Dinan – Paramé

Start from Dinan harbour.

(S) With your back to the medieval bridge, follow the left bank of the Rance until you’ve passed the last houses.

(1) At the three-way junction near La Grande Vigne (Y. Jean-Haffen Museum), turn right onto the small road that follows the Rance. Please note: this narrow road leads to a factory and is just wide enough for a lorry to pass.
The towpath runs alongside the Rance, whose valley gradually opens out as you proceed.

(2) Below the village of Taden lies the site of an ancient port of which no trace remains. This is where the Rance widens out, before narrowing again to wind its way round the hills leading up to the Écluse du Châtelier. Continue along the towpath until you reach this lock.

(3) From the Châtelier Lock, leave the banks of the Rance and head up to the hills overlooking it. Follow the D57 (the road that crosses the lock) to the left until you reach the Hisse crossroads. Unless you’ve cycled up to Dinan, this is the first major climb of this stage, which has no shortage of them.

(4) At the traffic lights, turn right onto the D12, cross the railway line and pass through the first small valley. Ride through fairly densely populated countryside where one hamlet follows another. Continue straight on until you reach Le Repos.

(5) After this hamlet, turn right and follow the cycle route towards Plumazon. You’ll reach the hamlet of La Herdiais, which you simply cannot miss, given the remarkable attention to floral displays shown by the residents (mainly the women, according to our information).

(6) On leaving the hamlet, turn right towards La Moignerais. The road appears to end in a dead end, but simply take the track on the right, which runs alongside a small ria, to reach the footbridge leading to the opposite bank. It is not certain, however, that this section is passable at very high tide. On the other side of the watercourse, turn right to reach the harbour at Plouër-sur-Rance. Carry on to the end of the harbour car park and be sure to stop there to take in the view, but also to refuel. The climb that follows is short (around 400 m) but not the easiest.

(7) Set off up the steep climb that starts at an acute angle to the left of the harbour and leads to the village of La Mettrie. In the village, turn right to continue climbing the hillside.

(8) In the centre of the village, turn right opposite No. 5, towards La Pommerais. The climb continues but is a little gentler.

(9) At La Pommerais, just after No. 29, turn right and again at the next junction to follow the narrow, winding streets leading to the Pont Saint-Hubert.

(10) Cross the bridge with care; there is no alternative but to share the road with traffic on the D366. After the bridge – from where you cannot fail to notice the exceptional view upstream and downstream – follow the departmental road until you pass over the expressway, which has also just crossed the river via the Pont Châteaubriant.

(11) After the expressway, the signposted cycle route branches off to the left from the departmental road. Follow Rue des Mouettes to reach the village of La Ville-es-Nonnais via a very narrow road. rejoin the departmental road at the cemetery. Then turn left towards the village centre and continue to the junction with the D407.

(12) Turn left onto Rue d’Aleth, towards Saint-Suliac. Cycle through the village and take it easy until you reach La Baguais. Now’s the time to catch your breath, as the steep climb ahead is just around the corner! At La Baguais, make a zigzag first turn left then right to join the D7.

(13) At the junction, turn left, follow the departmental road for about a hundred metres, then carry on straight ahead when the road bends to the right. And off you go on a steep climb that gets steeper as you approach the summit. Good luck! It’s a tough slog to reach the summit of Mont Garreau.

(14) Enjoy the panoramic view from the foot of the old mill, then let yourself glide down towards Saint-Suliac, a few hundred metres away along the water’s edge.
Just before the church in Saint-Suliac, turn left onto Ruette Don Jean, then Ruette du Port de Riz, and head for the shore. Turn right and you’ll reach the access ramps to the beach.

(15) After making the most of this lovely stop, head back up Rue du Pavé, which is the main street. Leave the church on your right and carry on straight ahead until you leave the village. At one point, the cycle route signs direct you to the right, which would quadruple the distance to be covered. Ignore this sign and carry on straight ahead. The village is a 30 km/h zone, and cycling against the flow of traffic is permitted.
As soon as you leave the village, head back towards the shore, where the silhouette of the Beauchet tide mill comes into view.

(16) Leave the mill on your left and carry on straight ahead until the main road veers away from the shore. Turn left onto the small road that skirts the village of Les Gastines, following the coastline as closely as possible. This eventually leads onto the D117. Turn left onto this busy road and head towards the junction by the town hall and church in the village of Saint-Jouan-des-Guérets. Fortunately, the scenery is lovely!

(17) Turn left, then go straight on at the next junction onto Rue Saint-Édouard. Turn right at the first three-way junction, pass the sports facilities and leave the village via a small road offering some lovely views. Pass through a small valley and head up the road alongside the wall of the Château du Bos.

(18) Carry on; at the four-way junction, continue straight ahead along Rue Goëletrie and head back to the village.

(19) Cross Goëletrie and then Troctin, and follow the expressway to the left to find the underpass that will take you to the other side.

(20) The sign marking the entrance to the Saint-Malo urban area indicates that you are approaching Saint-Servan, as this former municipality is now part of the Saint-Malo urban area. Follow Boulevard de la Rance straight on until you reach the École Jean de la Mennais.

(21) At the school, turn left onto Rue de la Chesnais. Continue along Rue Constant Tavet until you reach a roundabout. Take the^third exit onto Rue Pierre Certain, then continue along Rue Jeanne Jugan until you reach the Church of Sainte-Croix.

(22) Go round the church on the right, then head downhill until you reach the cove, at the end of which stands the Solidor Tower. Walk up the quay on the right until you reach the Esplanade du Commandant Yves Manguy. Turn right onto Rue Amiral Épron, then left to head back up towards the town centre via the street of the same name. Pass the ruins of the old Aleth Cathedral and walk up through the campsite to the citadel. As well as the museum it houses, this military fortress offers a rather exceptional view of the walled town and its surroundings, on the other side of the Anse des Sablons.

(23) Return to the cathedral ruins, turn right onto Allée du Marégraphe (a dead-end street), then left where it ends to head down towards the town via Rue de la Corderie. When you reach a small square, turn right twice to complete the descent at the foot of the Solidor Tower.

(24) From the tower, head back towards the cove of Saint-Servan, then take a shortcut via the street you’ve already used, Rue Amiral Épron, to reach the town and emerge onto Sablons beach.

(25) A cycle path runs along this cove as far as the last houses lining it. Cut across a car park to reach the roundabout just before the locks at the port of Saint-Malo, and continue straight on to the statue of Mahé de la Bourdonnière, which stands at the foot of the ramparts.

(26) Walk along the eastern side of the pirate town to the castle, then cut across the esplanade bordering it to reach the Promenade du Sillon. This begins immediately after the casino.

(27) The Esplanade du Sillon runs alongside Saint-Malo’s main beach as far as Rochebonne at its eastern end. Take the cycle paths, then the shared footpath and cycle path that follows them right to the end.

(28) Turn right and head up Rue des Fleurs to reach the Paramé district, the end point of this stage (E).

Although this route follows the Rance as closely as possible, it’s by no means a walk in the park, due to several climbs – often short but sometimes quite steep – that you’ll have to tackle. No one will hold it against you if you end up pushing your bike from time to time!
Just before reaching Saint-Suliac, the climb up Mont Garreau is the toughest. You can avoid it by following the D7, which also leads to Saint-Suliac by going round the hill. But you’ll miss out on a magnificent panoramic view of the whole of Clos Poulet.

(E) As you head back towards the town, you’ll emerge in the heart of the Paramé district.

Saint-Suliac is conveniently situated halfway along the route and is the perfect spot for a midday break. However, out of season, the village has very few shops. You’ll therefore need to plan ahead if you wish to have a meal there.

For this stage, plan to arrive at your accommodation early enough to fully enjoy the end of the day in the walled town. It’s not just a major tourist destination; it’s also a bustling commercial centre. And rounding off the evening with a sunset over the ramparts is the ultimate experience.