The must-sees of the Pearls of the Coast | Saint-Malo – Mont-Saint-Michel Bay

Between Land and Sea

A precious haven!

From the Caribbean to Japan, who doesn’t know the priceless treasure of Cancale? Pearly oysters that are exported everywhere and can be enjoyed endlessly. The breeding of these oysters, classified in the Intangible Cultural Heritage of France, makes Cancale a Remarkable Site of Taste. Once the tasting is over, go and discover other treasures: the Malouinières. Homes of rich Malouin shipowners, they can be discovered not far from their home port. Go from tasty pearls to granite pearls.

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Pearls to savor

Every treasure has its pleasures. In Cancale, a small picturesque Breton port anchored in the Bay of Mont-Saint-Michel, there are pearls that nourish the mind as much as the body.

Pointe Du Grouin Cancale Simon Bourcier 7791

Coucher De Soleil Sur La Pointe Du Grouin Cancale Yann Langevin 7807

1. La Pointe du Grouin

Sea in sight!

GR34®: this is the code name that will lead you on the trail of a treasure beaten by the winds and encircled by the sea: La Pointe du Grouin.An unmissable stop on the famous Breton Hiking Trail, also known as the Douaniers Trail, which traces the contours of Brittany and begins 7 km away: at the Pointe des Crolles, where a sign indicates Kilometer Zero. Once you reach the Pointe du Grouin, expect to feel the desire to sail to exotic lands; like the skippers of the mythical Route du Rhum who set off every 4 years from this rocky spur, towards Guadeloupe. Nature is everywhere. Look up because you are in the heart of an exceptional ornithological site with many species to observe. The most difficult thing is not to find the treasure, it is to leave it…

2. The Islets

Since time immemorial, two magnificent islets have stood against the onslaught of waves and invaders: Isle Du Guesclin in Saint-Coulomb, and Isle des Rimains in the Bay of Cancale.These two jewels set by the sea have withstood battles and years to come to you. Fort du Guesclin was first a fortified castle built by Bertrand du Guesclin in the 11th century, then dismantled in 1598, and replaced by a small fort. In the 1960s, the island was the refuge of a great French singer and poet, Léo Ferré, who lived there with his famous guenon Pépé. He composed many songs there, including La Mémoire et la mer. Admire the island of Rimains: a maritime fort built according to Vauban’s plans in the 18th century, and today a private property.

Dunes De Roz Ven St Coulomb Alexandre Lamoureux 8590

Anse Du Guesclin St Coulomb Alexandre Lamoureux 8594

3. L’Anse Du Guesclin & la Dune de Roz-Ven

L’anse Du Guesclin : Framed by the Grands Nez and Nid points, the beach of the anse Du Guesclin is bordered by a dune cordon: 20,000 feet of oyats planted in the dune allow to fix and reconstitute the long dune.Les Dunes de Roz-Ven: A natural area nestled at the bottom of the Touesse cove and accessible by the “Blé en herbe” path. This cove of fine sand is surrounded by dunes populated with oyats and wild plants. During 14 years, the novelist Colette spent all her summers in her second home in the dunes of Roz-Ven.

Ville Bague - Journée des plantes et gourmandises

Malouiniere De Rivasselou St Malo Smbmsm 1860

4. Les Malouinières

Superb residences built between 1650 and 1730, the malouinières characterize the wealth of shipowners, privateers or Malouin merchants who intended to take advantage of a new art of living “in the countryside”. The symmetrical architecture, the French gardens and the interior decoration of these residences were often sumptuous. They are the witnesses of the glorious past of the Corsair City.

Parcs A Huitres Cancale Alexandre Lamoureux 3002

Degustation Au Marche Aux Huitres Port De La Houle Cancale Alexandre Lamoureux 2784

5. The oyster beds & the oyster market

A unique landscape of the Bay of Mont-Saint-Michel that is discovered when the sea retreats at low tide, the oyster beds draw a grid that hugs the coast from the Rock of Cancale in the north to in front of Saint-Benoit des Ondes in the south.The oyster market : Located on the port of La Houle, the oyster market is a must in Cancale ! To stroll there is to discover a part of the atmosphere of Cancale. Find the oyster producers every day of the year. To take away or to taste on the quay in front of the Mont Saint-Michel, memories guaranteed!

Plage de Porcon - Saint-Méloir-des-Ondes

Baie De Radegonde Saint Meloir Des Ondes Smbmsm 2231

6. The Bay of Radegonde

In the heart of the Bay of Mont-Saint-Michel, nestled in a hollow of the coastline of Saint-Méloir-des-Ondes, the Bay of Radegonde is a small haven of calm known by the initiated. Crossed by the GR®34 and by a mountain bike circuit, it also invites you to contemplate, lulled by the rhythm of the tides.

7. La Bisquine Cancalaise

Traditional fishing boat of the Bay of Mont-Saint-Michel, the Bisquines originate from the biscayennes of the Basque fishermen. Fine, fast and powerful boats, the Bisquines have the qualities required for dredging flat oysters. All in elegance and in sails, you will inevitably see these boats sailing in the Bay of the Mont-Saint-Michel.

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