On the outdoor terrace at Fairmont Le Manoir Richelieu, the silver St. Lawrence River stretches beyond view, and a dark sky full of stars swims to its edges. Here, the river runs wide enough to be an ocean, if not for that faint trace of Kamouraska’s monadnocks on the other side. Roasting marshmallows from a Muskoka chair in front of the fire pit, you could be fooled into thinking you are camping, save for the Châteauesque manoir that looms behind you.

Like other Fairmont properties across Canada, this manoir sits on an enviable perch. The five-hour drive from Montreal, or two-hour drive from Quebec City, up and down the hills of Baie-Saint-Paul and Les Éboulements, winds into a suspense-building wraparound turn and ascent to the clifftops of Pointe-au-Pic. Below the bluffs, the town of La Malbaie bustles in a quiet riverside way, with Chez Chantal’s lobster rolls drawing the biggest crowd.

For dinner with a view, book a table at the manoir’s Restaurant Le Saint-Laurent, where the waterway shines through the dining room’s picture windows and on the plate: all ingredients on the evening menu, including a fresh catch of Arctic char and halibut, are sourced within a 50-kilometre radius. After dinner, for a drink with a view, head to Bar La Brise, a loungy lobby bar frequented by local musicians.

There’s recreation to be had with a view, too. Next door, the fairways of a 27-hole golf course spill from the clifftop to the forest’s edge. On colder days, an underground passageway leads guests to the Casino de Charlevoix. Or embrace the chill with an Elixir Ice Cider Body Wrap at the on-site Moment Spa.