Adventures in Saguenay!
Step off the Seabourn cruise ship into Saguenay, and you’ll find the World’s Warmest Welcome! Four years in a row, Saguenay has won the award of Best Welcome at a Port.
Villagers greet cruise ships at the dock, wearing traditional dress, and line dance while passengers stop at a blueberry pie tasting booth, a sugar shack to taste some maple syrup, and even participate in some wood sawing to create their own plaque souvenir.
The Saguenay Fjord is a waterway that was chiseled all the way from St. Lawrence River into the Laurentian Mountains. Locals throughout the years have survived floods, fires, famine, and learned how to survive together as a community.
Here’s our list of recommended places to visit and things to do while visiting Saguenay.
What to Do:
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Saguenay Fjord National Park:
Hike the Point de Vue du Soupir Trail to the Eternity River Delta, and experience the grandeur of this Fjord that was carved out by glaciers 10 million years ago. Or hire a skilled guide and try the Via Ferrata!
Our guide, Cederic led us on one of the most beautiful Via Ferratas in the world! Opened just 3 years ago, many visitors are coming to experience this challenging course, including beginners like us. We scaled up a 1,000 ft. vertical granite face, tight roped, walked planks, and climbed up ladders to the top, then rappelled and hiked down back to the National Park Center. Daniel, Alexandra, Jennifer and I made it to the top, and back down again.
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La Fabuleuse:
La Fabuleuse is an exhilarating live stage show, excellent performance about the history of Saguenay since 1603, starting with its discovery by Jacques Cartier, the colonization, Great Fire of 1870, and the Flood of 1996. Up to 200 local actors reenact these series of events, complete with fireworks, real horses, pigs, ducks and geese on stage.
Fabulous way to learn about this incredible community and their history. -
Glass Blowing:
If you have time, stop by this artist workshop, and see some of the glass blowing by Giuseppe Benedetto, glass-maker and sculptor.
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Whale Watching:
There are pods of Beluga Whales living in the waters near the Baie-Sainte-Margarite, and along the waters out to the St. Lawrence River. Join a whale watching excursion and hope to see some whales!
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Sea Kayaking at Saguenay National Park:
Paddle along Cape Trinity next to sheer cliffs and sandy beaches and take in the beauty of the Saguenay Fjord. You might encounter some marine life, from seals and maybe even whales.
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Village of Saint Rose Du Nord:
A lovely village where you can visit artists galleries and enjoy the scenic drive along the fjord waterway.
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L’anse Saint-Jean
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Racine Street
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Port Village Area:
You will find booths where artisans and craftsman display and sell their goods.
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La Petite Maison Blanche
Acknowledgements:
Global Adventuress would like to thank Promotion Saguenay for hosting us on our visit to Saguenay. Our Promotion Saguenay guides Jocelyne Trepanier, Nathalie Gaudreault, and Daniel Côté and Alexandra Côté were very helpful introducing us to this fascinating area of the world!
