The wave-pounded lozenge of Île des Landes – 1.1km long, slender and uninhabited – is home to hundreds of gulls and other seabirds. It's directly east as you stand at the Pointe du Grouin but as it's a bird reserve, the islet cannot be visited, despite being temptingly close.
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
15.78 MILES
Mont St-Michel's one main street, the Grande Rue, leads up the slope – past souvenir shops, eateries and a forest of elbows – to the star attraction of a…
Rue du Jerzual & rue du Petit Fort
20.08 MILES
Lined with half-timbered houses, this astonishing cobbled street has been here since at least the 12th century. It leads downhill at a steep angle all the…
9.41 MILES
Château de St-Malo was built by the dukes of Brittany in the 15th and 16th centuries, and is now the home of the Musée d'Histoire de St-Malo, which…
0.32 MILES
A short drive from Cancale brings you to this sublime and stormy headland. Rock cleaves the water and fantastic views range over islands and rocks to the…
9.74 MILES
Constructed at the end of the 17th century under military architect Vauban, and measuring 1.8km, the ramparts of St-Malo can be accessed from several…
15.78 MILES
The buildings on the northern side of the Mont are known as ‘The Marvel’. The famous cloître (cloister) is surrounded by a double row of delicately carved…
Île du Grand Bé & Fort du Petit Bé
9.86 MILES
At low tide, cross the beach to walk out via Porte des Bés to Île du Grand Bé, the rocky islet where the great St-Malo-born, 18th-century writer…
Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Coutances
29.36 MILES
The interior of the splendid twin-towered Gothic Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Coutances includes several 13th-century windows, a 14th-century fresco of St…
Nearby Brittany attractions
0.32 MILES
A short drive from Cancale brings you to this sublime and stormy headland. Rock cleaves the water and fantastic views range over islands and rocks to the…
2.41 MILES
Anse du Verger, 4km west of the point, is a lush terrain of beaches, dunes and trails with a picturesque small church, Notre Dame du Verger, dedicated to…
3.84 MILES
If you ever wanted to crack open the science and art of ostréiculture (oyster farming), this well-organised and informative museum, a couple of kilometres…
6.43 MILES
This 16th-century manor house was the home of controversial explorer Jacques Cartier (1491–1557), who mapped the St Lawrence River and whose explorations…
8.86 MILES
This very long, north-facing beach runs along the coast outside the Intra-Muros.
9.35 MILES
The St-Malo ramparts' northern stretch looks across to the remains of this former prison, built by Vauban in 1689. Standing atop a rocky outcrop, the fort…
9.41 MILES
Château de St-Malo was built by the dukes of Brittany in the 15th and 16th centuries, and is now the home of the Musée d'Histoire de St-Malo, which…
8. Musée d'Histoire de St-Malo
9.45 MILES
Within Château de St-Malo, built by the dukes of Brittany in the 15th and 16th centuries, this museum examines the life and history of the city through a…