Bonaventure travel guide

(Photo: Harfang, CC BY-SA 3.0)

Bonaventure is a town of 2,800 people (2011) on the Gaspé Peninsula in Chaleur Bay, Quebec. It is a centre of Acadian culture in Quebec, and hosts a museum about their history.

Understand

The town was named after the Italian saint Bonaventure.

• Tourist Office (on Route 132 near the Musée acadien and on the banks of the Bonaventure River estuary), ☏ +1 418-534-4014, batbonaventure@hotmail.com. June to the beginning of October. Picnic tables overlooking the barachois (a coastal lagoon separated from the ocean by a sandbar). A computer station with Internet access is available during business hours and wireless access is also available 24 hours a day.

History

Prior to permanent settlement, the Bonaventure harbour had often been visited by Europeans and was the location of temporary camps and posts for many years before.

After the British began expelling Acadians from the Maritime provinces in 1755, refugees who had avoided the expulsion became the first permanent European settlers of Bonaventure in 1760. Some of these early settlers were present at the Battle of Restigouche in July 1760, where a mixed force of French navy aided by Acadians were defeated by the Royal Navy. Many of today's Bonaventure residents are of Acadian descent.

At the time of settlement, Bonaventure was in French territory, but in 1763, after the Treaty of Paris, all of New France was ceded to Britain, and Bonaventure became part of British colony of the Province of Quebec. Later, some of the lands already settled by the Acadians were granted to anglophones. After decades of petitioning the Quebéc government, some of the Acadian settlers were able to gain title to the lands they occupied. However, even as late as 1891, more than half of the homesteaders in this region had no legal title to the lands they lived on.

Bonaventure was raided by Americans during the War of Independence.

Language

As of the 2021 Census of Canada, 63% of residents in Bonaventure reported knowing French only. Having some grasp of basic French would be an asset when visiting.

Get in

Bonaventure sits on Baie des Chaleurs near the mouth of the Bonaventure River. The town is on Route 132 between Saint-Siméon and New Carlisle.

By plane

• Bonaventure Airport (YVB IATA) (3 km (1.9 mi) northeast of Bonaventure). Flights from Îles-de-la-Madeleine, Montreal and Quebec City

By bus

• Orléans Express, ☏ +1-450-640-1477, toll-free: +1-833-449-6444. Operates bus routes within Quebec and to Ottawa. Operates daily a route between Gaspé and Rimouski including stops in Percé, Chandler, Bonaventure, Pointe-à-la-Croix (2 km from Campbellton), Amqui, and Mont-Joli.

See

• Quebec Acadian Museum (Musée acadien du Québec), 95, Avenue Port-Royal, ☏ +1 418-534-4000. Late Jun to early Oct: daily 09:00-17:00; early Oct to early Nov: Mon-Fri 09:00-12:00 and 13:00-16:00, Sun 13:00-16:30; early to end of Nov: Mon-Fri 09:00-12:00 and 13:00-16:00; Dec 1-24: Mon-Sat 09:00-17:00, Sun 12:00-17:00; mid-Jan: Tue-Fri 09:00-12:00 and 13:00-16:00; late Jan to late Jun: Mon-Fri 09:00-12:00 and 13:00-16:00, Sat Sun 13:00-16:30. Temporary and permanent exhibitions throughout the year about the on-going history of the Acadians in Quebec. Gift shop. Adult $13, seniors (65 and up) $11, student $9, family $34, children (under 5) free.
• Bioparc de la Gaspésie, 123, rue des Vieux Ponts, toll-free: +1-866-534-1997. Early Jun to mid-Oct. A wildlife park showcases species that are mainly native to Quebec, about 40 in all. A 1.5-km trail allows you to observe the animals in habitats adapted to their comfort and ensuring good visibility. There are also an insectarium, a small farm, and a pavilion of amphibians and reptiles. Bioparc offers nine cottages for rent near the beach, facing the sea. Adult (15 and over) $24, child (3-14) $14.75, 2 adults and 2 children $68.00, child 2 and under free.
• Grotte de St Elzéar (St Elzéar Cave), 184 Route de l'Église, Saint-Elzéar-de-Bonaventure, ☏ +1 418-534-3905, toll-free: +1-877-524-7688. Mid-May to mid-Sep: daily 06:00-23:00. The cave is almost 500,000 years old, and is one of Québec's oldest caves. Dress warmly as you'll go down into the cold cave to see the stalactites, stalagmites and moon milk (a mysterious, semi-liquid deposit found in caves). Reservations required.

Do

• Cime Aventures, 200 Chemin Athanase Arsenault, toll-free: +1-800-790-2463. June to early September. Canoe, kayak, standup paddleboard (SUP), snorkel or go tubing on the Bonaventure river. Aerial course and 2 ziplines. Restaurant, campground, yurts, teepees, and ecolodges.

Eat

• Poissonnerie du Pecheur Inc, 230, Rte 132 est, ☏ +1 418-534-2434. Seafood restaurant open in the summer. Certified under the Forchette Bleu programme for sustainable marine resources.
• Cafe Acadien, 168 Beaubassin, ☏ +1 418-534-4276. June to September: daily 07:00-23:00. Quebec and Gaspesian cuisine made with local products in a former fish processing plant. Also has five rooms available with breakfast: single $80, double $90, family room for 4 $155. Breakfast $7-16, mains $17-20.
• La Chope a Soupe, 124 B avenue Grand-Pre, ☏ +1 418-534-0072. Mon Tue 11:00-15:00, Wed-Fri 11:00-20:00. Soups and other comfort foods. Ramen, chili, ratatouille....

Drink

• Pub St-Joseph Bonaventure, 119 Avenue Grand-Pré, ☏ +1 418-534-3355. Mon Tue 16:00-22:00, Wed-Sat 16:00-23:00. Sports pub with burgers, sandwiches, salads, poutines. Live music or comedy some nights.

Sleep

• Riôtel Bonaventure, 98 Avenue de Port Royal, toll-free: +1-888-427-7374. Open Mid-May to mid-Oct. Private beach, seafood restaurant, pub. $86-190 on their website, more on other sites.
• Motel Grand-Pre, 118 Avenue Grand-Pré, ☏ +1 418-534-2053, toll-free: +1-800-463-2053. Free Wi-Fi, bar/lounge, non-smoking hotel, pets allowed, wheelchair-accessible rooms, air conditioning, some rooms with kitchenette. From $99.
• Camping Beaubassin Beach, 154, rue Beaubassin, ☏ +1 418-534-3246, toll-free: +1-877-534-3246. In the Bay of Chaleur, bordered on the south by a sandy beach with the warmest waters of the Gaspé coast. 234 sites, most of which have three services (15, 30 or 50 amps) and can accommodate all types of recreational vehicles or tents. Great sunsets over Chaleur Bay and the mountains. Online reservations. $26-45 1-3 services.

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