If you’re planning a road trip around Gaspésie, you must stop by Percé which is the most iconic town of the region. Its Rocher Percé makes it a renowned international destination. Although Rocher Percé and Bonaventure Island are probably the most popular thing to see in Percé, the town has a lot more to offer. From Sepaq park to waterfall, fishing and shopping, there’s something for everyone.

If you’re looking for things to do in Percé, you’ve come to the right place! We know planning a trip can get a bit overwhelming so let us show you our top picks in Percé.

Best things to do in Percé

Rocher Percé and Bonaventure Island

This SEPAQ national park is inevitably the most popular activity to do when you visit Percé and for a reason. Rocher Percé and Bonaventure Island sure know how to make a statement. With its unique shape and its massive structure, Rocher Percé is quite impressive.

For its part, Bonaventure Island encloses many treasures you don’t want to miss like seals and Northern Gannets. Here’s more information to plan the perfect trip to the island.

Booking your boat trip

There are two companies who offer the tour to Rocher Percé and Bonaventure Island. There’s Les Bateliers de Percé and the Julien Cloutier Cruises who both work together. It’s not possible to book your ticket in advance. You have to buy it the same day you plan on going near the main dock. The price for an adult is $45, taxes included and you can pay cash or by credit card (price for landing on the island).

Good to know – Boat trip

• The prices are the same for both companies.*
• There’s 2 types of tours : one that you only go around Bonaventure Island and one that you land on.*

*The prices do not include your SEPAQ entrance fee. You can buy yours on the SEPAQ website or at the entrance of the island.

Going around Rocher Percé

The first thing you do during the boat trip is to go around the unique Rocher Percé. This allows you to see a side of it that you can’t see otherwise. Seeing all the vegetation, animals and structure details was really special.

Bonaventure Island

On your way to the island, you’ll witness amazing wildlife creatures. Many seals are concentrated near the island and you should definitely see some. As you go around the island, the Northern gannets reveal themselves and let’s say it’s quite an impressive show. We all know there’s a lot of these on the island, but when you see them in real life it’s always more exceptional… That said, wait to see them on the island! It was such an experience, we strongly suggest you land and observe these fascinating creatures.

Mostly easy, there’s many trails you can do on the island and they all converge to the Northern gannets nests. The most popular one would be the Chemin du Roy trail who goes all around the island (about 8,4 km and 2.5 hours). For our part, we took the Paget trail to go and came back by the Colonies trail. It really depends on how much time you want to spend on the island.

Good to know – Bonaventure Island

• As we said earlier, you need your SEPAQ ticket to enter on the island.
• There are many trails you can do once you arrive on the island. We suggest you check the table of trails to choose the one you want to do. You can also choose your trail on Alltrails depending how much time you want to be on the island.
• To eat, you shall either bring your lunch or there’s the Margaulx restaurant. Offering healthy choices, you’ll find soups, salads and sandwiches. You can see the menu here.
• Make sure to be back in time at the dock so you don’t miss your boat to return at Percé. Ask the employees of the boats what the return times are.

Overall, it’s such an amazing experience to see the unique wildlife vegetation and animals. This SEPAQ national park is totally worth it and surely etches beautiful memories. Make sure to put this one on top of your road trip bucket list.

Emerald River municipal park

Just like the Bonaventure river, its crystal clear water makes it a truly Gaspesian gem. Located about 15 minutes drive from the town center, it’s an activity for everyone. From the parking lot, it’s a 20 minute walk on the trail to get to the waterfalls and the path is pretty easy. Since it’s not a long activity, you can combine it with another one. For instance, we did the Rocher Percé and Bonaventure island in the morning and the waterfalls in the afternoon.

If you’re looking for a nice spot to picnic, the waterfall of the Emerald river is perfect. You can enjoy the view of the waterfall, swim in the water and eat your lunch and the rocks. The price is $12 for an adult and free for children under the age of 13. Click here for more information.

Percé UNESCO Global Geopark

Percé UNESCO Global Geopark offers 18 km of hiking trails. These are all located on Mont Saint-Anne and Mont Blanc. From viewpoints to the cave and the magic forests, this park has a lot to offer. The trails are between easy and moderate and you shall calculate 45 minutes to 5 hours of hiking depending on the trail you chose.

Coin-du-banc beach

If you plan on relaxing on the beach while your stay at Percé, Coin-du-banc beach is perfect for you. About a 9 minute drive from the town center, this beach is easily accessible for everyone.

If you have your own crafts (SUP, kayaks, etc.), it’s a great spot to launch. If you want more adventures, check out the Base Camp Gaspesie. They offer SUP, kayak, fatbike, fishing tours and more.

Shopping

Percé town center has many boutiques from gift shops to art shops. All the buildings are unique and colorful and walking around is a vibe. After shopping for a while, you can always go eat at a restaurant.

Fishing

If you like fishing, you can definitely go fishing at the main dock in the town center. It’s a nice activity you can do after a big day. While fishing, you can enjoy the sunset and the amazing view on Rocher Percé.

Drive-in theater

About 30 minutes from Percé, there’s the Paradiso drive-in theater in Chandler. We didn’t have the chance to go, but we’re pretty sure it’s a nice activity to do. Near the shore, covered in a blanket with a sky full of stars… What more could you ask?

Where to eat in Percé

Pub Pit Caribou (Percé) & Pub Pit Caribou (L’Anse-à-Beaufils)

If you like beer, you have to stop at one of the Pit Caribou pubs. Pit Caribou is well known around Quebec, specially in Gaspesie and Montreal since they opened a pub there too. In Gaspesie, one is located in the Percé town center while the other one is located in the Anse-à-Beaufils (10 minutes from Percé). The last one has a nicer terrasse with a better view of the ocean. Overall, Pit Caribou offers great beers, snacks and a lot of board games.

Auval Brewery

Auval Brewery is another great place to stop while traveling in Gaspesie. We didn’t have the chance to stop by, but it has a great reputation. Located about 20 minutes from Percé, you definitely should try their unique beers.

Secret Society distillery

This distillery sure knows how to make a statement with its unique transformed church next to the ocean. You can see the employees working in the distillery while enjoying their gin or whiskey. For $15, you can taste 3 small glasses of their product. Secret Society distillery works only with local ingredients which makes it a Gapesian must.

Finally, Percé is always on every Gaspesian bucket list  and let’s say we weren’t deceived. With the city offering so many different activities, we had to make choices, but obviously no one can get bored in Percé. This town is by far our favorite one from our road trip. And what about you? Which activities do you plan on doing? Share them with us!

Planning a road trip in Gaspésie?

If you want more information and find more Gaspesian gems, make sure to check our full our article. You’ll find there the perfect itinerary for a road trip in Gaspésie including top things to do, where to stay, where to eat and many more!

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