Menu
FR
  • What to do?
    • Outdoor fun
    • Fun and relax
    • Agritourism and local flavours
    • Art, Culture and Heritage
    • Winter Fun
    • Festivals and Events
    • Tour suggestions
    • Services and useful information
  • Where to stay?
    • Hotel, motel and cabin
    • Bed and breakfast
    • Youth hostel
    • Tourist home, cottage and apartment
    • Campground, ready-to-camp and outfitter
  • Where to eat?
    • Northern Shrimp Destination
    • Restaurants
    • Cafes
    • Snacks and fast food
    • Local Flavours
  • Plan my stay
  • Interactive Map
  • Matane Tourism Blog
  • Info?
    • Access to the region
    • Services and useful information
    • Maps and brochures
    • Interactive map on Ondago
    • Plan your trip tool
    • Useful links
Matanie XP - Tourisme MataneMatanie XP - Tourisme Matane
Matanie XP - Tourisme MataneMatanie XP - Tourisme Matane
  • What to do?Attractions and Activities
  • Where to stay?Lodging
  • Where to eat?Restaurants
  • Planmy stay
  • Matane TourismBlog
FR

Discover The region of La Matanie

La Matanie borders both the Bas-Saint-Laurent (Lower St. Lawrence) and Gaspésie (Gaspé Peninsula) regions. Located between sea and mountains, it stretches on, with 100 kilometres of coastline, covering a 3400 km2 area. The region's vast and wild territory, 10 kilometres away from nearby towns and villages, is easily accessible. The unorganized Rivière-Bonjour territory's scenery offers peaks close to 1000 metres of altitude, multiple great lakes as well as a rich wildlife, mostly known for its high population of moose.

The region, rich in diversity, offers a wide array of touristic activities for everybody, from the outdoor lover to the history geek, and promises wonderful discoveries along the way.

Illustrated Map of the region of Matane

Our municipalities

Municipality

List

Map
12 results by page
Baie-des-Sables Baie-des-Sables Ajouter à mon séjour

Baie-des-Sables

Municipalities
Baie-des-Sables

20, rue du Couvent
Card Website Locate
Grosses-Roches Grosses-Roches Ajouter à mon séjour

Grosses-Roches

Municipalities
Grosses-Roches

122, rue de la Mer, C.P.69
Card Website Locate
Les Méchins Les Méchins Ajouter à mon séjour

Les Méchins

Municipalities
Les Méchins

108, route des Fonds
Card Website Locate
Matane Matane Ajouter à mon séjour

Matane

Municipalities
Matane

230, avenue Saint-Jérôme
Card Website Locate
Saint-Adelme Saint-Adelme Ajouter à mon séjour

Saint-Adelme

Municipalities
Saint-Adelme

138, rue Principale
Card Website Locate
Saint-Jean-de-Cherbourg Saint-Jean-de-Cherbourg Ajouter à mon séjour

Saint-Jean-de-Cherbourg

Municipalities
Saint-Jean-de-Cherbourg

3, 8e rang
Card Website Locate
Saint-Léandre Saint-Léandre Ajouter à mon séjour

Saint-Léandre

Municipalities
Saint-Léandre

2005, rue de l'église
Card Website Locate
Saint-René-de-Matane Saint-René-de-Matane Ajouter à mon séjour

Saint-René-de-Matane

Municipalities
Saint-René-de-Matane

178, avenue Saint-René, C.P. 58
Card Website Locate
Saint-Ulric Saint-Ulric Ajouter à mon séjour

Saint-Ulric

Municipalities
Saint-Ulric

128, avenue Ulric-Tessier
Card Website
Sainte-Félicité Sainte-Félicité Ajouter à mon séjour

Sainte-Félicité

Municipalities
Sainte-Félicité

192, rue Saint-Joseph
Card Website Locate
Sainte-Paule Sainte-Paule Ajouter à mon séjour

Sainte-Paule

Municipalities
Sainte-Paule

102, rue Banville
Card Website Locate
TNO Rivière-Bonjour - Unorganized Territory TNO Rivière-Bonjour - Unorganized Territory Ajouter à mon séjour

TNO Rivière-Bonjour - Unorganized Territory

Municipalities
Matane

158, rue Soucy, 2e étage
Card Website Locate

Our history

Native Americans roamed our region for millenniums but it is first mentioned in historical records in 1603 when Samuel de Champlain names our river «Mantanne». Amongst the many hypotheses surrounding the name's origin, most believe it comes from the Micmac language referring to a «Castor's nest», a common resource in the area.

By the 16th century, the region is visited seasonally by European fishermen and fur dealers but it is colonized only later, after the foundation of the Saint-Jérome-de-Matane parish in 1662 and the acquisition of a seigneury covering both coasts of the river by the Lord Mathieu D'Amours de Chauffours in 1677. The first villages develop soon after, spanning from the east to the west coast of the Saint Lawrence River, in the second half of the 19th century due to the forest exploitation booming (ex. Sawmills, spindle wood manufacturers). Most territories are colonized by French Canadians but some, like Baie-des-Sables, are occupied by British colons. The location near the Matane River, the birth of many industries and the evolution of different infrastructures like transportation (harbor and railway) lead to Matane becoming the regional economic center by the beginning of the 20th century.

To fight the unemployment and poverty of the 1930's, the government of Quebec, under the guidance of Minister Vautrin, emphasizes on forest exploitation and agriculture which results in the emergence of new parishes in the Gaspésie region. Populating villages in the Matanie backdrop prove to be sometimes difficult with certain parishes (Saint-Nil, Saint-Thomas-de-Cherbourg, Saint-Paullin-Dalibaire) closing in the 1970's, despite the crowd's opposition voiced during the Opérations-Dignités. Nevertheless, many municipalities resist to closures and continue to develop to this day.

Matane becomes a MRC in January 1982 and dictates its first regulation the following year, in favor of the region's development. The MRC, ever since its creation, has been a key player when it comes to encouraging the regional economy's blossoming and highlighting the tourism industry and new technologies, such as the windmill energy in recent years. Since the territory reorganization in 2001, the MRC has to face the challenge of bringing together Matane, the prosperous urban center where the majority of the population lives, and all the nearby municipalities that suffer from a weak economy but still cover most of the territory. In 2013, the MRC of Matane becomes the MRC of La Matanie.

The Matanie in pictures

  • What to do?Attractions and Activities
  • Where to stay?Lodging
  • Where can I eat?Restaurants
  • Plan my stayInteractive map, planning,
    information
  • Business meetingsconventions
  • Matane TourismBlog
Follow us on all our social networks
Facebook Youtube Instagram Tiktok
Subscribe to our newsletter
Développement économique Matanie MRC de La Matanie

157, rue Saint-Pierre, Matane (Québec)
G4W 2B7

1-877-762-8263
Contact Us

Tourisme Matane © 2025 All rights reserved
Legal notices Privacy policy Terms of use Media Intranet Credits