Your multi-day French Regime itinerary uses the Capital City of Charlottetown as its base. However, depending on the location of your overnight accommodations, distances and driving times will result in modifications to the following suggested immersive itinerary experiences.
On day 1, travel first to Skmaqn–Port-la-Joye–Fort Amherst National Historic Site, the one-time ‘capital’ of île Saint-Jean, and home of the Haché-Gallant family from1720 to 1744. The site is 40 km west of Charlottetown (you can actually see the site from downtown Charlottetown) and 55 km east of Borden-Carleton, is open year-round for self-guided tours. Washroom facilities are open from mid-June to early autumn. Plan to spend a few hours exploring the site, interpretive panels and walking trails offering stunning views of Charlottetown Harbour. Special events include Acadian National Feast Day each August.
The site commemorates the first permanent European settlement on Île Saint-Jean (today Prince Edward Island). After falling to British forces in 1758 it became the site of a major deportation of French and Acadian settlers. A Grand Alliance was forged here between the Mi’kmaq and French – one of only two locations in North America where this was celebrated annually with speeches, gifting and feasting. The fort’s grassy ruins are still visible, and interpretive panels explore its rich history. The grounds also offer superb views of the surrounding countryside and Charlottetown Harbour.
On Day 2, travel next to visit the Havre Saint-Pierre area, today known as St. Peters Harbour, Blooming Point, Morell and St. Peters Bay. St. Peters Bay is 53 km from Charlottetown. This area was the most heavily settled area of the Island from 1720 to 1758.) The Greenwich National Park of Canada is a phenomenal combined heritage and coastal experience. Greenwich has a long history with connections to Mi’kmaq and Acadian culture, and an ever-evolving tale of the shaping and re-shaping of its landscapes through wind and waves. The path to Greenwich may be a bit less traveled than other areas of PEI National Park, but it’s ripe for discovery through exploration of its trails, beaches and beautiful interpretation centre.
Drive just 28 km to Roma at Three Rivers (Trois-Rivières), the site of Jean-Pierre Roma’s settlement (1732-1745), and one of the most dramatic stories associated with French settlement in Canada, referred to as ‘The Great Escape of 1745’. Several archaeological digs conducted between 1983 and 2002 by the Canadian Museum of Civilization and Parks Canada have found traces left by the major cultures that have existed on Prince Edward Island over the past 10,000 years. These include early Mi’kmaq communities, French and Acadian settlers, and Scottish, Irish, and English immigrants.
Day 3 takes you to Malpec (the Port Hill Area, site of the first Acadian settlement in Western half of the Island. First settled by members of the Arsenault family) (1728-1758). The distance from Charlottetown is 91 km. While in the North Cape Coastal Drive region, visit the Evangeline destination area, highlighted by the Wellington Interpretation Centre, one of the Island’s most beautiful coastlines covering much of western P.E.I., the stately Mont Carmel Church, Abram Village’s entertaining Village Musical acadien and Centre Expo Centre, the captivating Bottle Houses.