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Major city · Canada

Port-Cartier

Go for one night as a Route 138 stop between Québec City and Sept-Îles: 11 km beach, salmon trap in July, islands walk. Two nights if you fish.

Weather
see forecast
Currency
CAD
Best months
Jun–Sep
avoid Nov–Apr (cold, snow, many services closed)
Airport
YZV
Nights
1–2
Not field-verifiedbasic guide
Print / PDF guide
3 pages, for the metro and roaming-off days
Map
Google Maps Apple Maps Street View
Rules in force · 6Crossing between the US, Canada and Mexico by land needs …Cannabis is legal in Canada and in many US states, but ta…
  • North America ↗Crossing between the US, Canada and Mexico by land needs your passport even on a day trip; rental cars need the company's written permission to cross, and most US and Canadian rental insurance stops at the Mexican border.
  • North America ↗Cannabis is legal in Canada and in many US states, but taking any amount across the US, Canadian or Mexican border is a federal crime — including edibles and vapes.
  • North America ↗The busiest US and Canadian national parks need timed-entry, campsite or lodge reservations in summer; release dates are months ahead.
  • Canada ↗Visa-exempt travellers flying to or through Canada usually need an eTA; check your passport on the official Government of Canada site (canada.ca) and apply only there.
  • Canada ↗A Parks Canada pass is needed to stop in national parks such as Banff and Jasper; some spots (for example Moraine Lake) are reached only by shuttle or tour, so book ahead.
  • Canada ↗Keep well away from bears, elk and moose; carry bear spray on Rockies trails and follow trail closures.

Port-Cartier is a mill and mining town on Québec's North Shore, 62 km west of Sept-Îles on Route 138. Travellers stop for the 11 km sand beach, the Rivière aux Rochers salmon trap and the Port-Cartier–Sept-Îles wildlife reserve. Sights are small and spread out; a car is the practical way in. One night covers the town, two nights add the reserve or a fishing day.

Essentials

Quick answers and what things cost

Quick answers

The questions people ask first about Port-Cartier, one line each. Tap a card for the full answer.

Cost cheat-sheet

2026 desk estimate · check

Typical prices for the everyday things, as ranges. Your currency is shown next to the local price.

  • CoffeeCAD 2–4
  • Street or quick mealSandwich or poutineCAD 10–18
  • Beerdraught in a bar / can at the storeCAD 7–10CAD 2–4
  • SIM or eSIM, a weekeSIM or data SIM, about a weekCAD 20–40
  • Budget bedHostel or dormitory bed, a night, per personC$35 (≈ US$30)
  • Mid-range bedMotel or inn double room, a night, per roomC$150 (≈ US$110)
  • High-end bedMotel or inn double room, a night, per roomC$240 (≈ US$180)

A day, not counting the bed: Budget C$90 (≈ US$70) · Mid C$160 (≈ US$120) · High C$280 (≈ US$250)

Local prices, with USD next to them (rates 2026-09 (approximate); change it in the header). Ranges are desk estimates: check locally. Every price and the budget calculator →

Decide

What it is known for, and when the weather works

At a glance

What the city is known for, how you fly in, and where to find the phrases.

11 km beach at Rochelois and Pointe-aux-AnglaisRivière aux Rochers salmon trapPort-Cartier–Sept-Îles wildlife reserve (SÉPAQ)Route des Baleines and Route 138
Airports
YZV Sept-Îles Airport (About 62 km east by Route 138; the practical air gateway for the region (check))

Weather and climate

Forecast from Open-Meteo · averages rounded

Port-Cartier: next 7 days

Loading forecast…

Forecast: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0), model data for this point.

Air quality

Loading…

Model estimate (CAMS via Open-Meteo), not a street-level station; readings near busy roads run higher.

Jan

−8°C

−19°C

12 rd

Feb

−7°C

−18°C

10 rd

Mar

−1°C

−11°C

11 rd

Apr

5°C

−3°C

11 rd

May

12°C

2°C

12 rd

Jun

18°C

8°C

12 rd

Jul

21°C

12°C

13 rd

Aug

20°C

11°C

13 rd

Sep

15°C

7°C

12 rd

Oct

9°C

2°C

13 rd

Nov

2°C

−4°C

13 rd

Dec

−5°C

−14°C

13 rd

High / low °C · rd = rain days

Arrive & move

Airports are listed under At a glance; this is how to move once you are in

Getting around

A car is the practical way: sights run 20–30 km along Route 138 and buses are limited. The town has about 6 km of bike paths plus a 2.6 km islands loop and a 2 km taiga trail on Patterson Island, all walkable from downtown.

See & do

Day-trips, door to door

Day-trips

Door-to-door, not ride time

Sept-Îles

go

Door to door: About 45 min by car

Route 138 west, about 62 km by car; Intercar bus also runs the corridor

Bigger town with the old trading post and boat trips to the islands; easy half-day or overnight.

Port-Cartier–Sept-Îles wildlife reserve

go

Door to door: About 30–45 min to the gate

Chemin de la Réserve-de-Sept-Îles-Port-Cartier, north of town by car

SÉPAQ reserve, open May–September: Walker Lake, MacDonald Falls footbridge, trout and salmon fishing, cabins and camping.

Pointe-aux-Anglais and Rivière-Pentecôte

go

Door to door: About 25–40 min

Route 138 west by car

Beach, Louis Langlois Museum (late Jun–late Aug, W–Su 09:00–17:00) and the Rivière-Pentecôte historic site.

Les Goélands outdoor base

caution

Door to door: About 15–20 min

Route 138 south of town by car

Trails, beach and birdwatching; open year-round but the restaurant and dormitory run on seasonal hours — check before driving out.

Eat & sleep

Which area to sleep in

Where to sleep

Areas, not hotels: pick the one that fits your arrival time and plans.

Downtown / avenue Parent

Walk to the P'tit Quai promenade, restaurants and the history centre; best for one night without a car.

Boulevard des Îles / Galeries des Îles

Mall, supermarket, motels and the road out to McCormick and Patterson islands.

Rochelois beach area

Near the beach and bike path; hostel and quieter streets, 5–10 min drive from downtown.

Pointe-aux-Anglais / Rivière-Pentecôte

West along Route 138, 20–30 km out: beach, Louis Langlois Museum, gîtes and campgrounds.

Practical

What a day costs, what to watch out for, and the pocket card

Cost per day

2026 estimate, excluding the bed unless stated
Budget
CAD 90–140 excl. bed
Mid
CAD 150–230 excl. bed
High
CAD 250+ excl. bed

Trip budget

2026 estimate · converts to your currency
Motel or inn double room1 × 1 night × C$150C$150
Food, local transport, entries2 × 1 day × C$160C$320
Rental car, one day, plus fuel1 × C$90 · checkC$90
SÉPAQ wildlife reserve day access2 × C$10 · checkC$20
eSIM, about a week of data2 × C$25C$50
Buffer 10%Price creep, a taxi you did not plan, one splurgeC$63
Trip total≈ C$347 per person per day, bed includedC$693≈ US$550

2026 estimate in Canadian dollars; travel to the region excluded. Your choices stay in this browser.

Prices of common things

CoffeeCAD 2–4
Sandwich or poutineCAD 10–18
Restaurant main, seafood or grillCAD 20–35
Beer: draught in a bar / can at the storeCAD 7–10 / CAD 2–4
Grocery run for two, one dayCAD 40–70
Fuel, 100 kmcheckCAD 12–18
eSIM or data SIM, about a weekCAD 20–40

2026 estimate; check locally.

Watch out

Safety

Small-town Québec, low street crime. The real risks are the cold outside Jun–Sep, moose and long empty stretches on Route 138, and cold water with fast tides at the unsupervised beach.
  • Distances are long: Pointe-aux-Anglais is about 25 km west of downtown, Rivière-Pentecôte further.
  • Most museums, the salmon trap and the tourist office run June to September only.
  • The Rochelois beach is unsupervised; the St. Lawrence is cold and the tide moves fast.
  • Fuel and grocery stops thin out west of town on Route 138: fill up before you leave.

Emergency numbers

Police, fire, ambulance
911
Info-Santé (health advice, 24 h)
811

Pocket card

One page · print or save as PDF

Fill in, then print or save as PDF

Stays in this browser only; nothing is sent anywhere.

Port-CartierPort-Cartier

Pocket card · Voykit

My bed tonight

—

—

—

À cette adresse, s'il vous plaîtTo this address, please

Emergency

  • Police, fire, ambulance911
  • Info-Santé (24 h health advice)811

Embassy

No embassies here; the US has a consulate general in Québec City and Montréal, and most countries keep embassies in Ottawa (check).

My embassy: —

Fare anchors (2026 estimate)

  • Intercar bus, Port-Cartier → Sept-Îles: about CAD 15–25, about 1 h (check)
  • Taxi, downtown → Rochelois beach: about CAD 12–18 (check)
  • Rental car, one day plus fuel: about CAD 80–110 (check)

Say or show

  • Bonjour — Hello (bon-ZHOOR)
  • Merci — Thank you (mair-SEE)
  • Combien ça coûte ? — How much is it? (kom-BYEN sa KOOT)
  • Puis-je payer par carte ? — Can I pay by card? (pweezh pay-YAY par KART)
  • Où est la plage ? — Where is the beach? (oo ay la PLAZH)
  • Je ne parle pas français — I don't speak French (zhuh nuh PARL pah fran-SAY)

French is the everyday language; English works in hotels and the tourist office but not everywhere on Route 138.

Deep dive

What this guide covers so far, and its sources

Not a trip line yet

This is a basic guide: no airport-to-bed contract, walking clusters or day plans are published for Port-Cartier. Airport, fare and schedule details are unverified; check the operators before you fly.

What we know, and what is coming

On this page

  1. Best months: Jun–Sep · avoid Nov–Apr (cold, snow, many services closed) · month by month →
  2. 1 airport and 4 areas to sleep in
  3. Weather: a 7-day forecast and monthly averages
  4. Cost per day in 3 bands
  5. 4 day-trips, door to door
  6. 4 things to watch out for, with emergency numbers

Coming as the guide grows

  1. Airport-to-bed contract for YZV: last flight times, taxi and shuttle fallback, overnight rung in Sept-Îles.
  2. Four walking clusters with rescue anchors: avenue Parent, boulevard des Îles, Rochelois beach, the islands.
  3. Place pages with verified cutoffs (history centre, Louis Langlois Museum, salmon trap, wildlife reserve) and eat pages with last orders.
  4. Winter and hostile arrival fixtures so gates A–D can go green.

Meanwhile

Back to Canada

Sources