Regions in Brief

A coast-hugging road -- Route 368, also called chemin Royal and, in a few stretches, chemin de Bout-de-l'Ile -- circles the island, 34km (21 miles) long and 8km (5 miles) wide, and another couple of roads bisect it. Farms and picturesque houses dot the east side, and abundant apple orchards enliven the west side.

There are six tiny villages, originally established as parishes, and so each has a church as its focal point. Some are stone churches that date from the days of the French regime, and with fewer than a dozen such churches left in all of Québec province, this is a particular point of pride. It's possible to do a circuit of Ile d'Orléans in half a day, but you can justify a full day if you eat a good meal, visit a sugar shack, do a little gallery hopping, or just skip stones from the beach. If you're strapped for time, loop around as far as St-Jean then drive across the island on Route du Mitan ("Middle Road"). You'll get to the bridge by turning left onto Route 368 West.

For much of the year you can meander around the island at 40kmph (25 mph), having to pull over only occasionally to let a car pass. There is no bike path, which means bikers share the narrow rural roads. Cars need to drive with care in the busiest summer months, and cyclists might want to visit any month but July or August.

Important navigational note: Street numbers on the ring road "chemin Royal" start anew in each village, so that you could pass a no. 1000 chemin Royal in one stretch and then another no. 1000 chemin Royal a few minutes later. Be sure you know not just the number of your destination but which village it's in as well.

Ste-Pétronille

The first village reached on the recommended counterclockwise tour is Ste-Pétronille, only 3km (1 3/4 miles) from the bridge (take a right turn off the bridge). When the British occupied the island in 1759, General James Wolfe had his headquarters here before launching his successful attack on Québec City. The village is best known for its Victorian inn, La Goéliche , and also claims the northernmost stand of red oaks in North America, dazzling in autumn. The houses were once the summer homes of wealthy English in the 1800s; the church dates from 1871. Even if you don't stay at the inn, drive down to the water's edge, where there's a small public area with benches and views of Québec City. Strolling down the picturesque rue Laflamme is another pleasant way to while away an hour.

St-Laurent

From Ste-Pétronille, continue on Route 368, which is called "chemin de Bout-de-l'Ile" for a few minutes here. After 7km (4 1/3 miles), you'll arrive at St-Laurent, founded in 1679, once a boat-building center turning out ships for Glasgow shipowners that could carry up to 5,300 tons. To learn more about the town's maritime history, head down to the water and visit Le Parc Maritime de St-Laurent (tel. 418/828-9672), an active boatyard from 1908 to 1967. Before the bridge was built, islanders journeyed across the river to Québec City by boat from here. The Maritime Park incorporates the old Godbout Boatworks and offers demonstrations of the craft. It's open daily from 10am to 5pm mid-June through early September.

St-Jean

St-Jean, 6km (3 3/4 miles) from St-Laurent, was home to sea captains. That might be why the houses in the village appear more luxurious than others on the island. The creamy yellow "Scottish brick" in the facades of several of the homes was ballast in boats that came over from Europe. The village church was built in 1734, and the walled cemetery is the final resting place of many fishermen and seafarers.

On the left as you enter St-Jean is the stately and well-preserved Manoir Mauvide-Genest, 1451 chemin Royal (tel. 418/829-2630). Jean Mauvide was a French surgeon who settled here in 1720. He went on to acquire much of the western part of the island and built this small estate in 1752, becoming one of the leading figures in New France. The manor house is unlike any other building on the island and filled with authentic and reproduction furnishings of Mauvide's era; it's classified as a historic monument. Guided tours are available by reservation. Extensively restored in the past 10 years, the manor is open daily from 10am to 5pm May through November 1, and by reservation the rest of the year. Admission is C$5 (US$4.35/£2.15) for adults, C$2 (US$1.75/85p) for children under 12.

The manor also has a restaurant with an outdoor terrace and river views serving light meals -- soups and salads, assorted pâtés and cheeses, smoked trout, a quiche du jour, antipasto plates -- as well as formal repasts of three to five courses starting at C$14 (US$12/£6). It's open Tuesday through Sunday from 11:30am to well into the evening, depending on business. Call tel. 418/829-2630 for reservations.

Also in St-Jean is the La Sucrerie Blouin, 2967 chemin Royal (tel. 418/829-2903), a cabane à sucre (the traditional "sugar shack"), where maple syrup is made and casual all-you-can-eat meals are available. A family of bakers who have lived on the island for 300 years runs this place. See demonstrations of the syrup-making equipment and get debriefed on the process that turns the sap of a tree into syrup.

If you're pressed for time, this is where you can pick up Route du Mitan, which crosses Ile d'Orléans from here to St-Famille on the west side of the island. Route du Mitan is marked with a small sign on the left just past the church in St-Jean. Even if you're continuing the full loop, a detour down the road is a diverting tour through farmland and forest; return to St-Jean and proceed east on Route 368 to St-François.

St-François

The 9km (5 2/3-mile) drive from St-Jean to St-François exposes vistas of the Laurentian Mountains off to the left on the western shore of the river. Just past the village center of St-Jean, Mont Ste-Anne can be seen in the distance, its slopes scored by ski trails. The St. Lawrence River, a constant and mighty presence, is 10 times wider here than when it flows past Québec City, and can be viewed especially well from the town's observation tower. Regrettably, the town's original church (1734) burned in 1988. It was replaced in 1992.

After you've looped around the northern edge of the island, the road stops being Route 358 East and becomes Route 368 West.

Ste-Famille

Founded in 1661, Ste-Famille is the oldest parish on the island and 8km (5 miles) from St-François. Across the road from the triple-spired church (1743) is the convent of Notre-Dame Congregation, founded in 1685 by Marguerite Bourgeoys, one of Montréal's prominent early citizens.

Also here is the Maison de nos Aïeux, 3907 chemin Royal (tel. 418/829-0330) a genealogy center with mini-movies about some of the island's oldest families and information about the island's history. It's open 10 months a year (closed Dec and Jan), daily in the summer from 10am to 6pm, and costs C$3 (US$2.60/£1.30). Adjacent is the Parc des Ancêtres, a riverside green space with picnic tables.

St-Pierre

When you reach St-Pierre, you're nearly back to where you started. Its central attraction is the island's oldest church (1717). Services are no longer held there, but there's a large handicraft shop in the back, behind the altar, which is even older than the church (1695).

The orchard Bilodeau at 2200 chemin Royal (tel. 418/828-9316) makes for a satisfying final stop on the island. It produces some of Ile d'Orléans's regular ciders and cidre de glace, or ice cider, an after-dinner drink made from apples left on the trees until after the first frost. Visitors can partake of samples, guided tours of the facility, apple picking from mid-August to mid-October, and a shop. Open May through December and by appointment the rest of the year.

If you're still hungry, the Buffet d'Orléans, 1025 route Prévost (tel. 418/828-0013) just at the bridge, is an old-time diner where the waitresses wear white skirts and black aprons, the bread comes in plastic, and the walls are faux stone. Get the tourtière maison, a homemade meat pie in a crust, served with two scoops of mashed potatoes and vegetables, for about C$10 ($8.70/£4.30). Open daily 7am to 9pm year-round, and to 11pm in the summer.