Overview
FLIGHT MONTREAL/SAINT PIERRE & MIQUELON + TRANSFER
With featured guest Ian Dawson, British Photo Ambassador.
Le Commandant Charcot, a technological wonder capable of sailing in the most extreme environments, is opening up new horizons in unrivalled comfort and invites you to explore the Saint Lawrence. This river is not accessible to traditional ships in winter, so this exclusive and all-new PONANT journey lifts the veil on unique great open spaces, where the waters, once turbulent, freeze into ice, and where the forests are dressed in an immaculate white coat.
You will sail among different states and forms of ice – from drifting and fragmented sea ice to solid ice – and will be able to admire the evolution of this spectacular natural scenery from the reassuring cocoon of Le Commandant Charcot. In these lands, only the murmur of broken ice, bearing mysteries and legends, disturbs the calmness. Aboard the ship or on shore, you will seize the opportunities to explore these places where nature reigns supreme and in never-ending variety: boreal forests of immaculate conifers, snow-covered valleys and a sea of ice. Set off to discover this enchanting environment, thanks to winter activities such as hiking or snowshoeing, dog sledding or ice fishing. You may be lucky enough to see typical animals like caribou and elk in their natural habitat.
In this region, where souls are filled with deep serenity, the colourful houses and fishing huts stand valiantly. Their sparkling facades, in bright and vibrant colours, defy the harshness of the winter landscape. Here, in one of the “few places where you can experience the cold with so much warmth” (Saguenay proverb), you will receive a hospitable welcome from Quebeckers and the Innu and Micmac peoples in unforgettable get-togethers. These indigenous communities, who include some of the First Nations, will tell you about their stories, legends and ancestral traditions.
A journey suspended in time, where lives blend with the natural elements and where the wild beauty of nature is revealed in its full splendour.
Trip Highlights
- Take a trip through the heart of nature as you explore the St. Lawrence in winter – a PONANT exclusive that is only possible on board Le Commandant Charcot – and enjoy a warm welcome from the people of Canada.
- With featured guest Ian Dawson, British Photo Ambassador.
- The eye and the advice of our photo ambassador, a privileged opportunity to immortalise your trip with, in the programme: workshops, conferences and personalized advice to improve your photographic skills.
- Outings and shore visits with a team of naturalist-guides.
- Visit traditional villages and get to meet indigenous Innu and Micmac communities.
- The possibility of admiring the unique colours of the Northern Lights rippling across the sky.
- Activities* during the unique winter season: kayaking, ice fishing and tasting raw rockfish, dog sledding, tastings of local produce, and optional activities such as ice climbing, canoeing on ice and skijoring.
- In Quebec, visit the world’s largest winter carnival, where ice decorations and sculptures and lights form a magical spectacle.
- Make the most of Quebecois hospitality and conviviality.
- Unforgettable overnight stays to take the time to contemplate the spectacle on offer.
- Landscapes: great open spaces, fjords, immaculate boreal forests, sea ice, snow-covered valleys.