Pénestin walks

The Pointe du Halguen marks the southern limit of the Vilaine estuary. This promontory overlooking the ocean is also the northern end of the ochre cliffs that line the ocean front of Pénestin. A lovely walk is available around the village of Haut Pénestin, where long stretches of sandy beach precede secluded coves and abandoned salt marshes.

This hike starts at the car park of the Mine d’Or beach, along the coast north to Haut-Pénestin, to return by internal paths to reach the sea at Maresclé beach and then the starting point.

As well as its magnificent coastal path stretching over 14 km, Pénestin boasts a multitude of trails criss-crossing the local area. The circular route allows you to explore some of these paths as far as the edge of the Pont Mahé Marshes, before returning to the coast via the coastal path. And if the weather and season permit, do make the most of the lovely beaches that line this route.

In Pénestin, far from the hustle and bustle of the coast, you can stroll in complete tranquillity along quiet paths that criss-cross the countryside between the Tréhudal marshes and those of Pont Mahé. This walk is best enjoyed on sunny days, when it’s pleasant to walk in the shade.

This is a circular route running along one side of the Étier de Billiers, Plage des Barges and Plage des Granges, not forgetting a walk around the Penn Lann Lighthouse. In a single day, you can combine sightseeing, swimming and a walk, either on your own or with the family. The trail follows, for the most part, the Chemin des Mégalithes between the marshes and the ocean.

Pénestin is just a stone's throw away from being an island. Although its ocean side faces the Atlantic, it is only connected to the hinterland by a strip of land wedged between two marshes. The suggested route takes you through the southern part of the area, formerly known as Larmor, between the Pont Mahé marshes and the cliffs of Lanchale and Le Bile.

Straddling the departments of Morbihan and Loire-Atlantique, Pont Mahé Bay is a vast sandbank at low tide and a renowned spot for board sports once the sea has returned. Connecting the two headlands that mark its boundaries is a pleasant way to cross administrative borders

This route forms a circular loop between Pont Mahé Bay and Pen Bé Bay.

A pretty walk between the countryside and the seaside. The Pointe de Penn Lann stands guard over the Vilaine Estuary.

A beautiful walk along the banks of the Vilaine and inland.

To the south of the Vilaine estuary, the gentle terrain encourages the intermingling of wetland and agricultural environments. The village of Camoël is built on a slight rise overlooking both the river and the marshes situated upstream of Pont Mahé Bay. The proposed route allows you to explore the river where its estuary begins and one of the streams feeding the Étang du Pont de Fer, a hidden nature reserve that can be glimpsed when the foliage is not too dense.

The Pointe de Pen Bé juts out like a ship between Pont Mahé Bay and the Pen Bé and Rostu straits. While its maritime location is undeniable at high tide, it changes completely at low tide, as the sea then deserted the coastal areas. Whether at high or low tide, this is a route that is worth exploring at any time, as the landscape is so changeable.

The Pointe de Pen Bé juts out with its ochre cliffs between the Traict de Rostu and Pont Mahé Bay. These two stretches of sea, which are revealed at low tide, form the foreground to the marshes – one a salt marsh, the other a freshwater marsh – which extend behind the coastal sandbars. The circular walk that links them offers a lovely glimpse of this coastal countryside.

To the west of the Brière Regional Nature Park, the Brière coast stretches from Pont Mahé beach to the Pen Bé strait. It offers a varied landscape of beaches, shorelines, wild coastlines, moors and salt marshes. A return trip connects to this route for a foray into Morbihan to Pointe du Bile.

Running along the left bank of the Vilaine, this path follows the riverbank closely, linking the two ports of Arzal and La Roche-Bernard, and offering a multitude of landscapes and views of the Basse-Vilaine. In summer, you can also return by boat or canoe.

In the past, the Vilaine was crossed by ferry downstream of La Roche-Bernard. This was the case between Vieille Roche in Camoël and Arzal. The construction of the dam in the 1970s significantly changed these practices, as a fixed link now allows people to cross from one bank to the other. The suggested route allows you to explore the dam and the paths along the left bank of the Vilaine around Camoël.

Walk starting from the Arzal Dam, following the Vilaine upstream on the left bank, circular route via the two bridges and finishing at the port of La Roche-Bernard. The scenery along the Vilaine is breathtaking.

A country walk between Cosca, a stone's throw from the Arzal dam, and the Templar village of Lantiern.This walk along beautiful tree-lined paths and a few small roads connects the banks of the Vilaine estuary to the beautiful Saint-Jean-Baptiste Chapel, through pleasantly rolling countryside.The end of the route follows the botanical trail.The trail has been modified after the point (1), following the clear-cutting of the wooded area it used to cross, which made the trail disappear.

During this hike, discover a variety of landscapes: the river, the ocean and the countryside.

A pleasant, easy walk along the banks of the Vilaine through wooded countryside, forests and small villages. The path is fully signposted in white and red by theGR®39(left bank) andGR®349(right bank).

The hike begins with three beaches and ends at Pointe de Merquel, which marks the entrance to the Bassin du Mès, famous for its salt marshes, mussels and oysters. The landscapes are magical, whether on the sea or marsh side.

One-third salt marsh, one-third countryside and one-third sea: a superb recipe for a salty cocktail!

The village of Arzal stretches from the foot of the church's pointed bell tower to the edge of the dam. Upstream, the river has become a huge body of water where thousands of boats are moored, while downstream, the maritime character of the estuary remains. The proposed route allows you to discover both aspects of the river and the bocage that overlooks it.

Mesquer has a coastline opening onto the Bay of Vilaine and the open sea, but around Kercabellec, a small port between the village and Quimiac, there is a much more secret route between the marshes and the Merquel and Rostu tidal flats. Immerse yourself in this unique landscape where salt and shellfish farming are closely intertwined.

A short, relaxing stroll along the Morbihan coast, returning via the inland route. No difficulty apart from a bit of mud on the northern section in wet weather.

This is a hike to undertake when other trails are impassable in winter.

This route connects the three main areas of the municipality: Mesquer, Quimiac and Kercabellec. It allows you to discover the diversity of the area, first the marshes, then the countryside and the sea, which is particularly present around the Pointe de Mesquer.

This hike is located in Mesquer, in the hamlet of Rostu. The Bassin du Mès is an area where salt marshes have been created for centuries and were once highly developed. They are fed with seawater by channels leading from the "Merquel - Rostu - Pen-Bé" traicts, which are an enclave of the sea between the Pointe de Pen-Bé and the Pointe de Merquel. Oyster and mussel farming have also developed in this area. There are some beautiful views to be discovered.

Finally! After years of land negotiations, the elected representatives of Muzillac have succeeded in bringing to fruition a project that has been in the works for more than a decade: creating a footpath that goes all the way around the Étang de Pen Mur. This long stretch of water, held back by the Moulin de Pen Mur dam, occupies the bottom of the valley where the Ruisseau de Saint-Éloi stream used to flow. It is now possible to walk along the lake to the Chapelle du Moustéro chapel and return via the other bank. Although the eastern bank is less wooded than its counterpart, the entire route runs under the canopy of trees that line the banks of the lake. And the icing on the cake is that the improvements made, which are fairly minor and will soon be invisible, have preserved natural sections and stairways that prevent motorised vehicles and even mountain bikes from using the path. Walkers, grab your walking sticks!

As is often the case in Brittany, the landscape is not the result of tectonic forces, which would have created a few sharp-peaked mountains, but rather the result of numerous watercourses that have carved their way through the plateaus. The proximity of the Vilaine, which flows here through a narrow, steep-sided valley, has led secondary watercourses to cut through the moorland to join the river. Starting on the wooded plateau, the proposed route soon winds its way through these valleys, which, due to the decline of agriculture or the low value of this poor soil, have been left to more or less spontaneous woodland growth. The result is a undulating route that runs mostly in the shade of tall, beautiful trees, whilst connecting the countless hamlets that dot this lovely countryside.

Between Mesquer and Quimiac, the marsh sinks deep between two rocky hills. The embankments form a canvas in which the old shellfish beds are set and, further back, the salt marshes that are still in use. This bird paradise has undergone extensive restoration work, which the sheep help to maintain by grazing on the vegetation. A walk through the streets of Quimiac takes you to the coast, opening up the landscape to the Bay of Vilaine.

Nestled at the head of the Rivière de Pénerf, the village of Ambon sits on the first rise above the marshes. This route allows you to explore the local area along a path that alternates between wooded countryside and marshes. Given the condition of the paths at the time of our visit (May), it seems best to tackle this circular route outside of wet periods.

A walk through a varied landscape where the marshes tell the story of their distant origins, shaped by the earth and the ocean, with low, undulating vegetation carved out by small streams, and their domestication by man, with salt marshes and oyster beds, not to mention the iconic cabanes à carrelet (fishing huts).

Although Herbignac is not the commune in Brière with the most thatched cottages, the villages along this route offer some fine examples.

The Mès, a small coastal river in the north of the Guérande peninsula, flows through a low, wide valley consisting mainly of marshes, draining the water into the ocean. The proposed route allows you to discover the upper part of these marshes and cross them via the Gras bridge, an ancient stone footbridge. This route should only be attempted when the water level in the marshes allows the paths surrounding them to be used.