Slow travel and family camping in Saint-Jean-Port-Joli

When summer knocks on our doors, we always have 1001 projects we’d like to carry out. The list is often long, and unfortunately there’s not enough time or opportunity.

Today, I’m not necessarily going to help you narrow down that list. However, I will suggest an accessible destination, where you quickly feel far from home, even if we didn’t have to take a plane or drive thousands of kilometers.

This destination is just over an hour’s drive from Quebec City, so it’s very easy to get on the road on a Friday evening to spend the weekend there with family, friends or as a couple. Now here’s the destination to add to your summer to-do-list: Saint-Jean-Port-Joli! It’s a destination that’s sure to please everyone, with a wide range of waterfront activities on offer.

For our part, we set off from Quebec City to reach our destination. On the way, we made a quick stop for dinner in Lévis, on the waterfront at Quai 1635. I highly recommend this stop to anyone on the road to Saint-Jean-Port-Joli. Why: the view, the atmosphere and the food. It’s all just… p-e-r-f-e-c-t.

We then continued on to our destination. Once there, we had plenty of places we wanted to visit. The good news is that they’re all within easy reach, so it’s very realistic to be able to visit all of them.

We stopped off at Le Moule à Sucre. Well, the name says it all, it’s a great place to buy sweets… for young and old alike. And I can guarantee you some nostalgia when you discover certain products. But for my part, I was particularly charmed by the other section, the local produce shop. From food, spices and mustards to decorative items and kitchen tools, there’s something for everyone. I brought home a beautiful sugar bowl and a creamer that I still adore. In short, I highly recommend this must-see.

Another place we loved was the Ras l’Bock microbrewery on the waterfront. What could be better than enjoying a cold beer with an incredible view and a refreshing breeze? A dream come true.

I would really have liked to have tried La Roche à Veillon, which has a great menu and a memorable atmosphere with live entertainment. However, with young children, we preferred to skip it. We’ll definitely have to go back when the children are older!

And finally, the cherries on the Sunday of a stay in Saint-Jean-Port-Joli (yes, I say “the”, because I can’t decide which is my “highlight”): the sunsets and/or a good soft drink from the Bar Laitier Chouinard. In the end, I think that if I had to choose, it would be a good chouinardise, on the waterfront, during sunset. It makes you dream!