610 km of happiness Biking the Acadian Peninsula BY SHELLEY CAMERON-MCCARRON
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In fact, this cycling gem, which parallels fields, forest, sea and road and borders both Chaleur Bay and the Gulf of St. Lawrence, connects more than 300 kilometres of trail— most of it paved and generally flat, making it ideal for all, from beginners and families to experienced cyclists. In all, the VPA covers more than 600 kilometres with its 14 circuits connecting municipalities, towns, fishing ports and local service districts. We’re told one can cycle all the way up to Miscou Island, at the peninsula’s edge. Here, cyclists can follow rivers famed for trout fishing, see fields of blueberries, pull over to gaze upon majestic churches, detour for a beach break, call into award-winning Distillerie Fils du Roi for a tasting of their renowned gin, ride past peat bogs and marshes, see oyster farming, listen to the
sound of the sea, bike out to lighthouses, breathe in the scent of forest fresh air—and perhaps best of all take a deep dive into Acadian culture on this peninsula of some 50,000 inhabitants, famously known for their hospitality, joie de vivre and living history. Armand Caron, special advisor VPA, rides daily through different sections of the Véloroute Péninsule acadienne, and he knows firsthand its benefits—including trail points providing access to the sea, where he often stops to admire the beauty of the surroundings and appreciate the presence of birds and ducks of various species. Says Caron: “I regularly use the 70 km off-road trail, which allows me to bike safely. The Véloroute also allows me to meet cyclists from here and elsewhere, to visit other communities, businesses, tourist attractions
CLAUDE CÔTÉ
ore than 610 kilometres of happiness. That’s how the biking trail, Véloroute de la Péninsule acadienne (VPA), bills itself, and on this gorgeous September afternoon, a day when the sun is warm and the world full of possibility, I couldn’t agree more. My husband and I have detoured off a terrific road trip through northeast New Brunswick to rent bikes in Tracadie-Sheila. That’s how we find ourselves sailing off onto a quick adventure, breathing in sweet freedom as we pedal past marshland and over little bridges, heady with excitement as we sample a small section of the Véloroute, a much-loved network of small and large biking circuits running throughout the countryside that—amazingly—covers the whole of the Acadian Peninsula.
Véloroute de la Péninsule acadienne, Tracadie
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NEW BRUNSWICK
