Anticosti

Anticosti is a large island in the Gulf of St. Lawrence belonging to the province of Quebec, Canada, notable for its remote, largely undeveloped landscape and rich natural history. The island covers roughly 7,900 square kilometres and stretches over 200 kilometres east to west, making it one of Quebec’s largest islands.

The landscape is dominated by boreal forest, river valleys and limestone coastal cliffs, with numerous salmon rivers and extensive wildlife populations including a high-density introduced population of white-tailed deer. The island’s geology contains sedimentary sequences that preserve fossils and a varied coastal morphology.

Human settlement is minimal and concentrated in the village of Port-Menier on the western shore, which functions as the administrative and logistical base for visitors. Access is typically by scheduled ferry or small aircraft, and facilities are limited outside the main settlement.

Anticosti lies in the Gulf of St. Lawrence off Quebec’s Côte-Nord region and is administered by the province of Quebec; the island’s isolation and scale are defining features for visitors.

• Remoteness and access: The island is large and sparsely populated, with much of its appeal tied to remote wilderness, river fishing and coastal cliffs; transport links are seasonal and limited.
• Main settlement and transport: Port-Menier is the principal service hub with air and ferry connections that are subject to weather and seasonal schedules.

What to See #

• Port-Menier: Port-Menier, the main settlement on the island located on the western coast, which serves as the island's service centre and ferry terminus.