Venturing out to the Club Med Charlevoix, northeast of Québec City, is akin to visiting a new country.
The vistas looking upstream over the St. Lawrence River are enticing and maddeningly unfamiliar. The mysterious-looking Isle-aux-Coudres is a distant view that is possibly unlike anything you thought existed in Canada.
And indoors, you’ll have a chance, should you choose, to practice your Spanish, yes, Spanish, as a high percentage of staff at the Club Med are from Mexico! And your French, bien sûr. After all, Le Club Med is a European invention, and we are in Québec.
The mood of the St. Lawrence river is changing constantly, and you may encounter deep fog, sunny skies and everything in between on any given day.
My most vivid memory of the area was a sudden snow squall over the St. Lawrence on an otherwise clear, sunny day.
The beautiful vistas, quaint towns to die for, fresh air and peaceful farmland have been attracting visitors and artists here for centuries. René Richard, A.Y. Jackson and Frank Lismer come immediately to mind, as do somewhat more recent out-of-province and out-of-country landscape artists like Humberto Pinochet, Juan Cristobal and Vladimir Horik.
The views from the Club Med would inspire even the non-artistic. Rooms on the ‘river view’ side of the lodge offer outstanding views upstream the St. Lawrence, as it slowly widens into the St. Lawrence Gulf and then the Atlantic Ocean. Three out of four seasons, huge cargo ships can be seen chugging along, on their way to and from Montréal.
The enchanting-looking Isle-aux-Coudres, an inhabited island looks achingly near, yet is quite a distance overland. If you have a car, (with good brakes), I recommend visiting it.
You have to drive to Les Éboulements, and then descend an incredibly steep road to Saint-Joseph-de-la-Rive, known for its paper-making workshop and Maritime Museum. From there, you take a regular ferry to Isle-aux-Coudres. This island has been inhabited for centuries and is a real trip back in time. And don’t forget to time your arrival for the ferry trips!
Whether you decide to explore Charlevoix or not, back at the Club Med, I would highly recommend taking in a spa treatment or paying the day fee to enjoy the Spa Ritual. The Spa consists of a huge, indoor dry Finnish sauna, with eternal views of the entire Charlevoix landscape. There are hot and cold tubs outside on a private terrace, completing the Nordic spa ‘ritual’ so popular across Québec. Access to the Hamman (wet sauna or steam room) is available for all visitors and next to the huge indoor swimming pool. Our spa treatment, given by two ladies from Mexico was exceptional. My wife said it best, “I never wanted it to end!” Afterwards, relax in a comfy, and soundless room, all within a few steps of the hot and cold tubs and dry Finnish spa.
Since it’s a Club Med, all meals and drinks are included, and there is even a wine/liquor store where you can taste wines and then, if you chose, have them served to you in one of the three restaurants.
Throughout this hugely spaced resort, modern design with a Québécois flavour is exhibited, such as the tapis tressé in common areas and décor that brings to mind the sport hunting and fishing activities that were historically common in the area.
In winter, visitors are more inclined to book a room with a view on the ‘mountain side.’ The resort is located at the bottom of one of the most beautiful and dramatic downhill ski mountains in Québec – Le Massif.
Skis are kept in lockers leading to the bottom of the ski trails and walking tours into the woods leave from this area. We enjoyed walking tours in the late spring, especially Le Thé Forestier, a walk with a guide who pointed out different plant species used for medicinal purposes. We tasted many, although not all were necessarily native to the mountain.
Power walks and mountain biking are also available. Truth be told, spring is the off season, so although there may be less to do outside, entertainment and fun workshops are ubiquitous. Summer, fall (for the spectacular colours here) and winter (for the skiing and other winter sports) are certainly more popular.
How is it that you’re not familiar with this region? One hundred years ago, it was the summer playground for the well-heeled from northern US and Montréal.
US president Taft said of the area, “the air was intoxicating like champagne without the morning-after hangover.” He was referring to La Malbaie, then known as Murray Bay. For some reason, Charlevoix fell off the international tourist radar, although it’s been long known within Québec for its fabulous terroir products and stunning landscapes.
Le Massif ski hill is probably making Charlevoix a destination for the international traveller once again.
As mentioned, artists have been travelling to, and often settling in, Charlevoix for well over a century. Not surprisingly, every fall there is a huge art symposium in Baie-Saint-Paul, located 15 minutes from the Club Med.
Artists from around the world are invited, and Baie-Saint-Paul’s main street, Avenue Saint-Jean-Baptiste, is quite literally packed with art galleries. In the summer, the street is usually streaming with visitors.
One stop you don’t want to miss is the newly opened Hydromel, at 49 Saint-Jean-Baptiste, just behind the Tony & Charlo Bistro. Honey wines, distilled from honey collected across Charlevoix are available in four different flavours, and in a gin. Another two local cheese producers not to be missed are La Famille Migneron and the Laiterie Charlevoix, both on the main road that links Baie-Saint-Paul with La Malbaie (not the scenic route, faster but still very worthwhile).
Food is also big in Baie-Saint-Paul, with local chefs being celebrated with their own ‘walk of stars’ à la Hollywood. The annual festival, Cuisine, Cinéma et Confidences, is well worth attending. We did the three-hour food tour (sounds so much better in French, le Parcours Gourmand) and enjoyed highly original tastings of wine and food in four cozy settings.
Later, we attended intimate workshops with stars of the Québec food scene, Pasquale Vari and Soeur Angèle. This would be the equivalent of having an almost one-on-one meeting with Gordon Ramsay or Julia Child in the English-speaking world.
At a winery between the Club Med and Baie-Saint-Paul is a unique local beverage, wine from the ancestral tomatoes. The owner, from Belgium, found the perfect micro-climate to grow his tomatoes and produce this family recipe, a homage to the owner’s great grandfather, Omer. Omerto is a must-stop visit!
IF YOU GO:
Club Med All-inclusive ski resort
Charlevoix, Québec Canada
clubmed.ca
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