Pointe du Meinga, Île Besnard and Havre de Rothéneuf

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.

Details

14774740
Creation:
Last update:
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 7.45 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 2h 20 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Easy

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 76 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 76 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 45 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 6 m

Photos

Description of the walk

Park in the large car park on Rue de la Guimorais before the Les Chevrets campsite.

(S/E) From the car park, return to the street and turn left. Continue along the street, which turns into a path and passes behind the houses, ending at a road near a campsite (see alternative route in practical information).

(1) Turn left onto this road, pass a car park on your right and continue north. This road is reserved for users and for access to agricultural plots. Pass a small guard fort converted into holiday accommodation and continue to the end of the road.

(2) Turn left to join the coastal path that follows theGR®®34

White and red markings

Head to Pointe du Meinga, which offers sweeping views to the east and west. Continue along the path that descends southwards overlooking the cliff (caution: some sections may seem tricky for those who are less comfortable on this type of path). Pass by a blockhouse overlooking the path and arrive at the eastern part of Chevrets Beach, where you leave the GR®®.

White markings (old and sparse)

(3) Take the path overlooking the beach: note that naturism is tolerated on this part of the beach. Continue along the large Les Chevrets campsite until you reach a bar-restaurant. Go around it on the left and follow the road for about a hundred metres. Then take a path marked out on the dune by wooden fences to reach a car park opposite the Îlots du Petit and Grand Chevret.

(4) Turn right and follow the coastal path that climbs up to this island, which has now become a peninsula. As you climb, enjoy the beautiful view of the large Plage des Chevrets beach with its two islets. Continue until you reach Pointe de Rothéneuf, which marks the entrance to Havre de Rothéneuf or Havre du Lupin. This area dries out at low tide. Go around a house and continue along a small road lined with pine trees that leads back to the car park.

(5) Go through a barrier and continue along the beach. Pass a car park and then walk alongside the Les Chevrets campsite again. At the end of the beach, climb the dune and continue along a path between the pine trees until you reach a farm track.

No markings

(6) Turn right onto a discreet path bordering fields and meadows. Continue along a single path lined with blackthorn hedges, which descends to the bottom of the cove where a few boats are moored.

(7) Go up to the left along the road that leads to this cove. Note the monumental cross on the left, commissioned by the family who lived in the neighbouring house (private property) at the time. The small road is lined with beautiful granite houses.

At Rue de la Guimorais, turn left to return to the car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 34 m - Car park Rue de la Guimorais
  2. 1 : km 0.6 - alt. 33 m - Route de la Pointe de Meinga
  3. 2 : km 1.75 - alt. 45 m - End of the road
  4. 3 : km 2.99 - alt. 23 m - End of the GR
  5. 4 : km 4.29 - alt. 9 m - Car park at the - Île Besnard
  6. 5 : km 5.76 - alt. 8 m - Barrier
  7. 6 : km 6.41 - alt. 24 m - Fork along a field
  8. 7 : km 7.02 - alt. 9 m - End of the road
  9. S/E : km 7.45 - alt. 35 m - Car park Rue de la Guimorais

Notes

Alternative route (1) From the car park, join the path and follow it north to reach Pointe du Meinga. This route is slightly longer, but more importantly, theGR®® section is more difficult.

Please note: depending on the tide, it may not be possible to pass between points (5) and (6).
In this case, go up the road that passes between the two parts of the campsite and, at the exit, turn right onto the farm track that runs alongside the campsite and arrive at point (6).

Worth a visit

Always be cautious and plan ahead when you're outdoors. Visorando and the author of this route cannot be held responsible for any accidents occurring on this route.

The GR® and PR® markings are the intellectual property of the Fédération Française de Randonnée Pédestre.

Reviews and comments

4.7 / 5
Based on 16 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.7 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.4 / 5
Route interest
4.9 / 5
User 26294114

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 23, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A lovely walk

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User 28062546

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 10, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Nice view of the coast.

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najapanda
najapanda

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 19, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

very beautiful route. Beautiful views. Lots of joggers on some sections.

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Maqroll
Maqroll
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4.5 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 17, 2024
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Tour taken in September, on a beautiful weekday (bright sunshine).
The route is fairly busy, especially along the coast, but not to an annoying degree.
I usually follow the suggested routes without any changes, but here I made a few deviations that I did not regret and that I recommend to everyone.
I chose to park at point 1 (there is a car park) rather than at the indicated S/E, and then to do the route in the opposite direction to the one indicated. This choice allows you to save the most beautiful sections for last and start with the slightly built-up area (between 1 and S/E and then between S/E and 7). Then, between 4 and 3, I preferred to go via the beach (very beautiful views) rather than going back behind the dune. finally, when I reached 2, I continued along the magnificent coastal GR section and finally returned to my starting point via a small path (following gsensevy's advice). The original route between 2 and 1, which remains an option, may suit those who wish to return more quickly for one reason or another (tiredness, bad weather, etc.).
In any case, it's a very beautiful hike; thank you to whoever suggested it.

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KrystlNL
KrystlNL

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 28, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

It's a very beautiful hike, the scenery is magnificent. We followed the first part to Pointe du Meinga, staying as close to the coast as possible. It's a bit difficult at times because the path is steep and rocky, but it's doable for a novice like me if you take your time and take small steps

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Cicindèle
Cicindèle

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 17, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A simple and pleasant route. Perfect for walking with the family.

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Philippe Baglin
Philippe Baglin

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 06, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Lovely walk along the seafront

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Binbin
Binbin
• Edited:

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 23, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful hike with stunning views of the rocky coastline from Cancale to St-Malo.
Note: a nudist beach can be bypassed by following the path along the shore, without walking on the sand. Personally, it doesn't bother me, but it may shock some people.

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Marie O
Marie O

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 24, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

I chose to follow the route for only a few moments, preferring to follow the beautiful coastal path all the way. Sometimes it's quite steep. It's best to wear good shoes to cushion your steps. Walking around Besnard Island is enjoyable and offers different views. Relax on the rocks with a picnic or go swimming on the magnificent beaches that dot the route. There is a naturist beach at the start of the beach after point 3. Enjoy your walk, everyone.

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gsensevy
gsensevy

Thank you very much!
Brigitte and Gérard Sensevy

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FLOCH
FLOCH ★

Thank you for this review
My choice was based on the fact that I wanted a shorter and easier route.
Of course, the idea of reaching Pointe du Meinga via the coastal path is an interesting alternative.
I will include this in the description.
Best regards

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gsensevy
gsensevy

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : May 21, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

We wondered why, to reach the tip of Meinga (from point 1 to point 2), you chose to route the trail through the middle of the peninsula, when the GR 34, which runs along the coast to reach this tip, is magnificent.
In any case, thank you for presenting this hike.

Kind regards,

Brigitte & Gérard Sensevy

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JPED
JPED

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 13, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

Please note: initially, you need to take Chemin du Meinga, which turns into a winding path leading to point 1.
At point 3, we preferred to take the path down to the beach and walk along it. We left the beach to go back up to the "Colette" restaurant.
To reach point 4, we had two options from the restaurant: to the right, take the dune path at the back of the restaurant car park, or the tarmac road that runs parallel to it. We took the road on the way there and the dune path on the way back (the site is protected).
The route described goes against the usual direction for this hike. This is an advantage as it offers a beautiful view of the harbours of Rothéneuf and Lupin during the descent from Île Bernard.

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Morandd
Morandd

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 10, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

very beautiful views from the customs officers' path... not always easy with climbs and descents on rocks... well worth it

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Mar
Mar

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : May 21, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Beautiful route with stunning scenery, easy to do

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