Pointe-des-Monts Lighthouse

Built in 1830 at the mouth of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence, the Pointe-des-Monts Lighthouse marks one of the river's most strategic transition points, where the estuary widens definitively to become the Gulf of Saint Lawrence. Its construction answered a critical need for maritime safety in a region where shallow waters, unpredictable currents, and harsh weather conditions caused countless shipwrecks throughout centuries of commercial and fishing navigation. The octagonal stone tower, one of the oldest structures of its kind still standing in Quebec, has been converted into a museum recounting both the daily life of successive lighthouse keepers who lived at this isolated site and the tragic history of the many ships wrecked in the surrounding waters. The Baie-Trinité area, where the lighthouse stands, also features the National Centre for Saint Lawrence Shipwrecks, a complementary museum that allows visitors to explore in detail the major maritime tragedies that occurred on this stretch of the river from early colonization to modern times. The lighthouse's position, overlooking a largely wild coastline, also makes it a privileged vantage point for lovers of coastal landscapes and sunsets over the gulf.