Last Updated on 27th October 2023 by Sophie Nadeau
Many people don’t know this, but there’s actually a part of France that’s also a part of North America. Saint Pierre and Miquelon are sparsely populated islands located close to Newfoundland in Canada. Here’s your guide to St Pierre and Miquelon, as well as things to do there and how to visit!
The name Miquelon is thought to derive from the Basque version of “Michael” (Mikel). In French, the collectivity is known as Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon and this is the last piece of French Territory remaining in North America.
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What and where is Saint Pierre and Miquelon?
The archipelago is only 242 km2 and has a population of only around 6000 residents and is located in the Atlantic Ocean. But what clearly makes the islands so unique is that they are a part of France in North America.
There is evidence that the archipelago has been inhabited since prehistoric times, though there is no evidence that there was anyone living on the islands when Europeans arrived in the 16th-century.
At this time, the island was inhabited by Basque fishermen, though be the middle of the 17th-century, the archipelago was permanently inhabited. The British took control of the islands in 1713, 1778, 1794, 1803, and 1815, (though the French regained control in between these times). France has been in control of the island permanently since 1816.
Today, the islands are a self-governing territorial overseas collectivity of France (this is known as a collectivité d’outre-mer in French, COM for short). St Pierre and Miquelon is one of six such COMs. The collectivity has the same president as the rest of France. The closest city is that of Fortune, in Newfoundland.
While most residents live on the island of Saint Pierre, Saint Miquelon (also sometimes referred to as Grande Miquelon or Miquelon Langlade) is larger and more rural. Miquelon-Langlade and Saint Pierre are two separate islands and also happen to be the two municipalities that make up the overseas collectivity.
Does it feel like France?
I must preface answering this question by say that Saint Michel and Michelon doesn’t just feel like France. It is France. Despite the fact that you’re just off the coast of Canada, St Pierre and Miquelon is decidedly French and many of its residents feel patriotic towards France, despite it being thousands of miles away.
All around the archipelago, visitors can expect to see tricolour French flags, typical French food such as baguettes, and traditional French fashion. Citizens of the island are French citizens and the capital of the Com is Saint Pierre.
Do they speak English in St. Pierre and Miquelon?
As Saint Pierre and Miquelon is technically in France, the official language of the island is French. With this being said, many locals speak English (especially those working in the tourism sector) and so you should be able to get by just fine with only speaking English (though learning a little French is always polite and appreciated).
Things to do in Saint Pierre and Miquelon
Spy the colourful wooden houses in St Pierre
One of the defining features of the archipelago are the candy coloured wooden houses that line the towns and are beautiful to photograph. This is particularly true of downtown St Pierre, which feels distinctly French. The town of St Pierre is fairly compact and so is easily explored on foot and you won’t need to rent your own transportation.
Go on an excursion to Île Aux Marins (Sailors’ Island)
Those who head to Île aux Marins will be able to delve deep into the history of the islands and learn about St Pierre and Miquelon’s rich fishing history. Ferries run between St Pierre and the island on a regular basis in the summer months. Until 1931, this island was known as Île-aux-Chiens (island of the dogs).
The island was its own commune until 1945, when it was annexed by Saint Pierre, before becoming a ghost town in the 1960s. Nowadays, there are no permanent residents of Sailors’ Island, though some residents of the other islands have fishing homes there.
A number of the buildings on the island are still standing. Constructions of note include the church of Eglise Notre-Dame-des-Marins, several fishermen’s houses, and the former school, which has since been transformed into the Archipélitude Museum.
Visit Musée de l’Arche
Yet another place on the archipelago where visitors can learn about the history of Saint Pierre and Miquelon is at Musée de l’Arche, which is on the edge of the water in Saint Pierre. Unfortunately, the museum is only in French and so is probably only worth visiting if you speak French!
Go hiking
Of course, with so much rural countryside on the islands (as well as an abundance of wildlife), those who love hiking will be delighted to discover that there are a wide variety of hiking trails across the archipelago. Just be sure to book suitable shoes and bring your camera along!
Take a boat trip
One of the best ways to get to know the lay of the land and experience the area from a different perspective is by taking a boat trip. There are a wide variety of boat excursions available from St Pierre (particularly in the summer months). Popular boat trips include going to spy local wildlife such as puffins and whales.
Head to Grande Miquelon and Langlade
While much of the action on the archipelago takes place in and around the town of Saint Pierre, a smaller portion of the population (around 600 residents) live on the island of Grande Miquelon and Langlade.
How long do you need to visit Saint Pierre and Miquelon?
Thanks to its small size, visitors only need an overnight stay in order to experience all that the island has to see. Due to its rather unsheltered position close to the sea, the best time to visit the archipelago is during the summer months when the days are at their longest and the weather is at its best.
This will also give you the best weather for going out on the boat excursions, not to mention that many of the more touristic businesses only operate during June, July, and August!
Flights and ferries operate more regularly in the summer as well, leaving more flexibility in your travel schedule. Since everyone tends to visit the islands at the same time, be sure to book your activities, accommodation, and even dining out well ahead of time.
Final observations
One of the most important things to note is that there is a time difference between the archipelago and mainland Canada. St. Pierre and Miquelon is GMT-2. This means that it’s 30 minutes ahead of Newfoundland and one hour ahead of Nova Scotia.
If you’ve read my guide on France travel tips, then you’ll know that one of my biggest pieces of advice is to plan ahead for businesses closing during lunch hours and on Sundays. Many businesses on the archipelago will close for several hours at lunch, as well as all day on Sunday.
Just like in mainland France (known as metropolitan France), the currency used in St Pierre and Miquelon is the Euro. With this being said, many places will accept Canadian dollars as a form of payment.
Sophie Nadeau loves dogs, books, travel, pizza, and history. A Francophile at heart, she runs solosophie.com when she’s not chasing after the next sunset shot or consuming something sweet. She splits her time between Paris and London and travels as much as she can! Subscribe to Sophie’s YouTube Channel.