meanders eastwards. Some lovely beaches along the way allowing for you to relax a little on a shorter cycling day.

Day 5 Métabetchouan to Alma 24 miles 36 km

Now your last day before arriving back into Alma. You cross some rivers and lovely picture postcard towns and villages. Stop off along the way and visit a few museums or relax on a beach.

Tariff 2010

How to get there

By Plane
By Plane to Montreal.
British Airways, daily non-stop from London Heathrow
Air Canada, twice daily non-stop from London Heathrow in the summer (May to October) and once daily in the winter
KLM, daily non-stop from Amsterdam Schipol, with excellent connections from various UK regional airports
-Air Transat: weekly from London Gatwick, from May to October
to view our other activity breaks in Quebec : hiking , treasures of the Laurentines , Land Sea Sky , wildlife viewing, native innusit

Click below to view our
Walking Holidays Worldwide

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