Canada Guide
Northern Québec
The Côte-Nord
The St Lawrence River was the lifeline of the wilderness beyond Tadoussac until the 1960s, when Highway 138 was constructed along the Côte-Nord to Havre-St-Pierre, 625km away. In 1996, the road was extended a further 145km, to Natashquan. The road sweeps from high vistas down to the rugged shoreline through the vast regions of Manicouagan and Duplessis, the few distractions offered in the villages and towns en route being supplemented by panoramas of spruce-covered mountains, the vast sky and the mighty river. Bears and moose often lumber out of the stunted forest onto the highway, and in the summer you can frequently spot the shiny backs of whales arching out of the water.
The Intercar bus from Québec City to Tadoussac serves the Côte-Nord as far as Baie-Comeau, from where another travels to Sept-Îles, where you have no choice but to spend the night before continuing on to Havre-St-Pierre. At the time of writing there is no public transport to Natashquan, but a bus service is expected – ask at tourist information for details. At Natashquan the hwy gives out altogether and the only onward transport is by snowmobile, plane or the supply ship from Rimouski, which serves the wildlife haven of Île d'Anticosti and undertakes a breathtaking journey along the inlets of the windswept coastline of the Basse Côte-Nord (Lower North Shore).