Colourful camping on the Coasts of Brittany!

Les côtes bretonnes au nord ouest de la France © Adobe Stock

The Breton coasts are among Europe's most beautiful coastal landscapes and are also some of the most unusual, with an immense variety of scenery. Thanks to its very jagged coastline, Brittany, located at the far west of France, offers a diverse range of landscapes: steep cliffs and multicoloured rocks, sandy beaches, islands and seabirds... plenty to attract as many seaside-lovers as possible, or win over more sceptical visitors!

Yet it won't be hard to convince you to try a holiday at one of the 34 campsites on the Pink Granite Coast or one of the 48 campsites on the Emerald Coast.

The Le Mat*** campsite in the municipality of Trévou-Tréguignec in Côtes-d'Armor is located at the heart of the Pink Granite Coast. It offers a view of the Sept-Iles along with a covered, heated pool, entertainment and dancing in the evening. In the municipality of Matignon, still in Côtes-d'Armor, you will find the Le Vallon aux Merlettes*** campsite. A family campsite located 4 kilometres from the beaches of St-Cast-Le-Guildo, ideal for visiting Cap Fréhel and the Emerald Coast. The Longchamps**** campsite is 30 kilometres east of Cap Fréhel in Saint-Lunaire, in the department of Ile-et-Vilaine. It has several swimming pools: heated, outdoor and covered. It's located 100 metres from the sea and offers evening entertainment and a mini-club for the kids. Lastly, the Emeraude***** campsite, whose name meaning "Emerald", leaves you in no doubt as to its location. Located in Saint-Briac-sur-Mer and Ile-et-Vilaine, it has a seaside location near St-Malo and offers upmarket accommodation, a heated, covered pool and a restaurant bar with a terrace.

The Pink Granite Coast

Between Trébeurden and Perros-Guirec, a unique and surprising landscape awaits the curious and those in search of unspoilt countryside. Located in Côtes d'Armor, it is named after the colour of the granite blocks that run along the coast. The colour comes from a mixture of three minerals, making it a rather exceptional natural geological oddity.

The Pink Granite Coast in Côtes d'Armor© Adobe Stock

We recommend visiting the Chapel of Our Lady of Clarity (Notre-Dame de la Clarté), a listed Historic Monument, in Perros-Guirec, as well as the seaside resort of Ploumanac'h in Perros-Guirec, voted "France's favourite village" in 2015. It has three beaches as well as two marinas. You can see the Sept-Iles archipelago from the lighthouse, home to the country's biggest seabird colony. Only the Ile aux Moines island is accessible, and visitors can discover its charm and the birds that live there.

10 minutes from Perros-Guirec, Trégastel is also a family resort with a natural landscape, inlets and beaches. But the coastal town is particularly rich in megalithic monuments and other religious buildings.

The Pointe de Bihit headland is a natural site. It is covered in heather, fern and gorse depending on the season. It offers a superb view of Lannion Bay and Losquet Island. With a bit of luck, you might even spot some otters enjoying the sun.

The attractive town of Lannion is well worth exploring. You can feel all the atmosphere of the old medieval city through the architecture, alleys and cobbled streets, as well as the beautiful half-timbered houses. At the top of its 140 steps, Brélévenez Church will offer you a stunning view.

The town of Lannion on the Pink Granite Coast© Adobe Stock

Lastly, the Pink Granite Coast offers many water sports, like kayaking, catamaran and sailing, as well as hiking, a way to discover some wild and unique places.

The Emerald Coast

Straddling Ile-et-Vilaine and Côtes d'Armor, the Emerald Coast, between Cancale and Cap Fréhel, owes its name to the exceptional colour of the sea which varies with the light.

The Emerald Coast in Brittany© Adode Stock

Here nature offers a changing and spectacular landscape thanks to its tides, the strongest in Europe! Saint-Malo Bay and Dinard Bay are typical of this surprising natural phenomenon. As the tide goes out, it leaves behind it an immense expanse of sand, which offers different activities from those suggested at high tide. These include gathering seafood, collecting shells, and fishing for crabs and prawns, a fun activity for children.

Seaside resorts like Dinard, Saint-Malo, Saint-Lunaire, Saint-Briac and Saint-Coulomb are the places to go for abundant sandy beaches.

Cap Fréhel is an unmissable place on the Emerald Coast. It's first and foremost a bird reserve where the plants provide incredible natural colour in every season. The cliffs standing 70 metres tall offer an exceptional viewpoint for watching seabirds (seagulls, cormorants) and sometimes even penguins, since twenty or so of them live in the cliffs. There is a family-friendly hike to the castle of Fort La Latte, where you can admire the landscape from the keep. This castle is very popular with children.

Cap Fréhel© Adobe Stock

 

The peninsula of Saint-Cast-le-Guildo promises some magnificent landscapes, with its charming little harbour, cliffs and coastal paths, not forgetting its seven sandy beaches.

Saint-Malo and Dinard are the two must-see towns on the Emerald Coast. Saint-Malo is a fortified town where you must be sure to take a walk along the ramparts and enjoy the view.

Equally appealing is Dinard with its dazzling landscapes, Belle Epoque villas, invigorating walks in winter and water sports in summer.

And to round it all off, a town famous for its wild flat oysters and farmed Pacific oysters: Cancale is also appreciated for its scenic harbour and legendary bay. From the Pointe des Crolles headland, you will have a superb view of Mont-St-Michel and its bay.

Cancale oysters at the market© Adobe Stock