"Saint-Pierre smal part of France in North America" Top 5 Page for this destination Saint Pierre and Miquelon by AALEX

SAINT-PIERRE and MIQUELON is a small part of France and has been since 1536 but is off the coast of Canada. You see the English did not steal these small rocks when they stold the rest of Canada from us French. But we get along very well after all it has been hundres of years and where else can the Canadians come to when they want a proper smoke.

Saint-Pierre is not only the name of the island, but it is also that of the largest town in the isles, tucked away between the sea and the hills. Whether you arrive by plane or by boat, it is Saint-Pierre that you will discover first. It is there, in the streets flanked by colourful houses, that you will find the "boutiques", the pastry shops and the restaurants that are the fame of the island.
Saint-Pierre, in the summertime, is a small but lively harbour town. Music bands and singer/writers are often booked in the city's bar, street performers entertain the passers-by and many summer activities play a part in giving the town its festive spirit.
The "Place du Général de Gaulle" on the waterfront, is the heart of the town. It is the unavoidable square to mingle and tap into the "ambiance". The "Zaspiak Bat" or basque playing wall, the "Pointe aux canons" lighthouse, the salt houses, the "Pointe du Diamant" and the last not least the "Arche" museum, are all must-see spots embodying the islands' identity.
Furthermore various guided tours allowing a better understanding of Saint-Pierre are available, like the Prohibition tour or the island bus tour.
Saint-Pierre is the old Grand Banks port for call, it has inherited from this era a great nostalgia and an even greater sense of hospitality.

SAILOR'S ISLAND

Miquelon is the largest of our islands, it can be reached by plane or by boat, from Saint-Pierre, or by simply crossing the "Dune" from Langlade. Its village, located on a stretch of land to the north of the island, houses 700 people, mostly descendants of Acadiens and Basques. It has all the necessary facilities to make your stay enjoyable (hotels, restaurants, tourism agency...) and such sights as the "Notre Dame des Ardilliers" church wich pillars are made with masts of one of the wrecked ships and a small museum run by the "Miquelon patrimoine" organisation.
Nonetheless it is the diversity and the richness of the scenary that lend the island its fame.
The "Grand Barachois", to the south, is a protected laguna, the ideal home for the many bird species (Pintail duck, geen-winged duck...) to have settled there, as well as for seals, of wich an important colony (over 500) has taken up residence in the area.
Guided tours are available to explore the village and its secrets, to discover the "Grand Barachois", a key element in the area's ecosystem, and to cross the "Dune" between Langlade and Miquelon by bus.
LANGLADE
The island is tied to Miquelon by a 12 km long sand bar. The two islands were once separated but the many shipwrecks that took place in between them allowed sand to gather and form the "Dune".

Nowadays, one can watch the horses run freely on the dune, the artic sterns, the ring-billed gull, and see how local agriculture and farming is taking off (if given the chance, try some Langlade lamb and "foie gras").
Langlade is not inhabited all year long, its our holiday island where many "Saint-Pierrais" own summer homes and where other go camping in season. The "Anse du Gouvernement" village is the most used as it is there that the ferry from Saint-Pierre comes in and the road to Miquelon starts.
Langlade, like Miquelon, with which it shares a very close bond, is of special interest for nature-lovers. Camping, sight-seeing, berry-picking and angling are main components of any Langlade trip.
A "gîte d'étape" (hicking lodge) has been built, at Bebons brook, to allow everyone to enjoy these

MIQUELON

Thanks to an effort of preservation and promotion of our heritage, closely tied in with the cod fishery, "The Island", which was once the home of a small community of fishermen, possesses today an indeniable interest for the locals as well as for our guests.
In the historic part of the island, the "Archipelitude" museum, Our Lady of Sailors church, the town hall and the "Jezequel House" are open to those who thirst for knowledge about life on the island at the turn of the century. To learn about the history of the isles and of the French colonies in North America it is recommended to follow the guided tour of Sailor's Island which will take to these many places of interest as well as the Stations of the Cross and the Grotto, on your way to the graveyard.
The "Archpelitude" museum houses a great many collections (pictures, artefacts, paintings...) around the themes such as the fishery, religion, shipwrecks, philately... all exposed in about fifteen rooms.
The impressive Our Lady of Sailors, a wooden church with an inverted hull-shape vault, is a poignant testimony of the faith of the locals, back when fishing was still the main activity.
The town hall has been converted into a small museum. The island, abandoned by its last inhibitants in 1963 currently depends upon the Commune of Saint-Pierre.
The "Jezequel House" contains a cafeteria with a bird's eye view of the port, perfect for watching the passing boats as you sip a nice, cool drink. You can also visit its salt house and sail workshop.
Furthermore, the playground offers a great recreational facility for kids, pick-nick grounds and the possibility of playing "petanque", mini-golf as well as practising your archery skills.