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This post is part 2 of my six day Québec road trip in the Abitibi-Témiscamingue region of Québec. You can read about days 1 and 2 in the Laurentians HERE. Days 3 and 4 were beautifully stolen from us by the Abitibi-Témiscamingue region and our stops in the Opémican National Park and Refuge Pageau. WOW. What can I say about this place?! First of all – AMAZING. Read on to see all the details of what we did.
On this six day Québec road trip, I ventured to three regions of Québec – the Laurentians, Abitibi-Témiscamingue, and Outaouais. I had the pleasure of taking this girls trip with Krystle, Isabelle, Brooke, and Julia. Also, a special thank you to Braedin who came along to take photos.
Québec has 21 regions, which all have unique character. From the Gulf of St. Lawrence to the province of Ontario and from the Arctic Ocean to the United States, Québec is a huge province with so much to see! Last fall, I went to Québec to visit two other regions – Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean, and Côte-Nord (Quebec Martime). You can see that Québec road trip blog post HERE.
Abitibi-Témiscamingue Region – Our Route
We made our way from the Laurentians to the Abitibi-Témiscamingue region (Mont-Tremblant area to Amos) which took us about 4.5 to 5 hours. Below you can see the route and stops we made through Abitibi-Témiscamingue.
Check out my trip vlog below or on YouTube directly for better quality.
Refuge Pageau
Our first stop in Abitibi-Témiscamingu was at Refuge Pageau where they take in lost and/or wounded wildlife and care for them until they fully recover, before being released back into their homes. If they can’t fully recover, they bring them in for long-term care and assistance. How amazing!
Some of the animals that are too injured to be returned to the wild can be fed by hand. Here is Chewbacca the porcupine who was a real favourite.
After our stop at Refuge Pageau, we hopping in the vehicle and drove to Rouyn-Noranda where we spent the night at the Quality Inn. Let me tell you…after 3 days on the road and two nights camping, it was really nice to have a hot shower and big cozy bed. We woke the next morning ready to take on the day!
You might also like to read about my winter trip to Mont-Tremblant, Quebec, Outaouais Region – Québec Road Trip or What to Visit in the Saguenay Lac-Saint-Jean Region, Quebéc.
Le Cachottier Bistro Bar
We went for dinner to Le Cachottier Bistro Bar which was so delicious! Everything was made with the freshest ingredients and I highly recommend. We were planning on taking in a Microbrewery experience at Trèfle Noir that evening, but instead got some of their artisan beers to go. Being celiac, I couldn’t try it the next night at the campsite, but everyone said it was great!
Chez Eugène
En route to Opémican National Park, we stopped for a tasty lunch at Chez Eugène located in Ville-Marie. It is a Victorian home that is an inn and restaurant. You can eat on the terrace and enjoy a breathtaking view of Lake Timiskaming.
Opémican National Park
Our next stop in the Abitibi-Témiscamingue region was at the amazing Opémican National Park which just opened in 2019. It was truly a once-in-a-lifetime kind of experience and I wish I could have spent more time here. It was great to experience this brand new national park and which is bordered on either side by Lac Témiscamingue and Lac Kipawa.
We stayed in the new Étoile ready-to-camp sites which had everything you need to stay comfortable which enjoying the park. The structure is a canvas-sealed wood structure and it is very well equipped…just bring your food! As well, the park has paddle boards, canoes, bikes that you can access to fully explore and enjoy the area.
Can I just stay here forever, please and thank you? I haven’t got the slightest clue how Québec keeps getting better and better with each excursion I go on. Being here was exactly what I needed – water adventures, great food, and taking in the scenic views in literally every direction. I hate to see this trip coming to an end here soon, but I’m ready to see what our third and final region had to offer! Stay tuned for that blog post.
This post has been sponsored by Tourisme Quebec. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting the destinations that support me.
Bella Bucchiotti
Bella Bucchiotti is a Canadian-based syndicated food, travel, and lifestyle writer, photographer, and creator at xoxoBella. She founded xoxoBella in 2015, where she shares her love for food, dogs, sustainability, fitness, crafts, outdoor adventures, travel, and philanthropy to encourage others to run the extra mile, try new recipes, visit unfamiliar places, and stand for a cause. Bella creates stress-free and family-friendly recipes for weeknight dinners and festive feasts.
This looks so much fun..The place looks very peaceful and clean.. Looking forward to more awesome places on your future posts.
That seems like a really fantastic place to visit and enjoy the nature. Looks really fun and adventure is awaiting. Love the yummy looking food
Wish to visit qubec soon. All your pictures are so uplifting. What an amazing place to visit.
Your trip look so good that I wanted to plan a trip to Quebec with some friends also.
Umm everything about this trip sounds amazing. I’ve wanted to visit quebec for years. Sounds like it’s time to make a trip. 🙂
This looks stunning! And I love the photos you took 🙂 Really well done on capturing the atmosphere!
The place looks absolutely mind blowing. And you captured some amazing pictures. I would love to visit this place asap.