What to see and do in the Baie de Quiberon Brittany

For an area that takes up a relatively modest stretch of Brittany’s south coast, the Baie de Quiberon boasts some pretty powerful statistics. As the seagull flies, it’s barely 30 km from the mouth of the Etel river in the west to Pointe Kerpenhir in the east, but the shoreline of this captivating area stretches for an impressive 360 km around inlets and islands, river banks and ocean shores. Gillian Thornton explores this stunning shoreline of Brittany…

On the waterfront

Numbering just 24 communes, the Baie de Quiberon boasts 50 sandy beaches, 25 km of dunes, and 15 km of wild sea coast, whilst inland, its lush, wooded interior is criss-crossed by cycle tracks, walking trails and bridleways. An outdoor playground, whatever your chosen activity.

But there’s another side to this idyllic corner of the Morbihan. Prehistoric monuments are liberally sprinkled across Brittany but nowhere is there anything to rival Les Alignements at Carnac, a short hop inland from the seashore. Think menhirs. Lots and lots of menhirs. To save you counting, there are more than 3000 of these ancient monuments, the majority grouped in four clusters of serried lines that stretch for 4 km and cover 40 hectares. Impressive from any angle.

Standing stones

I bag my first menhirs during a guided tour by e-bike from Carnac where I collect my two wheels from bike hire company A Bicyclette and meet up with genial guide Alexandre from Mobilboard. Following dedicated cycle tracks and the occasional quiet lane, we make regular stops along the five sandy beaches of stylish Carnac-Plage and on around the headland to the smart marina at La Trinité-sur-Mer.

Then we loop inland and follow an off-road track into sun-dappled woodland where a line of menhirs borders the path at regular intervals. It’s surprisingly humbling to touch stones older than Stonehenge that were put here by Neolithic settlers some 6,000 years ago. And to come across a single giant stone in the trees, the 6-metre Géant de Manio, near the Kerlescan alignments. But there’s more to come. From the top of a restored windmill beyond the wood, we enjoy a high-level view over the 1029 menhirs of the Kermario alignments, before finishing our tour at Saint-Michel Chapel, perched on an ancient burial mound 12 metres high.

I’m staying over in Carnac at Hôtel La Licorne a short walk from the chic boutiques and bustling restaurants of the town centre, where I soak up the atmosphere and mull over my day from a terrace table at La Sultana.

Next morning, I head to the Maison des Megalithes beside the Ménec alignments for an overview of these enigmatic stones, currently part of an application for UNESCO World Heritage status that includes Brittany’s wider prehistoric monuments. Carnac still poses a wealth of unanswered questions. What were the stones actually for? Were they put here by one group of people at the same time or many people at different times? Theories and legends abound.

A public footpath runs around the perimeter fence or you can join a motorised tour of the complete site, but the only way you can walk amongst the Ménec alignments is on one of the excellent pre-booked tours. One theory we learn is that the stones were placed here as a warning to invaders from the sea, in an era when the shoreline was closer than it is now. But secretly, I hope we never find out and the megaliths keep their air of mystery.

Water all around

Next day, I enjoy a tranquil walk from La Licorne through country lanes to the headland overlooking the Quiberon Peninsula. Named after the seaside town at its tip, the Presqu’Ile de Quiberon is pretty impressive as peninsulas go, so narrow at one point that you can see both sides at once.

South of Penthièvre, it fattens out sufficiently to accommodate holiday homes, walking trails and quiet beaches, as well as a peak-season railway, Le Tire Bouchon or ‘corkscrew’, which avoids the single road leading to Quiberon and all points seawards. Activity cranks up considerably in this upbeat little seaside town in summer as passengers flock to ferries for the popular holiday island of Belle-Ile-en-Mer and its smaller neighbours, Houat and Hoedic.

I want to enjoy the wilder Côte Sauvage on the Atlantic side of the peninsula so I stay at the charming Hôtel des Deux Mers nestled in pine trees at Saint-Pierre-Quiberon. After a relaxed evening at Les Canailles, a bar-guingette in the village centre, I watch the sun set over the ocean and next morning walk the tide-washed sand before breakfast. An enchanting way to start and finish any day.

In glorious summer sunshine, I could easily spend a few days exploring the area. The medieval town of Auray and the nearby river port of Saint-Goustan; Europe’s largest menhir at Locmariaquer beside the Golfe du Morbihan; and the ‘wild dunes’ from Gâvres to Quiberon, largest natural area on the Breton coast and classified Grand Site de France.

But with limited time, I choose to explore the liquid thoroughfare that divides the Baie de Quiberon from Lorient to the west. Technically it’s a ria – or drowned river bed – stretching inland for 22 km but locals refer to the Etel river. Pick up one of the regular cruise excursions with Navix from the fishing port of Etel to see historic waterside communities such as Saint-Cado and experience tranquil creeks, salt marshes, and dramatic currents. A different kind of magic in an area already infused with myth and mystery.

Find out more on the Baie de Quiberon Tourist Office website: baiedequiberon.co.uk

By Gillian Thornton, one of the UK’s leading travel writers and a regular writer for The Good Life France Magazine and website.