Ready for the next introspective look at bays around the world? Bays that make up the most beautiful bays in the world club? Cool. Killer bays in all their glory part deux … right here, right now.
Baie des Chaleurs, Qu?bec and New Brunswick, Canada
Tourists with standup comedy dreams and rudimentary knowledge of French are prone to remark about gorgeous Baie des Chaleurs: “Hey, isn’t this Canada?” Canadians who live near the Bay of Warmth – the translation is terribly insufficient – don’t care for that kind of talk. And the hearty folk of Qu?bec and New Brunswick can be a rather surly lot if provoked, so watch the Canuck humour eh?
In all seriousness though, Baie des Chaleurs is a charming tourist destination just west of the Gulf of St. Lawrence and certainly deserves beautiful bay status. Within a sunken valley of the Restigouche River and smack dab in the Appalachian Mountain chain, the bay draws scores of visitors every year. Some rent homes on the water for peace, quiet and recreation while some cruise the Acadian Coastal Trail in New Brunswick and visit the bay en route. At 170 km long, Baie des Chaleurs is prodigious. When explorer Jacques Cartier first came here in the summer 1534, the humidity must have been intense. How else to explain the odd name? At any rate, a series of great little towns dot the area and provide great road trip material, in addition to a wealth of attractions.
A long drive, if not boat ride, from Baie des Chaleurs, takes you to the quaint and very popular tourist town of Tadoussac. At the north shore confluence of the St. Lawrence River where it meets the Saguenay River, the bay is a great spot to watch at least seven different types of whales. Most visitors come to do exactly that, not to mention revel in typical Qu?bec village hospitality. There is an incredible amount of history in this part of Canada.
Unprecedented history in fact, as Tadoussac is the oldest European settlement in North America. The town was France’s first commercial post in the New World, way back in 1599. A wooden chapel from that era still exists, the oldest on the continent of course. If you like wilderness, Tadoussac Bay is a terrific spot. The first national marine park in Canada is here, not to mention scores of national parks and preservation areas in the vicinity. Being in Tadoussac really reminds you how rugged and vast Qu?bec is, especially north of the metropolitan regions of Montr?al and Qu?bec City.
Stay in beautiful Montr?al with great hotel deals and explore Qu?bec from there.
Apparently the beautiful bay club is a little lax in their bay definitions. How do you explain the membership of the Straits of Magellan? Charity? Or maybe the opposite. Maybe with the Straits of Magellan as poster child, they bolster interest in their little NGO club. Who knows. Whatever the case, the Straits are a phenomenal location. Before the Panama Canal was built, this was the way from one ocean to the next.
At nearly 600 km long, the strait encompasses some of the most robust but beautiful land in Chile and parts of Argentina. The Drake Passage for example, contains turbulent, icy waters and marks the point where South America and Antarctica separate. Other points of interest include the Magdalena Channel and Los Ping?inos Natural Monument, home to a massive colony of native penguins. A host of nature reserves line the strait and serve as wonderful points of interest. Francisco Coloane Coastal and Marine Area protects humpback whales in particular and a number of small islands, many of them remnants of the Andes Mountains, serve as homes to curious bird, animal and plant life.
An official site of the 2008 Olympic Games, Qingdao Bay is bound to be a popular location as the world hones in on China for the premier event. The city of Qingdao is itself impressive, with well over 7 million people and a designation as one of China’s most livable. At different times througout a human history that dates back over 6,000 years, Qingdao Bay and the city in particular, has been a major hub in China. Take Taoism for instance. The movement began in Qingdao. Now as a major industrial and naval seaport, with seven urban districts that specialize in the sectors of home appliances, petrochemicals, automobiles and electronics, Qingdao boasts a different type of importance.
Jokes aside, tourists do come to Qingdao for the bay. The insular nature of the city, thanks again to the bay, results in temperate weather for most of the year. Great scenery is abundant, most notable the seaside variety. In addition, because of foreign commercial interests in the port city over the years, Qingdao has some remarkable and for China, rather strange architecture. A German castle for example, as well as a cathedral in Gothic Roman style. Lush gardens, Taoist temples, great museums and a stretch of beach that offers ideal escape from the city all contribute to the appeal of Qingdao Bay.
Plan ahead for your next trip to China with superb rates on hotels.
Photo credits: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8
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