Mont-Joli and the Matapédia Valley

The Matapédia Valley, which connects the Lower St. Lawrence to Baie-des-Chaleurs by cutting through the interior of the Gaspé Peninsula rather than hugging its shoreline, reveals a different face of the region to travellers: lush agricultural valleys, quiet villages nestled along the Matapédia River, and several waterways renowned worldwide for the quality of their Atlantic salmon fishing, with the Matapédia River itself remaining one of the most prestigious destinations for sport anglers from around the globe. Mont-Joli, at the junction between this inland route and the coastal road following the St. Lawrence River, serves as a strategic crossroads for travellers exploring the region, while the valley's bucolic landscapes—where farmland, forests, and meandering rivers alternate seamlessly—offer an agreeable contrast to the spectacular yet austere cliffs of the coastline. This inland portion of the Gaspé, less frequented by travellers hurrying to complete the full circuit of the peninsula via the coastal Route 132 alone, thus harbours a more secluded and equally authentic facet of the region's identity, deeply rooted in agriculture and freshwater sport fishing.