Rivière-du-Loup, the River of the Wolf, takes its name from the sea wolves, which is what the early French called the seals that basked on the rocks at the river mouth. The town of nearly nineteen thousand sits on the south shore of the St. Lawrence at the point where the estuary has widened so much that the opposite bank, the mountains of Charlevoix, is a blue line twenty-five kilometres away. It is the end of this ride, and it is a good place to arrive, with a harbour, a waterfall in the middle of town and several decent restaurants.
The falls, in a small park close to the centre, drop about thirty metres into a gorge, and a walk to the lookout takes only a few minutes from the car park. Beyond the town, the river is full of life. Belugas, minke whales and fin whales feed in the estuary, and boat trips run from the harbour in summer, while the islands offshore, including Île Verte, with its old lighthouse, are bird sanctuaries. Cacouna, nine kilometres to the northeast, was a fashionable resort in the nineteenth century, and the old villas along the shore recall that time.
The ride here along the south shore, on Route 132, is a pleasant one, with farmland, small villages and views across the river, though less dramatic than the north shore with its steep hills. The roads are flat or gently rolling, with long straight sections, and the traffic is steady. Wind off the river can be strong, and temperatures drop quickly in the evening, even in summer, so keep a layer in the pannier. Fog is common in spring and early summer.
The town is a crossroads. The ferry to Saint-Siméon on the north shore leaves from the harbour, taking about an hour, and gives a rest and a view, and a chance to loop back through Charlevoix. Highway 185 heads south to New Brunswick, and Route 132 continues east around the Gaspé Peninsula. Rivière-du-Loup has fuel stations, supermarkets, motels and restaurants, and the evening is best spent on the waterfront, watching the sun go down over the river and the lights come on across the water.