Brittany
5
Day Itinerary •
France
Five days in Brittany reveals the full extraordinary breadth of France's most Celtic peninsula. From the corsair city of Saint-Malo to the wild Finistere tip at the far western point of continental Europe, Brittany rewards every extra day. The extraordinary Crozon peninsula, the ancient forest of Broceliande where Merlin is said to be imprisoned, and the extraordinary city of Nantes with its mechanical elephant and extraordinary artistic quarter all reward deeper exploration. This route covers the complete hidden Brittany. Saint-Malo and the Pink Granite Coast, the Carnac megaliths and the Gulf of Morbihan, the wild Finistere with its extraordinary Breton culture, the dramatic Crozon peninsula cliffs, and Nantes, one of the most extraordinary and creative cities in France.
Best Time To Visit
April to June or September to October
Getting There
Fly into Nantes (NTE) or Rennes (RNS)
Getting Around
Rental car essential throughout
Budget Per Day
Approx 80 to 130 euros per person per day
Difficulity
Easy, walking and driving
DAY 1
SAINT-MALO
MORNING
SAINT-MALO INTRA-MUROS, THE CORSAIR CITY
One of the most extraordinary walled cities in France. The rampart walk takes 1 hour with extraordinary sea views. 80 percent destroyed in 1944 and rebuilt stone by stone. The Chateau Duchesse Anne and the cathedral of Saint-Vincent are extraordinary within the walls. Drive: 30 min to tidal island
MIDDAY
ILE DU GRAND BE AND THE FORT NATIONAL
Chateaubriand's extraordinary island tomb accessible at low tide. The Fort National designed by Vauban in 1689, also tidal, gives the finest view back to the Saint-Malo ramparts. Entry approx 6 euros. Check tide times carefully. Drive: 20 min ferry to Dinard
AFTERNOON
DINARD, THE BELLE EPOQUE RESORT
The finest Belle Epoque seaside resort in France, its extraordinary villas perched above rocky shores. The Promenade du Clair de Lune is the finest evening walk in Brittany. Picasso spent summers here in 1928 and 1929.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The Fort National on its tidal island off Saint-Malo was designed by Vauban in 1689. The views back to the Saint-Malo ramparts are the finest of the city. Entry approx 6 euros in summer.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Boulangerie intra-muros Galette complete before walking the ramparts. | Lunch: Le Chalut, Saint-Malo Finest seafood restaurant in Saint-Malo. Local lobster and oysters. Book ahead. | Dinner: Chez Jean-Pierre, Saint-Malo Outstanding traditional Breton. Fish stew and kouign amann.
DAY 2
PINK GRANITE COAST
MORNING
COTE DE GRANIT ROSE, THE MOST EXTRAORDINARY COAST
Extraordinary rose-pink and orange granite boulders shaped into alien forms along the coast between Perros-Guirec and Trebeurden. The Sentier des Douaniers coastal path from Perros-Guirec to Ploumanach takes 2 hours. Free. Drive: 30 min boat to Ile de Brehat
MIDDAY
ILE DE BREHAT, THE ISLAND OF FLOWERS
The most beautiful island in Brittany. Car-free, with subtropical gardens, extraordinary pink granite and wild coastal paths. The Gulf Stream allows mimosas, figs and agapanthus outdoors. Boat from Arcouest approx 12 euros return. Drive: 1 hour drive south
AFTERNOON
TREGUIER CATHEDRAL AND HIDDEN BRITTANY
One of the finest overlooked cathedral cities in Brittany. The extraordinary Gothic cathedral has the finest cloister in Brittany. The Wednesday market in the cathedral square is the finest in northern Brittany.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The Sept-Iles seabird reserve off Perros-Guirec is the largest in France. Puffins, gannets and grey seals. Boat tours approx 25 euros, April to September.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Cafe in Perros-Guirec Coffee before the Pink Granite coastal walk. | Lunch: Restaurant on Ile de Brehat Simple fish and moules mariniere on the car-free island. | Dinner: Kastell Dinec'h, near Treguier Outstanding traditional Breton farmhouse restaurant.
DAY 3
CARNAC AND THE GULF OF MORBIHAN
MORNING
CARNAC ALIGNMENTS, THE GREATEST MEGALITHIC SITE
3,000 standing stones in extraordinary parallel rows stretching over 4km. Far older than Stonehenge. Access by guided tour only April to September. The Musee de Prehistoire de Carnac is the finest prehistoric museum in Brittany. Entry approx 7 euros. Drive: 20 min drive to Locmariaquer
MIDDAY
LOCMARIAQUER, THE BROKEN GIANT
The Grand Menhir Brise was the largest standing stone ever erected, 20 metres tall, now broken in four pieces. The Table des Marchands is the finest decorated gallery grave in Brittany. Entry approx 7 euros. Drive: 20 min drive to Gulf
AFTERNOON
THE GULF OF MORBIHAN, THE INLAND SEA
A vast inland sea dotted with extraordinary islands and prehistoric monuments. Boat tour from Vannes or Auray passes the extraordinary Ile aux Moines. The finest sailing village in Brittany at La Trinite-sur-Mer.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The Quiberon peninsula Cote Sauvage has extraordinary Atlantic waves and dramatic cliffs. The sardine canneries produce the finest preserved sardines in France.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Boulangerie in Carnac Kouign amann before the alignments. | Lunch: Le Tumulus, Carnac Outstanding above the alignments. Local lobster and Muscadet. | Dinner: La Table d'Olivier, Quiberon Fresh sardines, langoustines and exceptional cider.
DAY 4
FINISTERE, THE END OF THE WORLD
MORNING
QUIMPER, THE FINEST CITY IN BRITTANY
Quimper is the cultural capital of Brittany, a beautiful medieval city where the Breton language is most alive. The extraordinary Gothic Cathedral of Saint-Corentin, its twin towers slightly misaligned because the original 13th-century choir faces the rising sun, is the finest cathedral in Brittany. The surrounding half-timbered streets are extraordinary. The Musee des Beaux-Arts contains a major collection of Breton painting including extraordinary works by the Pont-Aven school. Entry approx 6 euros. Drive: 45 min drive to Pointe du Raz
MIDDAY
POINTE DU RAZ, THE WILD END OF CONTINENTAL FRANCE
The Pointe du Raz is the most dramatic headland in Brittany and one of the most extraordinary in Europe, a wild promontory of black schist rock battered by the Atlantic waves, the most westerly point of mainland France. The extraordinary view from the point over the Raz de Sein channel to the Ile de Sein island beyond is extraordinary. The walk from the car park to the point takes 20 minutes. Entry to the surrounding nature reserve approx 5 euros. Drive: 30 min drive to Locronan
AFTERNOON
LOCRONAN, THE MOST BEAUTIFUL SMALL TOWN IN BRITTANY
Locronan is one of the finest small towns in all of France, a perfectly preserved 15th and 16th-century town of extraordinary granite houses built around a church by the linen weavers who made it wealthy. Roman Polanski used it as the location for his film of Tess of the d'Urbervilles. The extraordinary Grande Troménie pilgrimage route around the hill above the town dates from the 7th century.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The Pont-Aven school of painters who gathered in the extraordinary artists' colony there in the 1880s included Gauguin, Emile Bernard and Paul Serusier. The Musee de Pont-Aven tells the story of this extraordinary artistic revolution. Entry approx 7 euros.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Caffe in Quimper old town Coffee in the most Breton city. The morning market has extraordinary local produce. | Lunch: Le Bilig, Quimper Outstanding traditional creperie. The finest buckwheat galettes in Brittany. | Dinner: Auberge de Kerveoc'h, near Locronan Outstanding Breton farmhouse restaurant. Local lamb, seafood and exceptional cider.
DAY 5
CROZON PENINSULA AND NANTES
MORNING
THE CROZON PENINSULA, THE MOST DRAMATIC CLIFFS IN BRITTANY
The Crozon Peninsula is the most extraordinary landscape in Brittany, a dramatic finger of land between two bays with some of the most dramatic cliff scenery in France. The Pointe de Penhir has the finest view in the Crozon, three rock stacks (the Tas de Pois) rising from the sea below an extraordinary cliff face 70 metres high. The view extends in clear weather to the Ile d'Ouessant far offshore. Free to walk. Drive: 2 hours drive to Nantes
MIDDAY
NANTES, THE EXTRAORDINARY CREATIVE CAPITAL
Nantes is one of the most extraordinary and creative cities in France. The mechanical elephant of Les Machines de l'Ile is the most extraordinary public artwork in France, a 12-metre high steam-powered mechanical elephant that carries 49 passengers on its back and walks through the city. On the Ile de Nantes, a former industrial island now transformed into an extraordinary cultural quarter with extraordinary architecture and art installations. Elephant ride approx 10 euros. Drive: 20 min walk to castle
AFTERNOON
THE CHATEAU DES DUCS DE BRETAGNE AND THE HIDDEN NANTES
The Chateau des Ducs de Bretagne is the extraordinary castle where the Dukes of Brittany ruled before the duchy's union with France in 1532, and where Anne of Brittany was born in 1477. The moat walk around the castle is free. The museum inside tells the extraordinary story of Nantes, including its role in the slave trade. Entry to museum approx 8 euros. The Passage Pommeraye, an extraordinary three-level 19th-century shopping arcade, is nearby.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The Foret de Broceliande (Foret de Paimpont) is the legendary forest of Arthurian mythology where Merlin is said to be imprisoned. The Val sans Retour (Valley of No Return) where Morgan le Fay trapped unfaithful knights is extraordinarily atmospheric. The forest is 2 hours from Nantes and extraordinary for walking.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Crepe stand, Crozon village Buckwheat galette with local cider before the Pointe de Penhir walk. | Lunch: L'Atlantide 1874, Nantes One Michelin star on the Loire in Nantes. Outstanding modern Loire and Breton cuisine. | Dinner: La Cigale, Nantes The most beautiful brasserie in Nantes, Art Nouveau interior since 1895. Local fish and Muscadet.
Where To Stay
Saint-Malo, Night 1 Hotel de l'Univers in the walled city. Approx 100 to 170 euros per night. Perros-Guirec, Night 2 Hotel Castel Beau Site above the Pink Granite Coast. Approx 90 to 150 euros. Quimper or Locronan, Nights 3 to 4 Hotel Gradlon, Quimper, or chambre d'hote in Locronan. Approx 80 to 140 euros.
Top Tips
1. The Ile du Grand Be causeway covers fast. Always check local tide tables before walking out.
2. Pink Granite coastal path is best in the golden hour before sunset. The rocks glow extraordinary pink.
3. Carnac alignment guided tours book up fast in July and August. Book ahead at the Maison des Megalithes.
4. Breton kouign amann is the finest pastry in France. Buy it warm from the boulangerie in any Breton town.
5. The Gulf of Morbihan boat tour from Vannes is best in the morning. Afternoon tours can be very busy.
6. Brittany oysters (Belon and Creuse) are at their finest October to April. Buy directly from cultivators.
Total Budget
85 to 140 euros/day