Day one: best walks around the Gulf of Saint-Malo, including Sillon de Talbert
Leaving the port of Saint-Malo, travel west to Saint-Jacut-de-la-Mer, a village promontory jutting into the Gulf of Saint-Malo. If your visit coincides with low tide, you’ll be able to walk on the seabed around the entire village, and to Île des Ébihens.
Continue your journey by road northwest to Cap Fréhel, a headland that divides Côte d’Émeraude with Côte de Penthièvre. Step out to walk the exceptional heather moorland, where you can visit the lighthouse and climb the 145 steps to its viewing deck.
Forty-five minutes away at Hillion, bird lovers will enjoy the Saint-Brieuc Bay national nature reserve, the largest nature reserve in Brittany, on the way to the pretty port of Binic, where you can pick one of many quayside restaurants for a late lunch. At Plouha, you’ll find the highest (104 metres) cliffs in Brittany, best viewed from the Pointe de Plouha. Or drive the signposted Route des Falaises following backroads through hamlets of stone-built houses.
Finish the day with a walk on the Sillon de Talbert, an extraordinary pebble spit that stretches for almost 2 miles out to sea. Be sure to check tide times before you set off, or you’ll have wet feet!
Day two: pick and mix – start with a swim, visit a chocolate factory in Morlaix and live it up in Roscoff
Head to Côte de Granit Rose to explore the giant pink granite boulders, which make you feel as if you’re in some fabulous natural playground; swimwear is essential kit, too. Park up at La Clarté, where you can take a leisurely stroll along the famous GR34 long distance footpath Sentier des Douaniers to Ploumanac’h.
Continue southwest to Morlaix and Chocolaterie Grain de Sail, where you can make your own chocolate bar after a fun tour of the eco-conscious chocolatiers.
In the afternoon, visit the little stone-housed fishing port of Roscoff, which makes a change from the villages of whitewashed Breton cottages. Quietly located close to the town’s lively shopping and dining district, the Hotel la Residence des Artistes makes a great stopover option.
Don’t forget to buy traditional kouign amann, a Breton speciality – crispy and caramelised on the outside, very rich and buttery on the inside, with a soft and light texture due to multiple layers of gently folded dough. Deliciously moreish.
Day three: a treat for history lovers – step back in time at Plougastel, Le Faou, and medieval Locronan
Start your day with a short drive west to the village of Plouescat to see the 16th-century timber-framed covered market; it’s one of the last remaining in Brittany. Then turn south towards Plougastel. This area of Brittany (Finistère, or “end of the earth”) is known for its enclos paroissial or parish closes, elaborate churches enclosed by stone walls with ornate entrance archways. Guimiliau is the most famous but there are many others to see. For something unexpected, take a detour to Guipavas to visit Cactuseraie de Creisméas, a huge cactus farm where you can wander through indoor, heated gardens; it’s a great option on rainy days.
Next, you’ll pass through Le Faou, a town designated a Petite Cité de Caractère sitting at the confluence of two rivers. There’s a great choice of restaurants for an authentic French lunch in Place des Fusilles et Résistants. Follow the D791 to cross the fjord-like Aulne to the Crozon peninsula, one of the remotest – and least visited – parts of Brittany. The Pointe des Espagnols, with its 16th-century fortifications overlooking the Rade de Brest, and the unruly magnificence of the Pointe de Pen Hir at the northernmost and westernmost points of the peninsula are both must-sees.
Finish your day with a visit to medieval Locronan. Designated as one of the Plus Beaux Villages de France (most beautiful villages of France), this is a popular destination during the day. Time your visit to the day’s end, though, and you can wander the historic cobbled streets – used as a location for feature films – without coachloads of tourists. And after that, unwind by booking in your overnight stay at the Latitude Ouest Hotel Restaurant & Spa, a family-run hotel with a great restaurant for dinner, set in the woods just outside town.
Day four: a taste of Brittany – where to find the best crepes, and learn the art of cider-making at Cidrerie Kerné in Pouldreuzic
Head out along the Baie des Trépassés between Pointe du Van and Pointe du Raz, the latter labelled a Grand Site de France (in other words, it’s a must see). The road between the two headlands is one of the most beautiful drives in Brittany. Raz is more tourist-oriented than Van; both offer excellent walking. Of the two, head to Raz for L’Armen, a laid-back restaurant where you can sample excellent crepes and traditional Breton dishes.
Back on the road, turn east – with a brief stop at Plogoff to watch traditional Breton sablé biscuits being made at Biscuiterie de la Pointe du Raz (biscuits have been made here since 1936), on your way to Cidrerie Kerné, at Pouldreuzic. The artisan cider maker has a visitors’ shop and discovery area where you can learn the art of making Breton cider.
Your road trip will then take you through the Cornouaille region, filled with apple orchards, before hopping on the N165 from Quimper to finish your day and stay overnight in the buzzing port town of Lorient, home to a spectacular nautical museum (on the site of a second world war German submarine base), as well as tantalising dining options showcasing freshly caught local seafood.
Day five: experience the power of nature on the Côte Sauvage
Drive east to Étel to discover the mesmerising ria creeks and vast sandy beaches loved by the locals. East of the town are the Alignements de Kerzerho, megalithic stones that dwarf the more famous Alignements de Carnac (the former are quiet and free to visit; the latter receive many tourists). Then it’s off to cross the isthmus to the Quiberon peninsula, where you can watch the Atlantic pound the Côte Sauvage.
The afternoon can be spent relaxing, enjoying a sea water therapy – or thalassotherapie as they say in France – with an ocean view at Sofitel Quiberon Thalassa Sea & Spa. Yoga on the beach is on offer, too.
Day six: island hop to cycle around Île aux Moines
It’s back across the isthmus first thing for morning coffee in Saint-Goustan, with its half-timbered buildings (almost all of them home to a cafe or bar). Then drive to Port Blanc; park your car and then climb on board the tiny ferry for the five-minute crossing to Île aux Moines, tucked into the unique Gulf of Morbihan. You can hire a bike on the quayside to cycle the entire island before heading to the village for lunch; there are several good restaurants to select but be aware they rarely open before midday.
Having returned to the mainland, drive north cross-country to Dinan. Opt for the Ibis Styles Dinan Centre Ville for a stylish layover in the heart of the town, walking distance to the medieval ramparts, market and beautiful river Rance. Dinner tonight in the Vieux Port area; my pick is Crêperie Luun on the quayside for fresh, home-cooked moules-frîtes, a crepe and a pitcher of cider.
Day seven: tour an oyster farm in Cancale then take in the views at Pointe du Grouin
Spend the morning exploring historic Dinan on foot time to stop for breakfast and coffee at one of the wonderful boulangeries dotted around the charming old town centre. Then drive northeast to Cancale, famed for its oysters, for a guided tour of La Ferme Marine de Cancale to discover the life of an oyster farmer.
To end your Brittany road trip, you can do no better than to finish at Pointe du Grouin, north of Cancale, with its immense views across Baie du Mont-Saint-Michel and Côte d’Émeraude.
Getting there
Brittany Ferries operates two routes to Brittany from the UK: Portsmouth to Saint-Malo, and Plymouth to Roscoff. New for 2025 to Saint-Malo is Brittany Ferries’ first hybrid-LNG cruise ferry, with a choice of restaurants, overnight accommodation from two-berth luxury suites to six-berth family cabins, an outdoor play area for the kids, as well as a gym and a wellness room with spa treatments.
