Our expedition begins at the village of Havre-Saint-Pierre, where the highway from Quebec City comes to an abrupt end.  The village is named after the patron saint of fishermen. In 1857 six Acadian families sailed a fishing schooner across the gulf, sought shelter among the islands and settled near the prime fishing grounds. The Mingan Archipelago lies a few miles offshore from this quiet coastal village.

Our paddle will concentrate on a cluster of islands near the harbor.  We’ll hop from site to site, camping on as many as seven different islands and exploring the shores of dozens more. The campsites are comfortable, with raised platforms for tents, picnic tables, firewood and toilets. The average day’s paddle will be 12-15 miles.  In the mid summer sun, the  air temperature is a pleasant 75 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit. 

Paddling along miles of island shoreline, you’ll see naturally sculpted structures known as monoliths. 30-foot-high soft limestone giants--the largest concentration of monoliths in Canada--have been battered and eroded by the winds and the sea for over 400 million years. Pebbled headlands offer opportunities to beach the kayaks and hike along rugged shores.

We'll work our way southwest then loop back, winding our way through islands and islets. We’ll visit Baie des Loups Marins, where hundreds of sea lions sunbath on the rocks at low tide. Our southernmost destination will be Ile Nue.

From there we paddle to Ile aux Perroquets, about four miles east, and back  in the same day. French settlers named the island after the bird that summers there: the Atlantic puffin. After beaching our boats there, we’ll wander to a lighthouse or up a trail to the top of the island. At 150 feet above sea level the puffin-watching possibilities are great. Camping on Ile Nue marks the halfway point of the trip.

During the last part of our journey, we'll paddle to Grande Ile, the largest island in the archipelago. Its 15-mile shoreline is dotted with ancient monoliths, caves and sea cliffs. It is even rumored that a castle can be found on the eastern shore looking out over the open sea.

Before heading back to Havre-St-Pierre, we’ll spend an evening camping on Ile Niapiskau.  This island boasts miles of interpretive trails, lookouts and monoliths. Hopefully we'll be able to attend a nature talk given by the Park rangers.  On our last night, we’ll return to our original campsite and prepare for a night on the town and a farewell dinner before heading to the airport the following morning.