Exploration from Greenland to Canada via Saint Pierre and Miquelon

Explore Reykjavík beside a broad coastal inlet in western Iceland. Visit Perlan on Öskjuhlíð hill and take in wide views across the surrounding area. Walk toward Hallgrímskirkja and discover the historic center along Skólavördustígur and Laugavegur, lined with local stores and cafés. Head to the Reykjanes Peninsula and soak in the geothermal pools of the Blue Lagoon outside the city.

Spend time at sea enjoying the facilities aboard your ship. Unwind in the spa, exercise in the fitness center, or relax by the pool and open decks. Attend onboard lectures, live performances, and entertainment throughout the voyage. Browse the boutique, meet PONANT photographers, and take in ocean views from the upper deck. Watch for marine wildlife while crossing open waters between destinations.

At the southern tip of Greenland, where the North Atlantic Ocean and the Labrador Sea meet, sail in the heart of the Cape Farewell passage. The waves crash against the stem of the ship as you advance in the waters of the Far North. Observing cetaceans and admiring the southern lands on the horizon will be a highlight of your trip.
 

Follow the Davis Strait currents, and Qaqortoq, the largest town in southern Greenland, reveals itself in a rocky setting covered in immaculate white in winter and enchanting green in summer. From the moment your ship enters the fjord edging the town, off in the distance, you will be able to glimpse the delightful, brightly-colored houses built upon the hillsides surrounding this charming fishing port, the most southerly in Greenland. You will have the opportunity to wander around the streets of the town center, which have distinct Danish influences and are home to numerous historical buildings and landmarks, such as the country’s famous and oldest fountain, topped with whales. Not far from there, you will also have the chance to discover the town’s open-air fish market, where fishermen come to sell the day’s catch.

During your day at sea, make the most of the many services and activities on board. Treat yourself to a moment of relaxation in the spa or stay in shape in the fitness center. Depending on the season, let yourself be tempted by the swimming pool or a spot of sunbathing. This day without a port of call will also be an opportunity to enjoy the conferences or shows proposed on board, to do some shopping in the boutique or to meet the PONANT photographers in their dedicated space. As for lovers of the open sea, they will be able to visit the ship’s upper deck to admire the spectacle of the waves and perhaps be lucky enough to observe marine species. A truly enchanted interlude, combining comfort, rest and entertainment.

Located at the Northern extremity of the island of Newfoundland, L’Anse aux Meadows is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is the only site known to have been established by the Vikings in North America. Its ancient vestiges provide the first traces of European presence in the New World. The remains on this splendid 11th-century Scandinavian archaeological site are identical to those in Iceland. Aboard your ship, cruise in the wake of those first Vikings who discovered the tip of North America 500 years before Christopher Columbus arrived on the shores of the American continent. It is a memorable adventure in a setting punctuated with coastal peat bogs, grass, and many varieties of shrubs and lichen. 

Be charmed by the small multi-colored wooden houses hanging to the side of cliffs at the entrance to the bay or edging the small steep streets of the capital of the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. Their green, blue, red, and yellow colors are reminiscent of fishing boats. This quiet little port at the end of the world, the easternmost in North America, became the first English colony founded on American territory in 1497. Protected by the Gulf Stream, the climate here is relatively mild, and the natural landscapes are spectacular. You can enjoy magnificent panoramas from Signal Hill. At this hill's summit, Guglielmo Marconi received the first transatlantic wireless signal in 1901.

Off the Canadian coast, discover Saint Pierre Island, one of the two main islands of the Saint Pierre and Miquelon archipelago, the only French territory in North America. Endowed with a natural harbor, the island, whose name refers to the patron saint of fishermen, developed around the fishing industry and still has many traces of its past today. Whale hunting, cod fishing, alcohol smuggling during the Prohibition: all of these memories are still alive in the capital, Saint-Pierre. The island is also renowned for observing exceptional fauna, including, among others, whales, fin whales, dolphins, seals, puffins, and petrels.

At the entrance of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence, not far from the Grand Banks of Newfoundland, Miquelon is one of the two main islands of the Saint Pierre and Miquelon archipelago and will delight those with a love of wide open space. Made up of three peninsulas connected by long sand spits, this wild land, famous for being home to France’s only boreal forest, has sublime scenery of hills dotted with ponds, woods, and bogs and ringed by lagoons and cliffs. The rich and varied wildlife promises fine encounters, whether inland, populated with white-tailed deer, snowy owls, bald eagles, or on the coast, home to many sea birds and grey seals.

Although it is the administrative and economic center of the Magdalen Islands archipelago, in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence, the village of Cap-aux-Meules remains peaceful and is ideal for exploring preserved nature. Located on the eponymous island, about the sandstone rocks of the cape that were used in the past to make grindstones, the location is considered the maritime gateway to the archipelago. In this respect, it offers privileged access to many sites renowned for their natural and historic heritage, such as Havre-Aubert, a member of the Most Beautiful Villages of Quebec.

Linking the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes region inland, the Saint Lawrence Seaway was inaugurated in 1959, more than 250 years after the initial construction aiming to avoid the rapids obstructing navigation in these parts. This large engineering project, which required four years of huge work, offers a unique sailing experience, punctuated by the passage of the different locks marking out this corridor, which is almost 4,000 km long.

The Quebec village of Tadoussac stands at the confluence of the Saguenay River and the Gulf of Saint-Lawrence in southeast Canada. The village is bright, with multicolored houses in an emerald-green pine forest. It’s easy to spy out Tadoussac Chapel from the waterfront, thanks to its bright red roof. Not far from this church, which is built of wood and one of the oldest in North America, stands a century-old village holiday resort, Hotel Tadoussac. Treat yourself to tea on the terrace overlooking the shoreline. In addition, at the marine mammal interpretation center, you can hone your knowledge of the cetaceans that regularly frequent Tadoussac Bay.

Famous for its gentle way of life, Montreal, Canada’s second-largest city, is a warm and cosmopolitan metropolis. Situated on the eponymous river island, it is home to many districts, each as unique as the other. Set off to discover Old Montreal, most of which is declared a historic area, Little Italy, where you can be able to stroll around the largest open-air market in North America or the Golden Square Mile, the luxurious district located on one of the hills of Mount Royal and which has sumptuous Victorian-style residences. Simultaneously marked by the influences of the Old Continent and North American gigantism, Montreal will never cease to amaze you.

Linking the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes region inland, the Saint Lawrence Seaway was inaugurated in 1959, more than 250 years after its initial construction, aiming to avoid the rapids obstructing navigation in these parts. This large engineering project, which required four years of huge work, offers a unique sailing experience, punctuated by the passage of the different locks marking out this corridor, which is almost 4,000 km long.

The largest city in Canada and the capital of the province of Ontario, Toronto fascinates as much by its incredible diversity as by its size. Make sure you visit the CN Tower, the tallest tower in the Western Hemisphere, and the St. Lawrence Market, whose stalls reflect the multicultural wealth of this city, known as the global city. Not far from there, the historic Distillery District unveils its brick-paved streets imbued with romantic charm and its myriad of small restaurants, cafes, boutiques, theatres, and art galleries. The Royal Ontario Museum and its impressive collections devoted to the world’s natural and cultural history will also be an unmissable stop during this port of call.