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Voykit pocket guide · Canada
Saint-Irénée
Give Saint-Irénée one night, not a base: a beach village on Route 362 with a summer concert hall, 20 min from La Malbaie by car.
Saint-Irénée is a small Charlevoix village of about 674 people on the north shore of the St. Lawrence, between Baie-Saint-Paul and La Malbaie. Its draw is the beach, the cliff, the Domaine Forget concert hall and a handful of restaurants and inns. Most travellers see it as a stop on the Route du Fleuve, not a destination in itself.
- Country
- Canada
- Best months
- Jun–Sep for the beach and concerts; Feb for snow and quiet
- Avoid
- Nov and early Dec (mud season, many places closed)
- Stay
- 1 night
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 C$90–140 excl. bed · Mid C$150–230 excl. bed · High C$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, ambulance 911 · Info-Santé (24 h) 811
- 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 | C$3–5 |
| Casual lunch (soup, sandwich) | C$15–25 |
| Dinner main, mid-range restaurant | C$25–40 |
| Domaine Forget concert ticket | C$30–60 |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | C$15–40 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- YBG · Saint-Irénée regional airport
- Small MRC-run field, 400 rang Sainte-Madeleine; no scheduled airline service — check before planning around it
- YQB · Québec City Jean Lesage
- Main gateway; about 1 h 30 min by car via route 138 and 362
Typical fares
- Québec City → Saint-Irénée by car
- about 124 km, 1 h 30 min (check)about 77 mi, 1 h 30 min (check)
- Taxi La Malbaie → Saint-Irénée
- C$35–50 (check)
- Ferry Saint-Joseph-de-la-Rive → L'Isle-aux-Coudres
- free, about 15 min (check)
Get around
A car is the practical choice: the village is spread along route 362 and the beach, the church and Domaine Forget sit 1–3 km apart. There is no local bus. Walking works only if you sleep on chemin des Bains. Taxis come from La Malbaie — book ahead.A car is the practical choice: the village is spread along route 362 and the beach, the church and Domaine Forget sit 0.6–1.9 mi apart. There is no local bus. Walking works only if you sleep on chemin des Bains. Taxis come from La Malbaie — book ahead.
See and do
Known for
- Village beach and moraine cliff
- Domaine Forget music festival
- Route du Fleuve (route 362)
- Capelin fishing in spring
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| La Malbaie | Route 362 east, about 20 min by car | About 30 min |
| Baie-Saint-Paul | Route 362 west, about 30 min by car | About 40 min |
| Les Éboulements | Route 362 west, about 15 min by car | About 20 min |
| L'Isle-aux-Coudres | Drive to Saint-Joseph-de-la-Rive, then the free ferry | About 1 h |
| Saint-Siméon | Route 138 north-east, about 50 min by car | About 1 h |
| Saint-Hilarion | Route 138 inland, about 20 min by car | About 30 min |
Sleep
- Chemin des Bains (beach strip)
- Walk to the sand and the jetty; most restaurants and the hotel cluster here.
- Rue Principale (village centre)
- Church, cemetery and a few inns on the moraine top; 5–10 min walk down to the beach.
- Rang Saint-Antoine / rang Terrebonne
- Farmland and Domaine Forget; you need a car for everything.
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 beach? | Où est la plage ?oo ay la PLAZH |
| The bill, please | L'addition, s'il vous plaîtla-dee-SYON seel voo PLEH |
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
- Many restaurants and shops close from October to May; check opening before you drive in.
- The beach is river, not ocean: currents and cold water — swim near others, not alone.
- Cell coverage is patchy in the backcountry rangs.
- Route 362 is a two-lane cliff road with cyclists and fog; drive it in daylight.
Very low crime; the real risks are the cold river, the cliff road in fog and winter ice. 911 works everywhere.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Saint-Irénée yet. Suggested stay: 1 night. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Village beach and moraine cliff
- Domaine Forget music festival
- Route du Fleuve (route 362)
- Capelin fishing in spring
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Tourisme Charlevoix: www.tourisme-charlevoix.com/
- Domaine Forget: www.domaineforget.com
- Wikivoyage: Saint-Irénée, revision 5211524 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5211524
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Saint-Irénée
À cette adresse, s'il vous plaît
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassy here; the US consulate-general is in Québec City, most other countries' embassies are in Ottawa.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/saint-irenee). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.