Something that is a must when in the Charlevoix/Manicouagan area is to take a whale watching guided tour. Tadoussac is the best known spot and there’s a number of companies offering excursions from there, either by large boat or Zodiac that generally last between 2 – 3 hours.

I will be sharing some whale shots in the next post, but today I have a couple of shots taken of the other main attraction – the Tadoussac hotel  – and some taken during the ferry crossing that is necessary to reach Tadoussac from Baie-Sainte-Catherine (without taking a very long diversion via the town of Saguenay).

There are normally 3 ferries constantly going back and forth across the narrow entrance to the Saguenay Fjord. However when we were there, there were only 2 operating, causing long delays…I think it took us about 2 hours waiting in line for the 15 minute crossing. Talks of building a bridge have apparently re-surfaced as a result.

Crossing the Saguenay River by ferry
ISO 100 – 20mm – f8 – 1/500 sec

Tadoussac
ISO 200 – 20mm – f6.3 – 1/800 sec

You can see from the next few images that the morning was a bit foggy.

Fisherman on the Tadoussac pier
ISO 100 – 20mm – f8 – 1/320 sec

Tadoussac Hotel
ISO 100 – 70mm – f8 – 1/400 sec

Tadoussac Hotel
ISO 100 – 70mm – f8 – 1/500 sec

Tadoussac was founded in 1600 and became the center of fur trading between the French and First Nations peoples. 

The Tadoussac hotel opened its doors in 1864. Although the present day hotel dates back to the 1940’s following the original hotel being destroyed by fire.

A claim to fame for the hotel was it being used for many outside scenes in the 1984 film The Hotel New Hampshire based on John Irving‘s 1981 novel of the same name and featuring Jodie Foster and Beau Bridges. 

Tadoussac Hotel
ISO 200 – 13mm – f6.3 – 1/500 sec

The front of the Tadoussac Hotel
ISO 200 – 10mm – f6.3 – 1/1250 sec

View from Tadoussac Hotel gardens
ISO 200 – 75mm – f6.3 – 1/200 sec

Tadoussac Hotel
ISO 200 – 70mm – f6.3 – 1/200 sec (-2ev/0/+2ev)

Tadoussac Hotel
ISO 200 – 70mm – f6.3 – 1/200 sec

The Tadoussac chapel – also known as the Indians’ Chapel – located next to the hotel was built by Jesuit missionaries in their efforts to convert the Montagnais to Christianity. This chapel is the oldest wooden church in North America and still contains some of the original religious items used when the chapel was first constructed over two and a half centuries ago after the first trading post was built by Pierre Chauvin in the early 1600’s.

View from beside Tadoussac church
ISO 200 – 70mm – f6.3 – 1/200 sec

Thankfully there was hardly any queue for the return ferry crossing and we timed it just right to be crossing just before sunset.

Sunset over the Saguenay river
ISO 200 – 18mm – f13 – 1/200 sec

I spotted this couple enjoying the sunset.

Sunset on the Tadoussac ferry
ISO 200 – 11.5mm – f13 – 1/200 sec

Thanks for stopping by. Until next time.

– Martin

Montréal in Pictures

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