The must-see pearls of the coast

Between Land and Sea

A precious haven!

From the Caribbean to Japan, who hasn’t heard of Cancale’s priceless treasure? Pearly oysters that are exported everywhere and enjoyed endlessly. The farming of these oysters, listed as part of France’s Intangible Cultural Heritage, has made Cancale a Remarkable Site of Taste. Once you’ve finished tasting the oysters, set off to discover other treasures: the Malouinières. The homes of wealthy Malouin shipowners, they can be discovered not far from their home port. Go from tasty pearls to granite pearls.

Good to know!

Pearls to savour

Every treasure has its pleasures. In Cancale, a picturesque little 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|Simon Bourcier

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 ringed by the sea: the Pointe du Grouin.
An essential stop-off on the famous Breton hiking trail, also known as the Sentier des Douaniers, which traces the contours of Brittany and begins 7km away: at the Pointe des Crolles, where a sign indicates Kilometre Zero. Once you’ve reached the Pointe du Grouin, expect to feel the urge to set sail for exotic lands, like the skippers in the legendary Route du Rhum who set off every 4 years from this rocky spur towards Guadeloupe. Nature is everywhere. Look up because you’re in the heart of an exceptional ornithological site with many species to observe. The hardest part isn’t finding the treasure, it’s leaving it…

2. The islets

Since time immemorial, two magnificent islets have stood up to 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 reach you. Fort du Guesclin was originally 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 islet was the refuge of a great French singer and poet, Léo Ferré, who lived there with his famous guenon Pépé. He wrote many songs here, including La Mémoire et la mer (Memory and the Sea). Admire Île des Rimains: a maritime fort built to Vauban’s plans in the 18th century, and now privately owned.

©©Thibault Poriel - Cancale|©Thibault Poriel

©Anse Du Guesclin St Coulomb Alexandre Lamoureux 8594|alexandre lamoureux

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

L’anse Du Guesclin: Framed by the Grands Nez and du Nid points, the beach at l’anse Du Guesclin is bordered by a dune cordon: 20,000 feet of oyats planted in the dune help to fix and reconstitute the long dune.

4. Les Malouinières

Superb residences built between 1650 and 1730, the malouinières typify the wealth of Malouin shipowners, privateers or merchants who intended to enjoy a new art of living “in the country”. The symmetrical architecture, formal gardens and interior decoration of these homes were often sumptuous. They bear witness to the Corsair City’s glorious past.

©Ville Bague - Journée des plantes et gourmandises|©SMBMSM

©Parcs A Huitres Cancale Alexandre Lamoureux 3002|alexandre lamoureux

5. Oyster beds & the oyster market

A unique landscape in the Bay of Mont-Saint-Michel that is revealed when the sea recedes at low tide, the oyster beds form a grid that hugs the coast from the Rocher de Cancale in the north to in front of Saint-Benoit des Ondes in the south.

6. La Baie de Radegonde

In the heart of the Bay of Mont-Saint-Michel, nestling in a hollow of the Saint-Méloir-des-Ondes coastline, the Baie de Radegonde is a small haven of calm known only to insiders. Criss-crossed by the GR®34 and a mountain bike trail, it is also an invitation to contemplate, lulled by the rhythm of the tides.

©Baie De Radegonde Saint Meloir Des Ondes Smbmsm 2231|smbmsm

7. La Bisquine Cancalaise

A traditional fishing boat in the Bay of Mont-Saint-Michel, Bisquines have their origins in the biscayennes of Basque fishermen. Thin, fast and powerful, the Bisquines are ideal for dredging flat oysters. All elegance and sail, you are bound to see these boats sailing in the Bay of Mont-Saint-Michel.