Reconnect with Nature and Stay in a Mobile "Tiny House"

Bas-Saint-Laurent. This activity was part of our 3-Day Road Trip in Bas-Saint-Laurent designed for families and individuals interested in unique travel experiences.

Domaine Floravie offers “tiny house”-style mobile eco-cottages with stunning views of the St. Lawrence. Perfectly integrated into an enchanting site, their 7 non-smoking 20’ by 10’ cottages are mobile to minimize their environmental impact.

At the enchanting site of Pointe à Santerre, le Domaine Floravie offers both the conditions and the facilities that promote healing, renewal of self with nature and with environmental, social and spiritual core values.

We thoroughly enjoyed our stay in one of Domaine Floravie’s "tiny houses". Domaine Floravie’s "tiny house" is a true testament to the vision that comfort and luxury can still be attained without destroying our earth’s natural resources. Living in harmony with nature does not necessarily have to come at the cost of sacrificing comfort, and vice versa.

Overall, Domaine Floravie’s “tiny house” is perfect for camping and nature enthusiasts, and even for the ‘non-camping’ types or those of you new to camping. It felt like camping in the sense that one remains connected with nature but never once did I feel I was ‘roughing’ it - yes, even with having to use a compost toilet.

It was the first time I’ve ever heard of a compost toilet and admittedly, I was prepared for the worst. The compost toilet, however, was not what I braced myself for - it was completely odour-free, impeccably spotless, and very easy to use. The "tiny house" also came fully equipped so you do not have to worry about bringing all the typical supplies you would need to bring on a camping trip.

The "tiny house" comes with a fully-equipped kitchen (stove, fridge, kitchen utensils, dishware, french press, pots, pans, etc.), a bathroom with a compost toilet and shower, a double bed + sofa bed complete with full bedding, heating, a water heater, and a solar-powered system for the lighting and fridge. The exterior contains a picnic table, chair, and a propane BBQ.

Though there were five of us staying in the "tiny house", the recommended maximum of guests for the house is four. Kiarra did not mind sleeping on her small cot which we brought from home but to ensure your own comfort, it is best to stay within the four guest maximum.

In keeping with preserving our world’s natural resources, the water you are provided to use at the "tiny house" is limited. In other words, long showers are out of the question. The heater warms up the water nicely so though your shower may be shorter, the water is gloriously warm.

The water meant for showers and dishwashing is not safe for consumption but Domaine Floravie does provide you with safe bottled drinking water. You may wish to bring drinking water of your own especially if you intend on staying for several nights.

It is best overnight to leave the sliding washroom door open. The window in the bathroom needs to remain open at all times. I believe it has something to do with the presence of the compost toilet and ensuring the bathroom and "tiny house" remain odour-free. Because it was windy the evening we stayed, the wind blowing through the bathroom window also blew on the closed bathroom’s sliding door. Throughout the night, banging sounds from the door reverberated as the wind blew against it. When I realized what was causing the knocking sounds, I left the sliding door open at which point the sounds ceased.

Parc National du Bic (approx 10 min drive away) where we went seal-watching.

Pointe-au-Père Maritime Historic Site (approx 25 min drive away) where we boarded Canada's first publicly accessible submarine

May to October

100, route Santerre, Rimouski (Quebec), Canada G0L 1B0

Mobile eco-cottages (minimum 2 nights): $140 to $180 based on single or double occupancy, depending on the season (see website for more rates).

Additional Person Mobile eco-cottages: $20/day (aged 6+), free if under 6.

Domaine Floravie

Disclosure: All or a portion of this event was sponsored or provided at a reduced cost in exchange for coverage on our site. All opinions expressed on our site are our own - no pretenses here!

Photo: Domaine Floravie