Top 10 Brittany sea resorts
1- La Baule
Warmed by an exceptionally mild climate, it laps the shores of a 9km beach of fine white sand. There is a stretch of beautiful, fine sandy beach about 4 miles long, fronted by a very pleasant promenade. The town offers plenty of day-time activities, including several spas, walking, cycling, equestrian sports, polo, golf, and all sorts of water sports like jet skiing, diving, yachting, sailing, windsurfing, canoeing, and kayaking. Naturally there is also an excellent choice of bars, cafes, and restaurants as well as casino and cinemas. The local restaurants are famous for the seafood delights: fish, lobster, crabs, oysters, and shellfish.
2- Cancale
Cancale is a charming fishing village famous as Brittany’s oyster capital. There are also many shops, markets, and services for all needs and particularly numerous restaurants specialising in seafood. Cancale has plenty of spaces on sheltered beaches, art galleries all year round, museums, and festivals. You can have a walk via beautiful paths with superb views over the coast, the Pointe du Grouin, and the Bay of the Mont-Saint-Michel. Please click here to find a Sextant property near Cancale.
3- Benodet
Benodet is a famous Brittany seaside resort located in Finistere between Loctudy and Fouesnant. This town is well known for its marina, casino, thalasso therapy centres, Odet golf course, and gastronomic restaurants. Tourism represents an important part of Benodet life, so the town is lively throughout the year. In Benodet there are many monuments to visit like the Menhirs, St Thomas Becket Church (c13), Notre Dame de la Mer Church, and Perguet Chapel devoted to Sainte Brigitte (Irish). This chapel is listed as a historical monument and dated back to the c11. Furthermore, there are 2 typical beacons to visit in Benodet: Pyramide and Coq.
4- Erquy
Erquy counts over 10 beaches all around its town centre. Among them, the most accessible ones for families and disabled people are the Caroual beaches, set along 2km offering all the facilities you would expect such as beach guards during French Summer holidays, public toilets and showers, beach clubs…
5- Saint Malo
Saint Malo is set in the heart of a fortress, or ‘Cité d’Alet’ as it is known, standing at the gateway to the Rance. The ‘Promenade de la Corniche’ offers you the opportunity to enjoy a charming walk around the outside of the fortified town, admiring views over it and Saint-Malo bay. At the town’s highest point, there are the remains of an ancient cathedral, Carolingian in origin, the 1939-45 Memorial, and, down towards Saint Père cove, the Tour Solidor. Saint Malo is a very famous destination in Brittany due to its attractiveness.
6- Dinard
Dinard is located in a marvellous setting just opposite the city of Saint Malo. There is a choice of beaches, the main beach being “Plage de l’Ecluse” where the casino is situated. You can follow the attractive “Promenade du Claire de Lune” around the headland and down to the “Plage du Prieuré”. In the other direction is the “Plage de St Egonat”.
7- Vannes
This Breton town, 25km east of Auray, is one of those with a delightful mediaeval centre of chaotic (for the stranger) streets crammed around the cathedral church and including gardens, ancient ramparts, and a tiny stream. In c19, after the French Revolution, the focus of town life shifted somewhat towards the “Place de la République”. It is near here that the more modern public buildings are to be found, such as the impressive Hôtel de Ville. La Cohue (meaning hubbub) is the place to find arts and crafts on sale and upstairs is the art gallery.
8- Quiberon
Quiberon’s peninsula is one of the most magnificent places in Brittany. The Wild Coast stretches on 8km long from the Turpault Castle to a superb fortress. Plenty of footpaths will make you discover the natural and most thrilled views of Quiberon, such as the villages of Kervihan, Kerné, and Kerniscop. In spite of the famous megalithic heritage, Quiberon was a great harbour for sardine fishing in France in the 19th century, and then it had its destiny changed in 1924 when it was classified as a health resort. Many French celebrities have a holiday house in Quiberon.
9- Carnac
Located between Quiberon and la Trinite-sur-Mer, the small town of Carnac includes Carnac-Ville and the seaside resort of Carnac-Plage and is extremely popular with holidaymakers in July and August. If you can organise your visit at a chosen date, we suggest you visit Carnac in late spring or early autumn when it is less crowded. Carnac top 5 beaches extend for nearly 3km in total. The most attractive beaches are the “Plages Men Du” and “Beaumer”, which lie up to the “Pointe Churchill”.
10- Perros-Guirec
Perros-Guirec is a charming town of the Cotes-d’Armor, by the north coast of Brittany. It is located on a protected natural site because of its three beautiful beaches and pink granite coasts. The town was elected Best Seaside Resort in France in 2007 and is the starting point of many boat races (Transat Jacques Vabre, America’s Cup…). It is just 15 minutes away from Lannion, where supermarkets, hospitals, and cinemas can be easily found. Perros-Guirec has different spas and sportive activities such as tennis or water sports.