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Lying at the very tip of the peninsula, the PARC NATIONAL DE FORILLON is the scenic culmination of the Gaspe, encompassing some 250 square kilometres of thick forest and mountain, crossed by hiking trails and fringed by stark cliffs along a deeply indented coastline. The splendour of the landscape is complemented by the wildlife : black bears, moose, beavers, porcupines and foxes are all common to the area - although to chance sighting them, you're best to arrive early in the morning or at dusk. More than two hundred species of birds have also been seen, ranging from sea birds like gannets, cormorants and guillemots, to songbirds such as the skylark and chaffinch. From the coastal paths around Cap Gaspe itself, whales and porpoises can also be spotted between May and October. As Thomas Anburey, a British soldier, observed in the 1770s, "They cause most beautiful fire works in the water: for being in such abundance, and darting with amazing velocity, a continued stream of light glides through the water, and as they cross each other, the appearance is so picturesque that no description can reach it." Roughly triangular in shape, the park is sandwiched between the Gulf of St Lawrence and the Baie de Gaspe and encircled by Hwys 197 and 132, the former crossing the interior to delineate the park's western limits, the latter mostly keeping to the seashore and threading through Anse-au-Griffon and Cap-des-Rosiers - tiny coastal villages with views onto the river and Forillon's wooded parkland. Make the time to take this route as the views are spectacular. You can also stop for a cup of tea at the Manoir LeBoutillier , a restored 1850s house at 578 boul Griffon, in Anse-au-Griffon (June to mid-Oct daily 9am-5pm; $4; guided tours only). Closer to the park, the lighthouse at Cap-des-Rosiers is the tallest in Canada (mid-June to mid-Sept 10am-7pm; $2.50; guided tours only, free access to the site). On a clear day, you can see the outlines of Ile d'Anticosti from the top. Parc Forillon has numerous hiking trails, the best of which takes you to the tip of Cap Gaspe - otherwise known as "land's end". The ninety-minute return trip starts a few kilometres to the south of the interpretive centre (daily: early June 1-4pm; mid-June to early Sept 9am-6pm; early Sept to mid-Oct 9am-4pm; tel 892-5572), close to the lighthouse near the village of Cap-des-Rosiers on the park's north side. Here, you can also get an imaginative overview of the natural and human history of the area and a wealth of suggestions as to how to spend your time. The trail extends from the end of the paved road beyond Grande-Grave, a restored fishing village founded by immigrants from Jersey - the inhabitants were relocated as recently as 1970 when the park was established. Their historical presence is enshrined in two sites situated along the trail that follows the southern coast of the cape. The first, Hyman & Son's General Store and Warehouse (mid-June to mid-Oct 10am-5pm; free with park entry) is a marvellous restoration of a 1920s general store; nearby Anse-Blanchette (mid-June to mid-Sept 10am-5pm; free with park entry), a fisherman's house dating from the same era, has also been painstakingly restored and the on-site barn frequently does duty as a stage for storytelling and musical acts. You'll also note unfinished buildings down near the edge of the cliff: these are the remnants of the set for the popular Quebec television series L'Ombre de l'Epervier . After these, the path rises and falls until it makes the final steep ascent to the lighthouse , which is set on a 150-metre cliff with the ocean on three sides. On a clear day, you can see the rock at Perce, 25km to the south. More leisurely pursuits include two-hour boat trips along the northern shore to see seals and a bird sanctuary, from the quay near the interpretive centre (mid-June to mid-Sept every 2hr from 9am; 2hr; $20), while whale-watching excursions depart from Grande-Grave (June-Oct 10am, 1.30pm & 4.30pm; 2hr 30min; $40).
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