Mont St Michel and St Michael’s Mount: Twin Islands, Shared Spirit
There are few places in the world that feel like they’ve been lifted straight out of a fairytale. Two of them—though separated by the English Channel—carry not just a resemblance to one another, but also the same name: Mont St Michel in Normandy, France, and St Michael’s Mount in Cornwall, England.
Both rise dramatically from the sea, tidal islands crowned with medieval stonework that has endured centuries of tide, storm, and history. They are linked not just by geography, but by a shared dedication to St Michael the Archangel, whose name they both bear.
Mont St Michel (France): Perhaps the more famous of the two, Mont St Michel is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, a granite tidal island topped with a Benedictine abbey. Surrounded by shifting sands and the fastest tides in Europe, it has been a place of pilgrimage, fortification, and wonder since the 8th century.
St Michael’s Mount (Cornwall, UK): A little smaller but no less captivating, this Cornish island is also crowned by a medieval castle and chapel. At low tide you can walk across the cobbled causeway from Marazion, while at high tide boats ferry visitors across. Today it’s still partly home to the St Aubyn family, but open to the public for exploration.
It couldn’t have been a coincidence that they had the same name. So a little research told me that the answer lies in the archangel St. Michael, a celestial figure who appears in Jewish, Christian, and Islamic traditions. St. Michael is seen as a protector, a warrior against evil, and the guardian of high places.
Throughout Europe, sites dedicated to him often sit on hilltops, cliffs, or islands that seem to reach for heaven. From Mont Gargano in Italy to Skellig Michael in Ireland, these sanctuaries form a symbolic “sword line” stretching across the continent. Both Mont St Michel and St Michael’s Mount belong to this mystical alignment, places where earth, sea, and sky meet.
Who is St Michael?
In Christian tradition, St Michael the Archangel is a leader of heavenly armies, often depicted with a sword or spear, standing triumphantly over a dragon or serpent. He represents courage, divine protection, and justice.
To dedicate an island—an isolated, lofty, dramatic space—to him makes sense. These tidal strongholds seem to embody his spirit: steadfast, unyielding, and always reaching upwards.
I’ve been fortunate enough to visit these magical islands, each trip etched with personal memories.
St Michael’s Mount, July 2021: I visited with Darcy and George. We stayed at The Godolphin Hotel in Marazion, waking to the sight of the island floating on the morning tide. Crossing the cobbled causeway at low tide, with their paws pattering against stones smoothed by centuries, Darcy and George’s eager energy made the whole experience glow with life.
And again for New Year’s Eve 2023 with a group of friends and their dogs.
Mont St Michel, September 2025: This time, I could only take one dog—and I chose George. As he’s getting older, I wanted to create as many memories with him as possible. Together we climbed the steep, winding streets to the abbey at the summit, bells ringing above us.
From the ramparts, looking out over the vast sands and fast-turning tides, it felt complete to stand on the “twin” of the Cornish mount.
Both Mont St Michel and St Michael’s Mount are more than tourist attractions. They are symbols of endurance, guardians at the edge of land and sea, and are dedicated to a figure representing protection and strength.
These two islands will also be twinned in memory: one with Darcy and George,
one with George.
