The route Nature aux mille délices ("nature with a thousand delights") is a tourist route in Quebec, designated as a "gourmet route". Its purpose is to highlight the agritourism products of the North Shore. This gourmet route corresponds to the Route des Baleines, a route signposted on the route by the "Ministère des Transports du Québec" (Quebec Ministry of Transport).

Understand

The gourmet circuit was drawn up in 2008. The following year, activities were set up to promote local products to tourists.

Local producers/traders can contribute through various initiatives: local product kiosks, public markets, gourmet circuits, updating the websites of producers/traders, presence on social media, promotion of local food products, tastings (e.g., wine and cheese), special dishes in restaurants, and gourmet tour packages (e.g., integrated into guided tours).

This gourmet tour of the Côte-Nord is characterized above all by seafood; some local products are made from wild berries and game.

The nature route of a thousand delights has twice received a Grand Prix du tourisme:

• in 2010, the road won the prize in the category: Tourist attractions: less than 100,000 visitors;
• in 2012, it won in the category: Tourist attractions: less than 25,000 visitors.

Get around

Manicouagan region

• 1 Tadoussac Tadoussac Bay is part of the club of the most beautiful bays in the world. It is recognized by the association of the most beautiful villages of Quebec. It includes in particular the Marine Mammal Interpretation Centre and other interpretation centres. Several excursions are organized in the region, which includes the Saguenay–St. Lawrence Marine Park and the Fjord-du-Saguenay National Park.
• 2 Les Escoumins
• 3 Pointe-aux-Outardes
• 4 Baie-Comeau This Village-relais is renowned for its land observation sites for marine mammals, its Quebec Route 389 which joins Fermont and Labrador to the north, its heavenly landscapes, its majestic hydroelectric infrastructures, and its varied offer of recreational and tourist activities.
• 5 Ilets-Caribou

Minganie and Le Golfe-du-Saint-Laurent regions

Segment connected to the Quebec road network

• 6 Rivière-Pentecôte
• 7 Port-Cartier
• 8 Gallix Gallix is a village merged with Sept-Îles.
• 9 Sept-Îles
• 10 Longue-Pointe-de-Mingan
• 11 Havre-Saint-Pierre
• 12 Natashquan Riverside village with a great history. Seafood is prominent in restaurant dishes.

Segment not connected to the Quebec road network

Beyond Kegaska (village of the municipality of Côte-Nord-du-Golfe-du-Saint-Laurent), the visitors have to take the Relais Nordik, a supply ship, to continue east in Basse-Côte-Nord, airplane or snowmobile in winter.

• 13 Lourde de Blanc-Sablon Lourde de Blanc-Sablon is the main village of the municipality of Blanc-Sablon. In this riverside village, visitors can taste dishes made from seafood.
• 14 Blanc-Sablon Easternmost municipality in the province of Quebec. Visitors can taste dishes made from seafood.

See

Most of the tourist attractions are located near Route 138. The attractions highlighted on this tourist route are related to accommodation, restaurants, production and processing of tourist products on the North Shore. In 2013, it has 36 members who can be found in various tourist sectors, including a museum.

Eat

Local products and seafood are strong in the restaurant sector.

Go next

• Route Blanche (English: "White Road"), a snowmobile trail on the Lower North Shore (Le Golfe-du-Saint-Laurent), stretching over 525 km between Natashquan and Blanc-Sablon. In winter, this road becomes the main mode of transportation between the villages of the Lower North Shore.
• Route des Baleines, a tourist route of Quebec, which follows the northern coast of the estuary and the Gulf of St. Lawrence, in the region of the North Shore, over 1,250 km (780 mi), between Tadoussac and Blanc-Sablon. This tourist route offers opportunities for observing marine mammals, on the coast, in group excursions or in light boats (e.g., sea kayak). This road also includes information centers on marine mammals (eg museum) for public education.