This is a remarkably beautiful coastline just across the water from England. It is a real ‘open-air museum’, with an endless succession of bays, shores, and headlands.
This is a remarkably beautiful coastline just across the water from England. It is a real ‘open-air museum’, with an endless succession of bays, shores and headlands – Erquy and its magnificent pink cliffs that reach up to 230 feet; and Fréhel with its wonderful marine bird reserve. And then, of course, Fort la Latte, a steep site overlooking Fresnaye Bay, picturesque and crammed with history. The colours are the colours of watercolour paintings and the scenery of wild beaches and creeks contrast with elegant, traditional resorts. Finally, St Malo, mythical pirate town encircled by ramparts overlooking the sea.
Price:
£850 per person, based upon two people sharing.
Single room supplement £345
Solo walker additional £130
27th June – 31st August additional cost £50 per person
Dinner on every night (days 3 & 5 already included) £75 per person
Extra night St Malo £65 per person B&B sharing a room
Extra night St Brieuc £50
Included :
– 7 nights in B&B, in hotel 2*, 3* and an abbey (hotel comfort),
– dinners on day 3 and day 5,
– the seabus crossing on day 2,
– transfer on day 8,
– luggage transfer between overnight stops,
– one roadbook per room.
Not included :
– getting to Saint-Malo,
– lunches,
– dinners, except on day 3 and day 5 (*half-board in option for 3 extra dinners, except in Saint-Malo and Saint-Briac always in B&B),
– single room supplement,
– solo walker additional,
– drinks,
– eventual visits,
– insurances
When to go:
Departures every day from April to October inclusive
Day 1: Arrival Saint-Malo
From the first evening in the city, the memory of sailors, corsairs and explorers is very present. A walk towards and on the ramparts offers the complete panorama of their discoveries and the audacity which always characterized those who, not quite Breton, defined themselves as “Malouins”. Installation at the hotel.
Day 2: Saint-Malo – Saint-Briac-sur-Mer
You leave the ramparts of Saint-Malo and take the water bus to Dinard, a mecca of Art-Nouveau elegance, with its Belle Epoque residences. This “flower of the sea” hike will take you from cove to cove with the island of Cézembre on the horizon. At the end of the day, you reach Saint-Briac-sur-Mer, an authentic jewel acclaimed by many artists.
17 km – ascent 225 m – descent 230 m
Day 3: Saint-Briac-sur-Mer – Saint-Jacut-de-la-Mer
At the start of the hike you reach Lancieux, a small seaside resort with eight beaches. Then to reach Saint-Jacut-de-la-Mer, you have to go up a vast bay which, like an ancient fjord, leads you inland. This is Argoat, the land of crops, sunken paths and the scent of the undergrowth.
20 km – ascent 130 m – descent 145 m
Day 4: Saint-Jacut-de-la-Mer – Saint-Cast-le-Guildo
On the other side of the bay, still following the GR34, the earth gives way to sand again. The focus is on the superb panorama of the Hébihens archipelago. You taste the contrast between the Argoat and the Armor, following the watercourse of the Arguenon which little by little becomes a small river, whose fresh waters meet the saline flow of the tides. Depending on the coefficients and times of the tide, the landscape changes completely: from the arm of the sea to the foreshore whose mud, rich in shells and worms, constitutes the pantry of the wading birds.
18 km – ascent 275 m – descent 275 m
Day 5: Saint-Cast-le-Guildo – Petit Trécelin
The immense bay of La Fresnaye, 6km deep, has been specially chosen by oyster and mussel farmers. Thanks to the quality of the fresh and marine waters which mix, it is an ideal space for the refining of oysters and mussels. It is demanding work, in all weathers, at sea and on land, to select a product whose flavor matches perfectly with its terroir.
16 km – ascent 350 m – descent 320 m
Day 6: Petit Trécelin – Sables-d’Or-les-Pins
You overlook the sea via a path of gorse and heather. The legendary Cap Fréhel fully deserves its reputation. An ornithological reserve, its cliffs overlook the sea at more than 70 meters. Along the way, the famous Fort La Latte which has served as a setting for numerous films: it dominates the waves like a rocky spur armed with the desire to be impregnable. Then, a pink sandstone cliff descends gently towards the vast expanse of Sables-d’Or-les-Pins.
25 km – ascent 360 m – descent 400 m
Day 7: Sables-d’Or-les-Pins – Pléneuf-Val-André
Cap d’Erquy offers a variety of coves with particularly clear waters. Its cliffs allow you to look deeper into it. Wild, they are softened by the pink of the sandstone and alternate with long deserted beaches. The old quarries bear witness to a history highlighted through an educational route. You continue the path towards the Verdelet Bird Island, facing Val-André. Cap d’Erquy is a classified site of 170 ha, owned by the Conseil Général des Côtes d’Armor since 1977.
24 km – ascent 440 m – descent 440 m
Day 8: Pléneuf-Val-André – Morieux
The landscape, until now of beaches and cliffs, gives way to a narrow path dotted with two small natural ports; that of Dahouët, a perfect refuge for the former Newfoundlanders whose memory remains inscribed in the almost austere simplicity of their homes. Then, even more discreet, that of Jospinet, with its rows of bouchots. Here, the sea recedes very far and taking advantage of the strong tides, the silhouette of the fishermen on foot indicates that the foreshore is not only a larder for birds… Transfer to Saint-Brieuc.
16 km – ascent 400 m – descent 350 m
HOTEL LIST
Hôtel Quic en Groigne, ST MALO
Hôtel des Bains, LANCIEUX
Hôtel Port Jacquet, Saint-Cast-le-Guildo www.port–jacquet.com
Hôtel Le Trécelin, Plévenon – Cap Fréhel hotel.le-trecelin@wanadoo.fr
Hôtel de Diane, Sables d’Or-les-Pins http://www.hoteldiane.fr/
ARRIVAL
Train: SNCF see voyagessnce.com
By Car: Unsupervised parking at the ferry terminal (departures for the Channel Islands and England): 10€/day. More information: 02.99.40.64.41.
At 1.5km from the ferry terminal (but free), you will find the parking of “Place Maréchal Foch”. (on Tuesdays and Fridays, there is a market nearby so it gets full quickly)
Unsupervised parking next to the old town of Saint Malo, not covered: around 9€/day low season and around 15€/day during July/August
Underground Parking Saint-Vincent, at “Esplanade Saint-Vincent” next to the old town: approximately 35€/day. More information, you can contact the office of the car park in Saint-Malo: 02.99.40.82.57.
DEPARTURE
You will be taken to the train station at Lamballe. Time will be agreed with you.
