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Perce Rock

Nature spots ·Perce
4.6778
#8Nature spots in Canada
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About

Percé Rock is a limestone sea stack with a natural arch in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence, opposite Percé, Quebec, and emblematic of Gaspésie.

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Perce Rock

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Why go

  • One of the world’s largest natural arches in water.
  • A 15-metre arch pierces the rock’s seaward southern end.
  • Sheer limestone walls rise 88 metres above the sea.

Don't miss

  • L’ObélisqueLook for the separate sea stack a few metres from the main rock.At the rock’s southeastern tip.
  • Percé cemetery viewpointThe closest shore viewpoint is directly across from the rock.At the cemetery opposite the rock.

History

André Breton visited in 1944, and Yvan Goll wrote a poem inspired by the rock in 1946.

  1. 1534Jacques Cartier reported three arches in the rock.
  2. 1603Samuel de Champlain saw the rock.
  3. 1607Samuel de Champlain named the rock after its holes.
  4. 17 June 1845An outer arch collapsed, leaving L’Obélisque.
  5. Early 20th centuryTourists began visiting the Percé area and Île Bonaventure.
Show all
  1. October 1944André Breton visited the area; the rock inspired his writing in Arcane 17.
  2. 1946Yvan Goll wrote the poem Le Mythe de la Roche percée in Percé, inspired by the rock.
  3. 1985The national park encompassing the rock and Bonaventure Island was founded.

Tips for your visit

  • Most visitors see the rock by boat.
  • For views from land, look from Percé or nearby Bonaventure Island.

Know before you go

  • Access to the rock’s base has been prohibited since 2009 because of repeated rockfalls and accidents.
  • Walking from shore to the rock at low tide has been prohibited since 2019 to protect nesting birds.

How to get there

  • 75 minBoatBoat trips depart from Percé and take about 75 minutes to visit the rock and Bonaventure Island.

Shorts

Interesting facts3

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  1. 150 fossil

    About 150 fossil species have been identified in the formation.

    Percé Rock - Wikipedia

  2. The rock consists of siliceous limestone with sandstone and siltstone veins.

    Percé Rock - Wikipedia
  3. 300 tonnes

    It weighs an estimated five million tonnes and loses about 300 tonnes a year to erosion.

    Percé Rock - Wikipedia

Sources: Percé Rock - Wikipedia · Percé - Wikivoyage (see) · Rocher Percé - Wikipedia · Rocher Percé - Wikipedia · checked 3 Oct 2026

Where
Perce, Perce

Plan from here: Evening walk →

Questions and answers

What does the name Percé Rock mean?

The name means “pierced rock.”

Why does Percé Rock appear connected to shore at low tide?

A sandbar, or tombolo, emerges between the mainland and the rock.

Can visitors reach the top of Percé Rock?

The summit is inaccessible because of the rock’s height.

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