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A stupendous expanse of rocky outcrops, sheer cliffs and thick vegetation, the provincial Parc du Saguenay perches above both sides of one of the world's longest fjords, which cuts through the Canadian Shield before merging with the St Lawrence. The walls of the fjord extend to a depth of 270 metres in places, almost as much as the height of the cliffs above the waterline. The lower depths consist of icy-cold saltwater from the St Lawrence, while on the surface is the warmer water that drains out of Lac Saint-Jean, via the Riviere Saguenay. The Parc Marin du Saguenay-St-Laurent , a federal-provincial marine park wedged between the two halves of the Parc du Saguenay and extending out to the confluence zone where the fjord's freshwater meets the salty St Lawrence - perfect conditions for the krill that form the basis of a whale's diet. Subsequently, the area has become immensely popular for whale-watching . The main centre of the region and the "gateway to the Kingdom of the Saguenay", Tadoussac lies some 40km north of Saint-Simeon along Hwy 138, at the confluence of the St Lawrence and the Saguenay. Traffic crosses the neck of the fjord by a free car ferry from Baie-Ste-Catherine to Tadoussac; you may have to wait as long as an hour or two in mid summer. Supplementing the adventure on the high seas is a bewildering array of interpretive centres, including the excellent Centre d'Interpretation des Mammifieres Marins in Tadoussac and two centres where you have a decent chance to glimpse whales while leaving them in peace - Baie Ste-Marguerite is a popular beluga hangout on the north shore of the Saguenay, while northeast of Tadoussac other species of whales pass by the Cap-de-Bon-Desir off Bergeronnes, a small town 22km further along the Cote-Nord . No bridges cross the fjord for the 126km between Tadoussac and Chicoutimi, and there are spots where you may need to backtrack. For a taste of both the terrestrial and marine parks, drive from Saint-Simeon as far as Baie-Eternite on the south side of the fjord, and then double back to Saint-Simeon and continue on to Tadoussac. From Tadoussac, Hwy 172 runs parallel to the north side of the fjord past the turn-offs to Baie Ste-Marguerite and the pretty waterside village of Ste-Rose-du-Nord before reaching the bridge to Chicoutimi , from where Hwy 175 winds its lonely way through boreal forests to Quebec City. If you have the time, continue west past Jonquiere and make a circuit of the flat farming country of Lac Saint-Jean . It's an ideal location to cycle, and the recently completed Veloroute des Bleuets allows you to travel the 256km around the lake without trucks forcing you off the road. It's about five hours to Montreal on Hwy 155 (via Trois-Rivieres) from the lake's southern shore; from the southeast, you can take the moose-infested Hwy 169 until it joins up with Hwy 175 on its way to Quebec City. Of course, you can see it all by travelling up the south side of the fjord, circling Lac Saint-Jean and returning along the Saguenay's north side to Tadoussac, but it does mean passing through Chicoutimi twice.
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