PARC NATIONAL DE L’ÎLE-BONAVENTURE-ET-DU-ROCHER-PERCÉ

Located at the tip of the Gaspé Peninsula, Parc national de l'Île-Bonaventure-et-du-Rocher-Percé (5.8 km²) boasts a rich natural and historical heritage. The landscape is sculpted by the sea. The Appalachians extend into the waters of the gulf, revealing Bonaventure Island on one side, with its rustic fragrances, and the gigantic wall that is Percé Rock on the other. It's a veritable kaleidoscope of colors, landscapes and smells. The park includes the historic Charles-Robin sector, Bonaventure Island, Percé Rock and a marine strip around them.

Parc national de l'Île-Bonaventure-et-du-Rocher-Percé is home to a migratory bird sanctuary, created to protect an important nesting site for seabirds. It is home to some 185,000 migratory birds, including razorbills, black-legged kittiwakes, murres, puffins and the world's most accessible gannet colony. Percé Rock is 471 metres long and 85 metres high. It is made of limestone formed on the ocean floor millions of years ago. It was once attached to the continent. The rock once had a^2nd arch, but this collapsed in 1845, leaving the obelisk we see today.

The park is divided into four sectors:

Secteur historique Charles-Robin (rue du Quai à Percé): before venturing onto Bonaventure Island, take the time to visit the Le Chafaud building, which houses the park's discovery center and its exhibition on the park's flora, fauna and history. Exhibition room and documentary on gannets.

Ile-Bonaventure sector: Bonaventure Island is home to the largest gannet colony in North America, and the most accessible in the world. Visit Bonaventure Island's built heritage and discover the history of the fishery and the islanders. Resto des Margaulx welcomes you at the entrance to the island, just across from the wharf. Its fisherman's soup is recognized as one of the best in the region. You can also enjoy a lobster and crab "torpille", which will give you energy for a short walk! There's also the Relais des Fous, offering a terrace and dining area directly adjacent to the gannet colony.

Rocher-Percé sector: this stone cathedral is subject to severe erosion, making its cliffs highly unstable. Over 300 tonnes of rock are lost every year. For safety reasons, walking on Percé Rock is not recommended and is extremely dangerous. A cruise, however, takes you to both sides of the rock.

Marine strip around Percé Rock and Bonaventure Island: Bonaventure Island and Percé Rock National Park includes a 100-metre marine strip around Bonaventure Island and the intertidal zone around Percé Rock.

For boat tours of the island and Percé Rock, visit the Passenger Boat ticket booths in the village center. Park entrance fees allow you to walk around Bonaventure Island, visit historic buildings and tour the Discovery Centre. These are dedicated to the history, geology and nature of Percé Rock and Bonaventure Island. From the end of June to the end of August, discovery evenings are held at La Saline in Percé, allowing visitors to delve deeper into the park's themes.