Gaspé

Aube sur Mer

Sea kayaking is the name of the game at Aube sur Mer, with several different regularly-scheduled excursions setting off from their Cap-aux-Os headquarters. "Ride with the Seals" (Balade aux phoques) is a two-hour jaunt suitable for all skill levels, departing four times daily (8AM, 11AM, 2PM, and 5PM) for a visit to the Forillon seal colonies. More avid kayakers can get up bright and early for the "At the End of the World" (Au Bout du monde) excursion's 7AM daily departure, which goes further afield to the tip of Cap-Gaspé: five to six hours in all. Real kayaking fanatics can inquire about longer two-, three-, and four-day excursions around the region, and if you don't quite trust your sea legs, Aube sur Mer offers a choice of two Paddle Canada-accredited training courses: a one-day introductory class for $115, and a more in-depth two-day course for $225. And if human-powered vessels aren't your thing, Aube sur Mer also offers customized sailboat excursions on the bay accompanied by a trained captain.

"Ride with the Seals" excursion $45 for adults, $41 for students (with ID) and $35 for children (14 and under); "At the End of the World" excursion $75 for adults, $69 for students with ID and $59 for children 14 and under; sailing excursions $59 adult/$39 child for 2 hours and $89 adult/$59 child for a half-day. See website for detailed price structure including discounts for families and pricing on longer excursions

Fort Prével Golf Club

Club de golf Fort-Prével

Enjoy sweeping views over mountains and sea as you hit the links on this beautifully manicured 6,428-yard, par-73 course on the Gaspé-Percé city line, but don't get too distracted by the scenery: with the ruins of a World War II-era coastal fortification doubling as hazards and a doozy of a second hole at 702 yards and par 6, Fort-Prével presents a truly challenging scenario for the golfer. There's also an onsite putting green for those looking to hone their short game, a practice field that plays host frequently to free training sessions for beginner golfers, an onsite restaurant, and even a hotel and campground. Staff is unfailingly polite and friendly. Website in French only.

Daily 8AM-6PM, late May through mid-Oct (weather-dependent during shoulder months of May, Jun, Sept & Oct)·$39/$22.30 for 18/9 holes in high season, $28.30/$17.23 in shoulder season; children 12-17 $20 before noon and $14 thereafter; discounted admission for arrival after 1PM, with further discounts after 3PM. Other fees may apply, see website for detailed price structure

Le Centaure

Le Centaure offers a diversity of equestrian experiences whose durations, intensities, and skill requirements vary widely — from one-hour sessions on the grounds of their spacious ranch in Cap-aux-Os that are perfect for beginners, to longer expeditions to Sandy Beach (2 hours) and Forillon National Park (5 hours), to multi-day expeditions to further-flung destinations like Gaspésie National Park. Website in French only.

Call for rates

Les Éclairs Cross-Country Ski Club

Club de ski de fond Les Éclairs

No, your GPS hasn't misdirected you — the way to Les Éclairs ski club does pass through a nondescript industrial park in York Centre. But there's nothing ugly about the extensive network of well-manicured trails, open to cross-country skiers and snowshoers alike, on the club's vast forested tract whose back end abuts the grounds of Michel Pouliot Airport. Website in French only.

Daily 8AM-4PM in season·Day/season passes for ski trails: $12/$150, full time students 12 and over with ID $6/$50, children under 12 always free. Family ski passes are also available for $295/season. $10 annual membership card entitles adults & families to discount of $2/day or $15/season. Snowshoe trail access $6/day or $30 season, or free with purchase of ski trail access

Mont-Béchervaise Ski Centre

Centre de ski Mont-Béchervaise

Mont-Béchervaise may not be the largest or grandest ski resort in the Gaspé Peninsula, but it has a strong claim on the title of most conveniently located — given its oddly abbreviated opening hours and relative lack of onsite amenities, it helps that downtown Gaspé is only a quick five-minute drive away. Take the chair lift from the chalet to the top of the hill, which not only serves as the starting point for about two dozen ski trails suitable for all skill levels, but also offers a panoramic view over the bay. Off to the side at the base are a couple of shorter hills open to downhill tubing, and there's a small snack bar next to the parking lot. Mont-Béchervaise is also open in the summer to hikers and mountain bikers. Website in French only.

Fri-Sun 9AM-3PM·Day/half-day: lift tickets $34/$27, seniors (55+) $24/$20, students with ID $22/$19; tubing $12/$8 per person or $22/$17 per family

Cap Aventure

To describe what Cap Aventure offers as mere "seal-watching excursions" wouldn't do them justice: much more than just another touristy trifle, these tours are true educational experiences, where seasoned guides put their affiliation with the Marine Mammal Watchers' Network (Réseau d'observateurs des mammifères marins) to good use in providing a window into the delicate ecosystem of Gaspé Bay, conducted in a manner that is sustainable and respectful of the natural environment. It's not all dry academia, though — the learning experience is punctuated daily by unforgettable sights like a pod of seals dancing and playing around your boat, the plaintive bellow of whales breaching in the distance, and seabirds by the hundreds taking flight from the top of the sheer seaside cliffs. Cap Aventure offers a range of excursions tailored to customers' individual needs: the short Meet the Seals (Rencontre avec les phoques) excursion is open to participants five and older and sticks to the interior of Gaspé Bay, the longer Around Forillon (Pourtour de Forillon) tour rounds Cap Gaspé, and the self-explanatory Seals at Sunset (Phoques au coucher du soleil) excursion is especially popular. All excursions depart from Cap-aux-Os Beach, with the exception of "Around Forillon", which leaves from Cap-des-Rosiers. Plus: if you like seals but kayaking is not your cup of tea, Cap Aventure also offers two-and-a-half-hour "Zodiac Safaris" out to the seal colonies in a 12-passenger boat helmed by an experienced captain-cum-docent, and if it's vice-versa, kayak rental is offered subject to availability (sit-on-top kayaks go for $14/$20 an hour for solo and tandem respectively, while sea kayaks go for $40/$60 for 4 hours or $50/$70 all day, for solo and tandem respectively). The season begins May 8 (June 1 for zodiac excursions) and runs through October 6, and wetsuits are provided during the spring and fall. Website in French only.

"Meet the Seals" excursion departs daily 8AM, "Zodiac Safari" departs 9AM, "Around Forillon" excursion departs 6:30AM on prior request. See website for schedule for "Seals at Sunset" excursion·See website for detailed price structure

Cinéma le Cube

Gaspé's only movie theatre is located inside the Hôtel des Commandants, and it's a modest affair: there's one screen with one showing per day (at 6:30PM) of a feature that changes weekly. All movies are shown in French without subtitles, so if you don't speak the language, maybe stick to the attached video arcade and snack bar.

Douglastown Irish Days

Journées irlandaises de Douglastown

Tooling through this hamlet south of Gaspé city centre down streets with names like Kennedy, McDonald, and St. Patrick, it's not hard to realize that Douglastown was historically a community of Irish immigrants. This Hibernian heritage is feted each year in late July and/or early August with a weekend celebration of traditional foods, music and dance performances, and workshops and lectures on a wide range of subjects from knitting to genealogy. The (Centre communautaire de Douglas) at 28, avenue Saint-Patrick is the venue.

Most events free, but check website

Festival Musique du Bout du Monde

There's really no way to succinctly describe the typical lineup of acts that converge on Gaspé every year for this music festival, other than maybe "maddeningly eclectic". For ten days in August, a multiplicity of venues around town are packed with dozens of artists and bands from all around the world — alumni include Beninese singer-songwriter Angélique Kidjo, British reggae sensations UB40, and Montreal rappers Loco Locass — along with dance performances, street theatre, food and drink, and miscellaneous family-friendly revelry. Traditionally, the headliner of each year's festival takes the stage at sunrise on Sunday morning at Cap Bon-Ami, in Forillon National Park, with shuttle service provided from central Gaspé.

Ticket prices vary by performance

Les Bons Copains Snowmobile Club of Greater Gaspé

Club de motoneige Les Bons Copains du Grand Gaspé

There are over 200 km (125 miles) of snowmobile trails in and around Gaspé, and these folks are the ones to talk to if you're interested in buying an Access Pass to ride them. Not only that, but their clubhouse at the (Aréna Rosaire-Tremblay) in Rivière-au-Renard is open to members and nonmembers alike: after a long day on the trails, you can warm up with a meal at the café, unwind with a game of pool or foosball, or even belt out some tunes at karaoke.

Mon-Thu 10AM-6PM, Fri 10AM-11PM, Sat 9AM-11PM, Sun 9AM-6PM, in season

Cantine du Golf

Miniature golf course in Cap-aux-Os with attached snack bar.

Open in season, call for hours and rates

Cartier Bowling

Salle de quilles Cartier

A small bowling alley in Rivière-au-Renard with six lanes.

Fort Ramsay Mini-Putt

Mini-golf de Fort Ramsay

On the premises of Motel-Camping Fort Ramsay.