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Voykit pocket guide · Canada
Caraquet
Give Caraquet one full day plus a second for the Village Historique Acadien; come in July or early August, skip the rest of the year.
Caraquet is a francophone lobster port of about 4,250 people on the Baie des Chaleurs, the warm bay between New Brunswick and Quebec's Gaspé. It calls itself Acadia's capital and fills with Quebec plates in July and up to 15 August, when the Acadian national holiday peaks. Outside that window most attractions are shut.
- Country
- Canada
- Best months
- Jul–early Aug
- Avoid
- Nov–Apr (most sights closed, cold, no crowds)
- Stay
- 1–2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- CAD
- Money
- Currency is the Canadian dollar (CAD, $). Cards and tap-to-pay are accepted almost everywhere.
- Daily spend
- Budget CAD 90–140 excl. bed · Mid CAD 150–230 excl. bed · High CAD 250+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Rogers, Bell and Telus plus cheaper brands (Fido, Koodo, Public Mobile); prepaid SIMs in malls and stores. Canadian data is expensive — an eSIM is often cheaper.
- Emergency
- Police, fire and ambulance 911 · Telehealth New Brunswick 811 · Poison control 1-844-764-7669
- Plugs
- Types A, B · 120 V · 60 Hz · Same as the US.
- Tipping
- Restaurant: 15–20% of the pre-tax bill.; Bar: CAD 1–2 per drink.; Taxi: 10–15%.; Housekeeping: CAD 3–5 a night.; Guide: 10–20% of the tour price.
- Water
- Tap water is drinkable; treat water from lakes and streams (giardia).
- Toilets
- Free in malls, Tim Hortons, stations and park visitor centres.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | CAD 2–4 |
| Lobster roll or seafood plate | CAD 18–32 |
| Beer in a bar / can at the store | CAD 6–9 / CAD 2–4 |
| 5 km (3.1 mi) taxi3.1 mi (5 km) taxi | CAD 12–18 |
| Village Historique Acadien entry | about CAD 17.50 |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | CAD 20–40 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- YVB · Bonaventure (Quebec)
- Across the bay; about 1 h 30 min by road via Route 11 and the Gaspé
- YQM · Greater Moncton Roméo LeBlanc International
- About 3 h 30 min by road; the usual arrival airport for the region
- BAT · Bathurst (no scheduled service)
- Bathurst is the nearest town on Route 11, about 1 h by car
Typical fares
- Taxi around the village
- CAD 10–20
- Bathurst → Caraquet by car, Route 11
- about 1 h, 75 km (47 mi)about 1 h, 47 mi (75 km)
- Moncton → Caraquet by car
- about 3 h 30 min
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
A car is the practical choice: sights are spread along Route 11 and the coast, and buses are limited. Taxi Gionet (+1 506 727-6315) covers the village. In festival week the centre is walkable and parking near the wharf fills early.
See and do
Known for
- Village Historique Acadien
- Acadian national holiday and Tintamarre, 15 August
- Lobster wharf and Baie des Chaleurs beaches
- Musée Acadien de Caraquet
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Village Historique Acadien, Bertrand | Car west on Route 11, about 10 min | About 15 min |
| Tracadie-Sheila | Route 11 south by car | About 45 min |
| Bathurst | Route 11 south by car | About 1 h |
| Dalhousie | Route 11 north by car | About 1 h 15 min |
| Campbellton | Route 11 north by car | About 1 h 30 min |
| Gaspé Peninsula | Route 11 north, then Quebec Route 132 around the bay | 3 h+ to the peninsula |
Sleep
- Boulevard Saint-Pierre Ouest
- The main strip: motels, the Hôtel Paulin, restaurants and the Carrefour de la Mer. Walkable to the wharf.
- Bertrand
- Village Historique Acadien is here, about 10 min west by car; quiet, best if the museum is your reason for coming.
- Caraquet centre and the wharf
- Closest to the marina, the Musée Acadien and the 15 August events; book months ahead for festival week.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | Bonjourbon-ZHOOR |
| Thank you | Mercimair-SEE |
| How much is it? | Combien ça coûte ?kom-BYEN sa KOOT |
| Can I pay by card? | Puis-je payer par carte ?pweezh pay-YAY par KART |
| Where is the toilet? | Où sont les toilettes ?oo son lay twa-LET |
| Do you speak English? | Parlez-vous anglais ?par-LAY voo ahn-GLAY |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake; 'Bonjour' first in Québec; avoid: Assuming everyone speaks English
- Queues: Line up and wait your turn; avoid: Pushing in
- Apologising: 'Sorry' is politeness, not admission of fault; avoid: Loud confrontation
- Canada vs US: Treat Canada as its own country; avoid: Calling Canadians American
- Indigenous culture: Buy from Indigenous-owned businesses and ask before photos at ceremonies; avoid: Wearing headdresses as costume
Scams and watch-outs
- Most attractions, museums and many restaurants run June to mid-September only; outside that window confirm before you drive.
- 15 August is the busiest day of the year: book beds and dinner weeks ahead.
- The Baie des Chaleurs is warm for Canada but the tide and current still demand care; swim where locals do.
- Fuel and grocery stops thin out on Route 11 north of Tracadie-Sheila; fill up in Bathurst or Caraquet.
Caraquet is a small, low-crime village and safe for tourists. The real risks are the seasonal shutdown outside summer, long dark drives on Route 11 with moose, and cold water in the bay: swim where locals do, and carry a charged phone.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Caraquet yet. Suggested stay: 1–2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Village Historique Acadien
- Acadian national holiday and Tintamarre, 15 August
- Lobster wharf and Baie des Chaleurs beaches
- Musée Acadien de Caraquet
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Village of Caraquet: www.caraquet.ca/
- Wikivoyage: Caraquet, revision 5107823 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5107823
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Caraquet
À cette adresse, s'il vous plaît
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
- Police, fire and ambulance911
- Telehealth New Brunswick811
- Poison control1-844-764-7669
No embassies in Caraquet; the US consulate general is in Halifax and most others are in Ottawa or Montréal.
French is the everyday language here; English is widely understood in tourist businesses.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/caraquet). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.