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Major city · Canada

Saint-Aimé-des-Lacs

Base here 2 nights only if you want a lake chalet and Grands-Jardins or Hautes-Gorges trailheads; otherwise sleep in La Malbaie and drive through.

Weather
see forecast
Currency
CAD
Best months
Jun–Sep for lakes and hiking; late Jan–Mar for snowmobile and ice fishing
avoid Nov and April (mud season, closed trails, few services)
Airports
YQB · YUL
Nights
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.

Saint-Aimé-des-Lacs is a small Charlevoix-Est municipality of about 1,070 people strung along Route 138 and the shores of lakes Nairne and Sainte-Marie, inside the Charlevoix crater rim. It has no real village centre, no station and almost no services: its value is chalets, campgrounds and quick access to the mountains north of Route 138. Travellers who want restaurants, a waterfront and a walkable core stay in La Malbaie, 20–25 minutes east.

Essentials

Quick answers and what things cost

Quick answers

The questions people ask first about Saint-Aimé-des-Lacs, 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.

  • CoffeeCoffee or pastry in La MalbaieC$4–8 (≈ US$3–6)
  • Street or quick mealDépanneur sandwich or frozen mealC$8–15 (≈ US$6–11)
  • Beer500 ml at a grocery storeC$3–5 (≈ US$3–4)
  • Budget bedCampground pitch (Base de Plein Air du Lac-Nairne), a night, per roomC$40 (≈ US$30)
  • Mid-range bedCampground pitch (Base de Plein Air du Lac-Nairne), a night, per roomC$55 (≈ US$40)
  • High-end bedCampground pitch (Base de Plein Air du Lac-Nairne), a night, per roomC$75 (≈ US$55)

A day, not counting the bed: Budget C$90 (≈ US$70) · Mid C$170 (≈ US$130) · High C$320 (≈ 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.

Lac Nairne and Lac Sainte-Marie chaletsHippodrome de la ValléeMusée de la draveGateway to Parc national des Grands-Jardins
Airports
YQB Québec City Jean Lesage (About 1 h 35 min by car via Route 138 east; no direct bus to the village) · YUL Montréal-Trudeau (About 4 h 30 min by car; most overseas arrivals land here)

Weather and climate

Forecast from Open-Meteo · averages rounded

Saint-Aimé-des-Lacs: 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

−7°C

−17°C

14 rd

Feb

−5°C

−16°C

12 rd

Mar

1°C

−10°C

12 rd

Apr

8°C

−2°C

12 rd

May

16°C

4°C

13 rd

Jun

21°C

9°C

13 rd

Jul

24°C

12°C

13 rd

Aug

23°C

11°C

13 rd

Sep

18°C

7°C

13 rd

Oct

11°C

2°C

14 rd

Nov

4°C

−4°C

14 rd

Dec

−3°C

−12°C

15 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

You need a car. Route 138 runs through the municipality but the village is set back from the St. Lawrence; the chemin du Pied-des-Monts climbs north toward the Grands-Jardins east entrance. Intercar coaches stop on Route 138 at the Saint-Agnès junction, not at the village, so a bus arrival means a taxi or a pre-arranged lift. Fuel, groceries and restaurants are in La Malbaie or Clermont.

See & do

Day-trips, door to door

Day-trips

Door-to-door, not ride time

Parc national des Grands-Jardins

go

Door to door: About 45 min

Car via chemin du Pied-des-Monts to the east entrance

Dogs are not allowed on the trails; check the SEPAQ site for the daily access quota.

Parc national des Hautes-Gorges-de-la-rivière-Malbaie

go

Door to door: About 1 h

Car via Route 138 and Clermont, then the access road

The Acropole-des-Draveurs trail climbs about 800 m; start early.

La Malbaie

go

Door to door: 20–25 min

Car east on Route 138

Restaurants, casino, Manoir Richelieu and the Charlevoix crater interpretation centre.

Baie-Saint-Paul

go

Door to door: About 40 min

Car west on Route 138

Best food and gallery stop in the region.

L'Isle-aux-Coudres

go

Door to door: About 1 h 15 min

Car to Saint-Joseph-de-la-Rive, then the free ferry

Ferry runs year-round; check the crossing times before you leave.

Eat & sleep

Which area to sleep in

Where to sleep

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

Lac Nairne shore

Chalets, gîtes and the Base de Plein Air campground; the densest cluster of beds and the best lake access.

Rue Principale / Route 138 strip

Motel, gîtes, dépanneur and the racetrack; you need a car for everything.

Lac Sainte-Marie south side

Quieter chalets and gîtes; nearest food shop is a short drive.

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
C$90–140 (≈ US$70–110) excl. bed
Mid
C$150–240 (≈ US$110–180) excl. bed
High
C$260 (≈ US$190)+ excl. bed

Trip budget

2026 estimate · converts to your currency
Gîte room with breakfast1 × 2 nights × C$150C$300
Food, local transport, entries2 × 2 days × C$170C$680
Compact car rental, one day1 × C$80C$80
Fuel, about 150 km of local driving1 × C$20C$20
Groceries for self-catering, per person per day4 × C$35C$140
National park day entry, per person2 × C$9C$18
Buffer 10%Price creep, a taxi you did not plan, one splurgeC$124
Trip total≈ C$341 per person per day, bed includedC$1,362≈ US$1,000

2026 estimate in Canadian dollars, before sales tax; a car is assumed. Your choices stay in this browser.

Prices of common things

Coffee or pastry in La MalbaieC$4–8 (≈ US$3–6)
Dépanneur sandwich or frozen mealC$8–15 (≈ US$6–11)
Casual restaurant main in La MalbaieC$20–35 (≈ US$15–30)
Beer, 500 ml at a grocery storeC$3–5 (≈ US$3–4)
Fuel, 1 LC$1.60–1.90 (≈ US$2)
Canoe or kayak rental, one hourC$15–25 (≈ US$11–19)

2026 estimate; check locally.

Watch out

Safety

Very low crime; the real risks are driving (moose at dusk, winter ice), cold water in the lakes and long response times if you get hurt on a trail. Tell someone your route and carry a charged phone.
  • No taxi rank, no rideshare coverage and patchy phone signal on the mountain roads: pre-book transfers.
  • Moose and deer on Route 138 and the Pied-des-Monts road at dawn and dusk.
  • Winter tires are mandatory in Québec from 1 December to 15 March; many chalet driveways are not ploughed.
  • Most chalets and campgrounds take bookings only through their own sites, and many close from mid-October to mid-May.

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.

Saint-Aimé-des-LacsSaint-Aimé-des-Lacs

Pocket card · Voykit

My bed tonight

—

—

—

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

Emergency

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

Embassy

No consulate here. US consulate general in Montréal or Québec City; most other countries: embassies in Ottawa, consulates in Montréal.

My embassy: —

Fare anchors (2026 estimate)

  • Québec City → Saint-Agnès junction, Intercar: about 1 h 35 min; check the current timetable and fare
  • La Malbaie → Saint-Aimé-des-Lacs, taxi: about C$35–50 (≈ US$30–40), 20–25 min
  • Ferry Saint-Joseph-de-la-Rive → L'Isle-aux-Coudres: free for passengers and cars, about 15 min

Say or show

  • Bonjour — Hello (bon-ZHOOR)
  • Merci — Thank you (mair-SEE)
  • Parlez-vous anglais ? — Do you speak English? (par-lay VOO ahn-GLEH)
  • J'ai une réservation — I have a reservation (zhay oon ray-zair-va-SYON)
  • C'est combien ? — How much is it? (say kom-BYEN)
  • Où est le départ du sentier ? — Where is the trailhead? (oo ay luh day-PAR doo sahn-TYAY)

Print this card before you drive north: signal is weak on the Pied-des-Monts road.

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 Saint-Aimé-des-Lacs. 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 for lakes and hiking; late Jan–Mar for snowmobile and ice fishing · avoid Nov and April (mud season, closed trails, few services) · month by month →
  2. 2 airports and 3 areas to sleep in
  3. Weather: a 7-day forecast and monthly averages
  4. Cost per day in 3 bands
  5. 5 day-trips, door to door
  6. 4 things to watch out for, with emergency numbers

Coming as the guide grows

  1. An airport-to-bed path that says whether a late landing still works
  2. Walking clusters with bag rules
  3. Day plans checked against opening hours
  4. Field-verified times and fares

Meanwhile

Back to Canada

Sources