Itinerary
There are direct trains from the centre of Paris to bring you to the walled port city of St Malo, entrenched in history. By the late 4th century, St Malo was already the site of a major promontory fort that protected the Rance estuary from seaborne raiders. From the 15th century, the corsairs of Saint-Malo not only forced English ships passing up the Channel to pay tribute but also brought wealth from further afield. This was also the time of Jacques Cartier, who in the 16th century lived in, and sailed from, Saint-Malo to the Saint Lawrence River, visiting the villages of Stadacona and Hochelaga that would later become the sites of present-day Canadian Quebec City and Montreal respectively. St Malo was in the heart of fierce battles in WWII, an era brought to life in the top-selling novel All the Lighness We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr, recently adapted as a popular miniseries. You’ll love being in the heart of this history!
Your first walk is a stunner, following the coastline from the Decollé Point into the Corsair town of Dinard, along the historic Douaniers pathway – where patrols of hearty customs officers walked, keeping an eye out for pirates smuggling in goods or pillaging shipwrecks. Their role eventually and naturally developed as well into a sort of early lifeguard, as they also kept an eye out for individuals caught out by the rapidly rising tides of the coast here. You’ll love the paths and spectacular views as you vary between high cliffside lookouts, and sandy-beached inlets en route to Dinard. Dinard itself is dotted with an astonishing collection of beautiful Manor Houses, the Malounieres owned by the wealthy Corsair (and pirating!) families. After explorations there, it is a quick and easy ferry ride across the bay back to St Malo for a second night.
Another spectacular coastline walk today, as we transfer you to the Guesclin Fort beach, with views out to the island and fort of the same name. Climb away from the sandy shoreline, and enjoy the spectacular views along the walk today – including some of your first views of the Mont Saint Michel in the distance. Along the way, the paths take you past the Point de Grouin, dominated by a semaphore, constructed in 1871 to send out signals to passing water traffic, and provide valuable weather reports and information. The views from this point are breathtaking, as you continue to Cancale. Many of Cancale’s visitors are drawn by its reputation as the “oyster capital” of Brittany. History has it that Louis XIV had his oysters brought to Versailles from here. Centuries later, the farming of oysters is still a major activity in the port and there are oyster beds covering about 7.3 square kilometres easily seen from the pier at the harbour. These beds harvest about 25,000 tons of oysters each year. Though a small town, it is well served by a large number of restaurants, many specialising in seafood. (note the Deluxe itinerary continue past Cancale to the Chateau Richeux outside of town).
No trip to Brittany would be complete without seeing the magical Mont Saint Michel, whose silhouette is one of the keystone sites of all of France. For a walker, the ultimate experience is to soak up the history at low tide, walking across the bay itself. With Europe’s highest tides, and the bay’s odd “quicksands”, this can only be done safely with one of the licenced local guides. After being transferred in the morning after breakfast, meet your guide at the base of the Mont, and enjoy the three hours crossing of the bay, mixed with the history of the Mont itself, flora and fauna, and the incredible eco-development of this site – a heartwarming success story. Before or after the guided walk (depending on the tide schedule for the day), you’ll have time to enjoy explorations on the Mont itself, with a visit of the abbey if you wish – we recommend it!
After a final breakfast, we transfer you to the train station in Pontorson, which has easy connections for your further travels – Bon Voyage!
What's included
- 4 nights’ accommodation of the comfort level of your choice* CLASSIC, CLASSIC +, or DELUXE
- Hotel taxes
- All breakfasts, 2 dinners (drinks not included with the dinners)
- Orientation with our Trip Manager by phone at the start of the trip
- Luggage transfers from hotel to hotel
- Taxi transfers for the walks, as described in the itinerary
- Guide for the crossing of Mont Saint Michel Bay
- Transfer to Pontorson train station at the end of the tour
- Detailed maps and step-by-step route instructions
- Uploadable GPS file of the route to use on a free APP in your smartphone **
- Regional information and advice
- Phone call support 7 days a week
* Price based on double room occupancy – please contact us for details on single room supplements
** Can be used without international internet plan (offline)
Hotel Details
Classic Tour
1350 € / pers.
2 nights
Hotel les Abers – St Malo
1 night
Hotel le Querrien – Cancale
1 night
Hotel Gabriel – Mont Saint Michel
Classic + Tour
1690 € / pers.
2 nights
Hotel le Grand Bé – St. Malo
1 night
Hotel le Querrien – Cancale
1 night
Hotel le Relais Saint Michel – Mont Saint Michel
Deluxe Tour
2590 € / pers.
2 nights
Le Grand Hotel des Thermes – Saint Malo
1 night
Chateau Richeux – Cancale
1 night
Ermitage Mont Saint Michel – Mont Saint Michel (Beauvoir)