Cancale walks

Loop between land and sea around Cancale via St Coulomb, following theGR®34andGR®34Atrails.

A rocky headland close to Cancale to discover thanks to the customs trails (GR®34). The coastline, interspersed with small sandy coves, is ideal for all kinds of summer activities. Walkers will be surprised if they expect a flat, unattractive trail. If there are occasional sunken paths, it's to allow a rest before rocky areas and steep gradients.

The commune of Saint-Coulomb had twenty malouinières spread across its territory. Malouinières are the country residences of Saint-Malo shipowners. Most were built between 1680 and 1730. Their architecture was strongly influenced by military engineers. Their style is uniform (granite from the Chausey Islands). This route, in a vegetable-growing countryside, allows you to discover some of them in different sizes. Only the one in Ville Bague is open to visitors.

Cette randonnée de 12 km vous fera découvrir les pointes des Grands Nez et du Meinga ainsi que l'Île Besnard.

This section ofthe GR® 34trail, which leads to the legendary Pointe du Grouin, has been used by some of the great names in French history: the family of Constable Bertrand du Guesclin, the writer Colette and the singer Léo Ferré. Follow in their footsteps from Touesse Beach along theGR® 34 from Pointe des Grands Nez to Pointe du Nid. On the way back, you will pass by the Malouinière La Motte aux Chauff.

Hike along a coastal path overlooking the sea to Pointe du Meinga, with views of the superb Plage de l'Anse de la Touesse and Pointe du Grouin to the right and Rothéneuf to the left of the tip.

A magnificent GR®34 that, at times, offers passages worthy of a mountain GR®, with magnificent views over the beaches, rocks and sea, not forgetting the multitude of rocky islets visible at low tide but covered at high tide. This short tour of the Côte d'Émeraude gives a magnificent overview.

The rocky Pointe du Meinga, the large Plage des Chevrets beach, Île Besnard, which has become a peninsula closing off the Havre de Rothéneuf, offer a magnificent panorama that changes with the tides.The harbour of Rothéneuf or Lupin is a renowned site for birdwatching in lagoon areas.

This is a short, peaceful walk, partly through built-up areas and partly through what is known locally as the white marsh. In fact, the only remaining evidence of the marsh is the leat Jean. The route follows part of the GRP® Tour du Pays Malouin.

Walk between land and sea dotted with numerous historical, cultural and tourist attractions.Urban start, then green countryside through Saint-Coulomb.Return via the Emerald Coast and its magnificent sandy beaches.Discover the protected natural site of Pointe de la Varde, offering a panoramic view of Saint-Malo and Cap Fréhel.

The main attraction of this hike is the Fort de Saint-Père, built between 1777 and 1785 to protect Saint-Malo from English attacks by land and to complete the defence system designed by the famous Vauban. Part of its enclosure was destroyed in 1944 by the Germans as they fled during the Liberation. Today, the fort has become a cultural and leisure space. Every year, it hosts various trail events, flower markets, festivals and concerts. The fort is open to the public during the events it hosts, but the outer rampart walk is accessible to walkers all year round.

Built in the 18th century, the fort completes the coastal fortifications designed by Vauban to protect the bay of Saint-Malo from English attacks. With a capacity of 3,000 men, 26 casemates and a 46-metre-long powder magazine, it was delivered too late to play a defensive role. During the 1914-1918 war, it housed German prisoners and, during the last war, it was converted into an ammunition depot by the Germans, who blew up part of the casemates during their evacuation. Decommissioned in 1988, it is now owned by the municipality of Saint-Père-Marc-en-Poulet, which has restored it; shows are organised there.

Discover the pirate town and the personalities who played a part in its history.

The path runs along the right bank of the Rance, overlooking its rocky coves, which resemble Mediterranean calanques. Along the way, stop at La Passagère, where you can see the Maison du Passeur and the house of Commander Jean Charcot. In the cove, you will find the boat graveyard, the only place where old hulls from the Rance valley are beached.

The Cité d'Alet is a family-friendly walk, with an exceptional promontory, offering 270° panorama of the Cité Corsaire, the fortified rocks of La Conchée, Petit Bé, Île Harbour, Grand Bé (Chateaubriand's burial place), the Rance estuary and its dam, and Dinard and its beaches. It's also Saint-Malo birthplace, with the remains of the first human settlements.

From Saint-Jouan-des-Guérets to La Rance via theGRP® long-distance hiking trail and the countryside around Saint-Malo.

Walking along the Chemin de Ronde between the dam and the pier, you will enjoy various panoramic views of Saint-Servan-sur-Mer and then Saint-Malo. A short boat trip will take you to an outer basin of the port of Saint-Malo. Continue on to the Cité d'Aleth, the Solidor Tower and the Rosais to complete this tour by crossing the dam.

A lovely walk around the northern tip of Saint-Suliac. Do it whatever the weather! Moderator's note as of 06/04/2021: Some modifications on the ground since the creation of this hike: see the comments at the bottom of this page. Moderator's note a description of June 2022 in reverse order to this one is available here

In the midst of this tide-changing natural environment, Mont Garrot, a true promontory above the river Rance maritime estuary, offers a panoramic view of Saint-Suliac to the north and Anse de Vigneux to the south, where the foundations of an ancient Viking camp emerge at low tide.

The Rance once had many tide mills on its banks. Today, with the passage of time, erosion and lack of maintenance, little remains. This circuit allows you to discover the coastline, countryside, coastal path, remains of the Montmarin mills, the new mill and the dam that uses the movements of the tides for its tidal power plant.

This route allows us to alternate between the discovery of a hilly landscape, marked by hedgerows and embankments, and the open landscape of the Dol marshes, criss-crossed by its vast network of canals and ditches and punctuated by the omnipresence of Mont-Dol and Dol-de-Bretagne Cathedral.

From the beautifully landscaped public garden, there is a remarkable view of the Rance and its right bank, from which the village of Saint-Suliac stands out. From the garden, you can easily reach Garel Beach and the Landriais shipyard with its specific equipment: the above-ground wooden dry dock, via the cliff-top path. The wet Guérouse valley winds through the undergrowth that makes up the Domaine du Pièton.

La Rance saw its first tidal mill built in 1181 (Moulin du Lupin near Rothéneuf). Were built between the sixteenth and seventeenth century. Today there are not many of these renewable energy suppliers. This tour allows you to see the ruins of two mills (Fosse Mort and La Herviais) and to walk around this estuary ideal for the construction of mills.

Walk in the Pays Malouin between the sea and the Rance around one of the most beautiful villages in France. To be done at low tide, check before you go.