The Emerald Coast and its islands | Saint-Malo – Mont-Saint-Michel Bay

A preserved coastline

facing the Channel Islands

Crystal clear water with emerald green reflections surrounds an archipelago of islands and islets located off the coast of Saint-Malo. Escape to the Chausey Islands or conquer the Channel Islands!

The Emerald Coast

The Emerald Coast is located on the northern coast of Brittany between Cancale and Cap Fréhel. Its name comes from the emerald color of the sea. Just like the Bay of Mont-Saint-Michel, the Emerald Coast is a protected site. From Paramé to Cancale, it is a Natura 2000 site, that is to say a place that is recognized at the European level for its biodiversity. Between rocky points and beaches, the shoreline has many beautiful surprises in store for you, whether on foot, on horseback or by bike. This magnificent part of the Breton coastline can be enjoyed on foot, on horseback or by bike. The Natura 2000 site of the coast from Cancale to Paramé owes its exceptional character to the many exceptional habitats and species that it shelters and that must be preserved.

Nord De L Ile Cezembre Saint Malo Smbmsm 1812

The islands

from Saint-Malo to the Mont-Saint-Michel bay

From Saint-Malo to the bay of Mont-Saint-Michel, you can stop over on wild or uninhabited islands such as Cézembre Island, Grand-Bé Island or the archipelago of Chausey Islands.

L’île du Grand-Bé, the tomb of Chateaubriand

This uninhabited island is located at the foot of the ramparts of Saint-Malo. Here you can see the tomb of the writer Chateaubriand, precursor of French Romanticism, who was born in Saint-Malo. You can access it only at low tide. So check the tide times before venturing onto the island!

Le Grand Be St Malo Alexandre Lamoureux 9226

Cézembre, the forbidden island

Only the beach is accessible to visitors who choose to stop by Cézembre Island on a beautiful sunny day. Once fortified by the German army, the island is off-limits on the entire northern part as a security measure. Wild and uninhabited, it has the best oriented beach of the entire coast with its southern exposure. Shuttles from Saint-Malo are daily in season, if the tide allows it. Today, there is a path on the island, but be careful, it is a privileged place for birds.

The Chausey Islands, an archipelago of granite

The Chausey Islands archipelago is the largest archipelago in Europe. It includes a group of 365 islets at low tide and 52 at high tide. The tidal range in the archipelago can reach 14 meters during high tides, which gives the landscape a lunar look when the sea is low.Grande Île, the main island, is accessible by shuttle from Saint-Malo from the first beautiful days. On the spot, the disconnection is total because there is no car. Nature, the sea and beautiful white sand beaches are the protagonists of the postcard. You can spend the day there or make the pleasure last by offering you a night in the only hotel on the island.