Hochelaga Archipelago Island

Address: Hochelaga Archipelago (Greater Montreal area), Quebec, Canada

The Hochelaga Archipelago is the cluster of islands centred on the Island of Montreal in the Saint Lawrence River, within the province of Quebec, Canada. It includes both urban islands and numerous smaller, mostly riverine islets.

The archipelago’s largest island hosts the city of Montreal with its parks, historic districts and cultural institutions, while nearby islands such as Île Sainte-Hélène and Île Notre-Dame provide parkland and event spaces. Many smaller islands are protected natural areas or privately owned.

The archipelago’s name derives from Indigenous place names recorded by early European explorers in the 16th century; the islands have since supported Indigenous settlements and, later, urban development centred on Montreal.

The islands sit where the Saint Lawrence widens around Montreal and are linked to the mainland by multiple bridges and transport connections serving the Greater Montreal region.

• Number of islands: The archipelago comprises the islands at and around the confluence of the Saint Lawrence and Ottawa rivers and includes more than 200 islands of varying size.
• Name origin: The name Hochelaga recalls the 16th-century Indigenous settlement recorded by early European explorers and is used historically for the Montreal area.

What to See#

• Island of Montreal: Montréal (Island of Montreal), the largest island in the archipelago and the site of the city of Montreal with its central business district, parks and cultural institutions.
• Île Jésus (Laval): Île Jésus, the island that contains the city of Laval, connected to Montreal by bridges and forming a major suburban municipality.
• Parc Jean-Drapeau islands: Île Sainte-Hélène and Île Notre-Dame, urban park islands in the Saint Lawrence River used for recreation and the Parc Jean-Drapeau complex.

The Hochelaga Archipelago is the island cluster centered on Montreal. If you are coming by road, use Autoroute 20, 40 or 15 to reach the island(s); several bridges and tunnels (e.g., Jacques-Cartier Bridge, Champlain Bridge) connect the island to the South Shore and Laval. Within Montreal the STM metro and bus network provides frequent service across the archipelago-travel to central stations (e.g., Berri-UQAM, McGill) and continue by local bus, bike or on foot depending on your destination.

• Use public transport and ferries to reach the most-visited islands: take the metro to Jean‑Drapeau station for Parc Jean‑Drapeau (Île Sainte‑Hélène/Île Notre‑Dame) and arrive early on weekdays to avoid festival crowds.
• If you want quieter nature, explore beyond Parc Jean‑Drapeau - islands such as Île Bizard and the Îles-de-Boucherville offer bike trails and paddling opportunities and see far fewer tourists.
• Check event calendars before you go: much of the archipelago hosts large concerts and festivals in summer which close off large areas and swell visitor numbers, so plan around major-event dates.