Crossroads for accessible holidays | Saint-Malo – Mont-Saint-Michel Bay

©CARTE TERRITOIRE CIRCUITS-CHEMINS DE TRAVERSE

Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5
Day 6
Day 7

Travel to the campsite

Day 1: An arrival at the campsite heralds the start of the holidays

The journey to your camping, in the heart of romantic Brittany or in the Bay of Mont-Saint-Michel, went smoothly. The children have already set off to explore their playground. As soon as the suitcases have been emptied, you too can go for a walk and discover what will be your domain for a week. Your mobile home is comfortable and adapted to your son’s disability. The campsite is rural and peaceful, and you have a feeling you’re going to like it here. Your smiling neighbours have welcomed you, which bodes well for the future! After your walk, you’ll spend a long time on the deckchairs reading and relaxing. You’ve stocked up on novels in anticipation of these Zen interludes. During this week, you’ll be all pro-fi-ter! Visits, activities, walks, life! It starts straight away: no shopping to do or meals to prepare, tonight a foodtruck will be setting up at the campsite!

Baie du Mont-Saint-Michel and the Polders

Day 2: Horse-drawn carriage ride in the polders

9am, already? Breakfast and off you go to Épiniac. The Saint Léonard market on Sunday mornings is said to be well worth a visit. What an atmosphere! We didn’t tell you that as well as the stallholders selling local produce and handicrafts, there would also be musicians! Nice menu and low prices? Of course you’re staying for lunch!

You must have promised a horse-drawn carriage ride so that the kids get in the car without complaining.

In the Bay of Mont-Saint-Michel, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the ride takes you on a tour of the polders, the land reclaimed from the sea. The quiet, soothing rhythm of the horse invites meditation. Is it already time to return? A caress on the horse’s nostrils, a greeting to the guide-coach. Thank you to the organisation for adapting the carriage so that visitors in wheelchairs can access it… Back to the campsite for dinner and entertainment. The evening continues!

Heritage and old stones

Day 3: Granite Garden, Covered Alley and Tronchet Abbey

First stop at the Granite Garden at Lanhélin in Mesnil-Roc’h to admire 16 monumental stone works. From the two quarries at Lanhélin, a characteristic blue granite is still extracted today, labelled IGGB (Indication Géographique Granit Breton).

You push on to the forêt du Mesnil for a stroll along the interpretation trail. Have you heard of the Maison des Fées, the Neolithic covered alley nestling among the trees? This funerary chamber, listed as a Historic Monument, contributes to the mystery of the forest, the stuff of many legends. What are you going to do after your picnic? A visit to the Abbey Church of Notre-Dame du Tronchet and the Mireloup pond?

A walk along the banks of the Beaufort pond and a visit to the monastery of the same name, where you can buy the products of the work of the Dominican nuns who still live there? You’re coming to appreciate this region more and more, where you can combine heritage, history, nature and leisure activities. Every day is different from the last. What a treasure trove!

Saint-Jouan des Guérêts & Saint-Malo

Day 4: nautical escapade

Here you are in Saint-Jouan des Guérets on the pretty country beach of Vallion, on the banks of the Rance. Vehicle access is restricted to preserve this Natura 2000 listed area, but cars carrying disabled people can park as close to the site as possible. Birds dance above the sanctuary islands, and the wooden pontoon is warm underfoot. The south-facing beach, with its superb views, is friendly and family-friendly. Our towel neighbours have also decided to have lunch on the picnic tables… It’s 2pm and time to pack up: you’ve booked a water sports activity in Saint-Malo. Thanks to the adapted kayak, the whole family was able to take part in the outing. You’re drenched but smiling all the way. Refreshments on the sea-view terrace round off the day in style. The waiter offers to take your photo. You’re tired, but happy…

©Saint Jouan Des Guerets Ponton De La Plage Du Vallion Smbmsm 484|smbmsm

Combourg, Petite Cité de Caractère®

Day 5: Heritage and plant maze

The advisors at the Tourist Information Office in Combourg have given you all the information you need to explore the town, it’s perfect! There are so many treasures in this Petite Cité de Caractère® that you can’t afford to miss any. The pretty Maison de la Lanterne*, built in 1597, plays host to works by local artists and craftspeople all summer long: a fine exhibition in a beautiful setting is not to be turned down! The walk continues around Lac Tranquille, as it was called by the Romantic writer François-René de Chateaubriand. The château* impresses children: it’s a real fairytale castle! You stroll through the English-style grounds, promising yourself to reread the Mémoires d’Outre-Tombe. A quick lunch and you’re off to the corn maze, the biggest in the region! An eight-hectare maze, lots of laughs and one essential question: can you find the way out?

*not accessible to PRM

©Maison De La Lanterne Combourg Alexandre Lamoureux 710|alexandre lamoureux

The Bay of Mont-Saint-Michel

Day 6: A breath of fresh air and local produce

Go to the marais de Sougeal. The Maison du Marais is ideal for understanding the history and workings of this Remarkable Area of Brittany. Then get some height at Roz-sur- Couesnon: the Balcon de la Baie lookout offers an exceptional panorama of the Bay of Mont-Saint-Michel and the polders. Next stop: the Sainte-Anne chapel at Saint-Broladre. A place of pilgrimage, this nugget houses an exhibition. You can see the whole bay. It’s on this immense space that you try your hand at sand yachting in the early afternoon. You take your place in a two-seater adapted for people with disabilities. The instructor is trained to deal with disabled people, and knows how to reassure and guide. The session turned your cheeks pink. At the Maison des Produits du Terroir et de la Gastronomie in Cherrueix, an exhibition highlights the quality of the Bay’s produce: these photos from DOP mussels “Moules de bouchot de la Baie du Mont-Saint-Michel” and of PDO “Prés-Salés” lambs! The Cherrueix market has just opened, so you’ll be able to dine in!

Romantic Brittany

Day 7: Along the Ille-et-Rance Canal

1 km on foot, it wears you out, it wears you out…. The repertoire is limited but the enthusiasm is there! Branches picked up on the towpath along the Ille-et-Rance Canal are transformed into knight’s or privateer’s swords. You stop off at the site of the 11 Locks at Hédé-Bazouges. The children are fascinated by the rise of the water in the lock chamber and the opening of the gates, using a crank. The boats glide quietly along. They greet each other, and the atmosphere is joyful. How about a visit to the Canal House? Housed in a lock-keeper’s house, this interpretation centre traces the history of the canal. It was built under Napoleon I to link the English Channel to the Atlantic Ocean by land. The walk continues along the canal to Tinténiac. What beautiful and funny ephemeral installations created by the artist collective l’Art Dérive! You visit the Church of the Holy Trinity* and its frescoes by Odorico and head back to the campsite for your last evening.