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With hundreds of miles of coastline, Brittany is blessed with stunning beaches. Some of Brittany’s beaches are in seaside towns such as Dinard, Carnac and Benodet. Others are more natural – like those along the Pink Granite Coast. Our guide to some of Brittany’s beaches highlights what we consider to be the top ten plus has links to Holiday France Direct’s selection of holiday accommodation in Brittany.
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Brittany holiday accommodation near Dinard » |
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Dinard is situated on the western side of the Rance estuary across the water from picturesque St Malo. There is a certain ‘Cote d’Azur’ feel about Dinard with its beaches, casino, spacious villas and high profile social calendar. Dinard’s status stems from the taste and wealth of English and American visitors in the 19th century.
Enjoy Dinard’s pretty bay and charming Ecluse beach. Take
a stroll along coastal footpaths dotted with boards displaying |
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reproductions of artwork painted along the route. Head east up to the Pointe du Moulinet for spectacular views over to St Malo. |
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Brittany holiday accommodation near Perros-Guirec |
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Along Brittany’s Pink Granite Coast you will want to explore Perros-Guirec, a haven of tree lined avenues, smart villas and beautiful beaches. Perros-Guirec is located at one end of the long Sentier des Douaniers walking route, which takes you along stunning cliff tops to the tiny resort of Ploumanac’h.
You will pass the incredible water sculpted rocks which the Pink Granite Coast is famous for, whilst seabirds glide overhead to the Sept-Iles bird sanctuary. |
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Along the Pink Granite Coast to the west, you will come across the smaller villages of Tregastel and Trebeurden. Tregastel has a newly renovated aquarium located in pink granite caves with displays of English Channel flora and fauna. Just south of Tregastel is the dome of the Pleumier-Bodou Telecommunications Centre. Opened in 1962, it was the first receiving station to pick up signals from the American Telstar satellite. The site is now Cosmopolis telecommunications museum. |
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Brittany holiday accommodation near Roscoff |
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Roscoff’s deep-water port was opened in 1973 to revive tourism and trade between traditional Celtic ports in Brittany, Ireland and south west England. Brittany Ferries’ service from Plymouth to Roscoff is ideal for visitors to western Brittany.
Roscoff itself is a picturesque resort with a good selection of shops and restaurants. It is also famous for its thalassotherapy sea-water treatments. |
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Laber is considered to be one of Roscoff’s best beaches whilst the old harbour is home to both fishing vessels and pleasure boats to the nearby Ile-de-Batz. It almost looks as though you could walk to the island as the deep-water pier in Roscoff stretches towards it before abruptly plunging into the sea.
Long narrow Ile-de-Batz mirrors Roscoff across the water, 1000m away at high tide but only 200m at low tide. No cars are permitted on the island. It has some amazing expanses of sandy beach such as Greve Blanche at the eastern end which families tend to head for. Alternatively, you may prefer Ile de Batz’s wild and windswept north coast.
Ile-de-Batz is famous for its Jardin Exotique. This extraordinary garden has 3,000 species of tropical plants from all over the world, including South Africa, Australia and Chile. The rockeries are particularly spectacular and there are superbs view of the bay of Morlaix, Roscoff, Carantec and the Chateau du Taureau. |
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Brittany holiday accommodation near Carnac |
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Carnac comprises Carnac-Ville and the seaside resort of Carnac-Plage and is extremely popular with holidaymakers in July and August. If you can, visit Carnac in late spring or early autumn when it is less crowded.
Carnac’s 5 beaches extend for nearly 3km in total. The 2 most attractive beaches, usually counted as one of the 5, are the Plages Men Du and Beaumer, which lie to the east towards La Trinite beyond Pointe Churchill. |
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Carnac town and seafront are well wooded, offering shade from the hot beach, and the tree-lined avenues and gardens are delightful. The climate in Carnac is mild enough for evergreen oak and Mediterranean mimosa to grow alongside native stone pine and cypress.
Whilst there, why visit to the Carnac Stones, 2000 or so stone megaliths (stone alignments). A pleasant walk from the beach into the town brings you alongside these fascinating standing stones believed to have been an observatory for the motions of the moon. |
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Brittany holiday accommodation near Quiberon |
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If you enjoy walking, the shores of the Quiberon Peninsula are a must. The west side of the Quiberon Peninsula is known as the Cote Sauvage, ‘the wild coast,’ where the sea collides with the shore – excellent for surfing. The sheltered eastern side of the Quiberon Peninsula has safe, calm sandy beaches perfect for sunbathing or families.
Quiberon itself is a lively port, and you can get boats out to the islands of Belle-Ile, Houat and Hoedic. Quiberon has a mini golf course, bars, restaurants and good clothes and antiques shops. |
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Enjoy the cafes dotted along Quiberon’s long bathing beach and a visit to the old-fashioned Café du Marche is to be recommended.
Port-Maria - Quiberon’s fishing harbour and the departure point for the islands of Belle-Ile, Houat and Hoedic - tends to be the busiest part of town and has a good selection of restaurants. Port-Maria was once famous for its locally canned sardines.
Belle-Ile is a 45 minute ferry journey from Quiberon. You can hire bikes at the arrival port or the town of Le Palais and explore the island at your leisure. Visit the citadelle of Le Palais and the Grotte de l’Apothicairerie, where the cormorant nests are arranged like jars on a chemists shelf. |
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Brittany holiday accommodation near Concarneau |
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Situated east of Benodet is the coastal town of Concarneau, one of France’s largest fishing ports and a holiday resort full of charm and character.
The must-see sight in Concarneau is the Ville Close, a small, highly fortified 13th century citadelle on a rocky island in the bay. Ville Close is extremely popular with visitors due not only to its picturesque setting but also the fishing museum and many Breton shops.
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Concarneau has a good aquarium, sailing schools and a pleasant seafront and promenade. There is also an excellent selection of shops and restaurants. |
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Brittany holiday accommodation near Benodet »
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The resort of Benodet lies at the mouth of the Odet, a sea inlet extending all the way to Quimper. Benodet has a pretty sandy beach with a palm-tree lined promenade and nice selection of shops and restaurants.
The walk from the beach round to the marina is particularly pleasant, or head east to Le Letty with its spectacular sands at low tide.
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Further east again is the holiday resort of Begmeil with its Pyramide lighthouse which
has simply breathtaking panoramic views over the Cornouaille coast and the Glenan islands. |
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Brittany holiday accommodation near the Crozon Peninsula »
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The Crozon Peninsula has lots of picturesque promontories, bays and beaches. If driving, the coast road is particularly spectacular. En route, visit the town of Plougastel-Daoulas and make a detour to the hill of Menez-Hom which has fantastic views over both land and sea.
The nearby town of Morgat is a treat, with its long crescent beach and sheltered harbour full of pleasure boats. |
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Why not enjoy a boat trip around the headlands, such as the Cap de la Chevre. Or enjoy a 45 minute tour of the Grottes, multi-coloured caves in the cliffs only accessible by sea, and take in the spectacular steep ‘chimneys’ which reach up to the cliff tops. |
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Brittany holiday accommodation near Le Val Andre » |
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Le-Val-Andre features a huge beach with fine sand and a long pedestrian promenade that stretches along the Victorian-style seafront. Head to rue A-Charner, which runs parallel to the sea, for a good selection of shops and restaurants. Like so many other coastal towns Le-Val-Andre also features a casino right on the waterfront for an evening out. |
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To the east of Le-Val-Andre is the delightful town of Erquy with its spectacular stretch of beach which curves through more than 180 degrees. A great feature of Erquy is that, at low tide, the sea disappears beyond the harbour entrance, leaving just tiny pools of water. Equip yourself with stout shoes and take a walk right across the mouth of the harbour from the grassy wooded headland to the lighthouse at the end of the jetty. Enjoy some shopping in Erquy or tuck into a fresh fish dinner in one of the many restaurants. |
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Brittany holiday accommodation near Paimpol
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Paimpol’s naval shipyards obscure the view to the open sea; however, a series of waterways lead to Paimpol’s 2 separate harbours which are usually filled with the masts of pleasure yachts. Fishing boats still use Paimpol’s harbour and keep the fish market busy. The harbour area is definitely the place to be for a lively atmosphere in the summer.
The Ile de Brehat lies 2km from the coast at Pointe de l’Arcouest |
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6km north west of Paimpol. The Ile de Brehat is in reality 2 islands that are joined by a small bridge. The north side of the islands has windswept meadows that slope down to rock erosions. On the south side of the Ile de Brehat, you can enjoy walking amongst palm trees, mimosa and eucalyptus. The Ile de Brehat, well known as a bird and flower sanctuary, is perfect for nature lovers and ramblers. |
Copyright: Holiday France Direct 2008 |
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