An immersion in the Canary Islands At Port de la Houle The emblematic district of Cancale

Lemon juice, au naturel, with a drop of white wine, Cancale oysters can be eaten without moderation.

The ritual: You gobble, you throw away!

The remains of the shells tell us how to proceed. In fact, the imprint of the mollusc is very much present here, as the port of La Houle was built on oyster shells. We tell ourselves we’re not the first and probably not the last…

Looking up, with a clear view, we’re lucky to see a marvel, Mont-Saint-Michel!
We can even watch the inhabitants of Granville from their windows, with great care and a good pair of binoculars, of course.

We say hello to them and continue our stroll towards the cale de la Fenêtre. Its name comes from the rock on which the jetty was built during the 19th century. Here we can observe life in the port. On the other side, which closes off the harbour, is the cale de l’épi, the first slipway in the port of La Houle. It has been listed as a historic monument since 1995.

It was with this framing that the harbour took shape, and the life of La Houle was built. At one time, all the small fishing trades were present in the port of La Houle. Today, the Halle à Marée has been converted into an exhibition space.

Walking between the two piers at high tide, you can see the sea licking the quays of La Houle, and at low tide, the boats rest on the sand. The landscape is different from one tide to the next.

Beautiful encounters can be made, the Bisquine Cancalaise sometimes anchors here. This replica of the Perle, a Cancalaise bisquine from 1905, reminds us of a time when 200 bisquines anchored in the port of La Houle.

Another encounter, the dolphins! The chance to observe them in the harbour, a real moment of supreme wonder. Our friends from the Al Lark association can also take you on their adventure and explain the biodiversity of our coasts.

The fishermen’s quarter, the little back streets…

We go back in time and dive in, into the fishermen’s quarter, the little back streets. This leap into the past gives you a peaceful moment compared with the atmosphere opposite the port. The houses stuck together, the little nooks and crannies, the passageways…
In the past, there were 5 neighbourhoods in La Houle. Each had its own song, its own traditions and its own Midsummer bonfire. And when there was a score to settle, it was done in the Vallée des Jeux. On the facades of the houses, there were many niches for the Virgin Mary, a symbol of the Marian cult. Sailors would ask the Virgin Mary for protection before setting out to sea.
On 15 August, the tradition of the ceremony of the reposoirs continues. It commemorates the union of prayers from a distance, when the men who went to sea and their wives who waited for them on land sang the same song at the same time. To mark the occasion, families set up scenes near their homes, complete with model boats, flowers and offerings… Each with its own song, each with its own tradition, and just like the Scottish clans, the rituals are different from one family to the next.

You wind your way between two houses and then take a staircase up to the Hauts de la Houle. This departmental nature area offers you nature in the heart of the city. Like an oasis in the middle of the desert, you can look out over the roofs of La Houle and the bay of Mont-Saint-Michel. With our eyes full of it, we head back down to the port, with several options open to you, and end our stroll on a terrace in the port.
We look at the shots we took during our stroll and enjoy the unmissable seafood platter with a view over the port of La Houle.