Brittany Walk – “Nice ‘n Easy”

Upon your arrival in Dinan, you have time to settle in to your hotel and relax before explorations. This lovely medieval town, with its spectacular setting, perched over the Rance River, is worth some exploration. Wander through the twisting streets, admiring the many old buildings, some of which date from the 13th century, and the large sections of medieval walls which remain. Be sure to see the Jacobins Theatre, built in the year 1224, as well as the Gothic Flamboyant St Malo’s Church, the Romanesque Saint Saviour’s Basilica, and the impressive Chateau of Dinan. A map and small walking tour is provided in your trip package to help in explorations. We will touch base with you to go over any questions at the end of the afternoon. Dinner is included this evening.

A short transfer this morning brings you to the trailhead of the Tiemblais Menhir, an impressive vestige of this region’s ancient history, hidden along a forest footpath. From there, your walk brings you to the port town of Lyvet, and then follows the meandering Rance River on a great and easygoing tow path. As you approach with great views of Dinan from below we take you winding up into the heart of the town through an ancient market street, on cobblestones and through one of its historic medieval gates, for a second evening in Dinan.

Today’s walk is a stunner, following the coastline from the Pointe de Nick 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 – you’ll love having a bit of extra time to soak up the ambiance of the walled Cité, with its rich history… from 4th century Vikings, to 16th century Jacques Cartier, and the intense emotions of WWII brought to life in the top-selling novel All the Lighness We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr, recently adapted as a popular miniseries.

This morning’s short transfer brings you to the centre of the village of Rotheneuf. Admire the church, and perhaps stop for a small coffee in the centre of the town. From there, you head out to the seafront again, with beautiful cliffside views. You may decide to visit the unique sculpted rocks of Rotheneuf, where a deaf and mute priest spent the majority of his hermit life leaving his imprint on the dark granite rocks overlooking the waves – there are over 300 sculptures in total! As you approach St Malo, you’ll also love clambering over the stones of the recently restored site of Arboulé Fort, originally a complementary protective structure to the St Malo ramparts from the 1500s, and offering a great view of the Corsair cité. The walk back in to St Malo itself follows the spectacular long beach boardwalk, fronted by beautiful homes and historic hotels.

Another spectacular coastline walk today, as we transfer you to the Point de Grouin, dominated by a semaphore which was 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 along the coast, protected by pine forest, into 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 has another short transfer from 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!