Awaiting Your Return From Shore |
Situated at the entrance to
the St. Lawrence, Gaspé became over the centuries the hub of the Gaspésie
peninsula and has established a notable reputation as a major fishing and
tourism center. The name Gaspé is derived from the MicMac Indian word Gespeg
meaning “end of land.” The long and rich history of Gaspé, however, might
suggest the opposite as it is here that Canada’s official history began back
on July 24th, 1534, with Jacques Cartier making his first landfall while
searching for a sea route to the Orient. Although he stayed for just eleven
days, there was enough time to erect a wooden cross and stake out France’s
and Christianity’s claim to this new territory. With the arrival of the
Jesuits who established the first seminary and the Ursulines, Gaspé
developed into an important academic center for eastern Québec.
The peninsula has always been sparsely populated and poor, its remote
communities struggling to make a living from the sea and the rocky soil. The
population is predominantly and proudly Québécois, though there are pockets
of English settlement and centers of Acadian culture, established in 1755 in
the wake of the British deportation of some 10,000 Acadians from the Bay of
Fundy in Nova Scotia. However, neither of these communities has created
visually distinctive villages or towns, and Gaspé looks as French as the
heartlands of rural Québec.
The peninsula’s interior is dominated by a chain of mountains and rolling
highlands which provide some wonderful scenery of forested hills, deep
ravines and craggy mountains tumbling to a jagged coastline. There are also
two outstanding National Parks: Parc de la Gaspésie in the north of the
peninsula and Forillon National Park, the jewel of the Gaspé, nestled
between the St. Lawrence and Gaspé Bay.
Gaspé has something for everyone. The National Parks will delight nature
lovers, and the historic sites will enchant history buffs. For those reasons
the area in recent years has become a major summer holiday spot. |
Awaiting Your Return
From Shore |
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Return to Your
Suite and Sail Away to The Next Adventure |
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