Best Time to Visit Saint-Pierre

Summer: the easy season

Saint-Pierre is a small French island off Newfoundland, and summer is when it works best. August is the warmest month, with highs of 18°C. July and September are close behind. Even then, it's mild rather than hot. Think a light jacket in the evening and fog rolling over the harbour.

If you want the best odds, aim for August or September. September has fewer wet days than July, which has the most rain days of the year at 17. It's also quieter. Ferries from Fortune, Newfoundland, and flights from Montréal and Halifax run most reliably in these months.

Walk the colourful houses along the waterfront, then cross by boat to Île aux Marins, the old fishing island with its small museum and empty streets. The hike around Île aux Marins is much nicer on a clear day. Don't count on many of those, though. Sun averages under five hours a day even in summer.

Festivals and crowds

The big event is Bastille Day on 14 July, with fireworks and dancing, and it feels properly French. In August, the Basque Festival (Fête Basque) brings pelota, a fast ball game played against a wall, and plenty of music. Both weeks are busy by local standards. That mostly means full guesthouses, so you'll want a room sorted before you come.

If you hate crowds, September is your month. The summer visitors thin out, the sea is still mild, and you'll often have the paths on Langlade to yourself. Langlade is the sandy, wild part of the archipelago, reached by boat and a short drive. It's good for long beach walks and spotting seals.

Spring, autumn and winter

Spring is slow. April and May are cold, damp and foggy, with highs of 3°C and 7°C. Some places are still shut. June is warmer but has the highest humidity outside July, so it often feels raw and clammy. It suits you if you like quiet and don't mind grey skies.

Autumn goes downhill fast. October is cooler and wetter, and by November the days are short and the wind is sharp.

Winter is the hardest time. January is the gloomiest month, with just 0.6 hours of sun a day, and December ties it. It rains or snows on about half the days. Come then only if you want a cosy bakery, a long lunch of fish and a very empty island. For most people, late summer is the better call.