Secret Brittany

Like most people, I feel sure, our first footing in Brittany, many years ago, took us to the south coast and what were then, in the 80s, the hotspots of Carnac and the Cote Sauvage at Quiberon.   They were great times when the weather seemed always perfect and our toddler son could play endlessly on safe beaches just a pebble’s throw from a nice, family-run site at Les Druides.  Just up the road was a supermarket which sold their own home-made fish soup and the de rigeur baguettes and croissants. All this and a reasonably short drive from Ouistreham or Cherbourg made for a superb destination for our Volvo and 4 berth Supreme ‘van combination.

In later years we discovered La Baule and a different Cote Sauvage at Le Croisic and this area is still a firm favourite but now we go there as day-trippers, having moved in retirement to central Brittany.

For anyone who hasn’t yet discovered La Baule then what are you waiting for?  It is truly “The Med” in the North with stylish boulevards of shops and attractive haute classe maisons.  Its beach, all nine miles of it, is pure golden sand reaching into a shallow bay, ideal for novice water sports and paddlers alike and since it enjoys a micro climate the area is often blessed with day long sun when the interior is clouds and rain.

We used to stay at the charming family-run site “Camping L’etangs” situated about three miles east of the gorgeous walled town of Guerande, rather than in the crowded sites of La Baule itself. That enabled us to make easy cycle trips to the beaches and to the huge expanse of salt flats reach north from La Baule to Le Croisic. The reward for our efforts was a lunch or dinner in one of the many superb fish restaurants along the coast. Or at other times we would turn inland and cycle or walk the short distance to the hamlet of Breca on the edge of the Parc Regional de Briere, a unique area of marshland akin to the Norfolk Broads but without any of its commercialism or crowds. In fact the Creperie at Breca remains one of the best places for lunch anywhere in Northern France and we have seen three generations of the same family of proprietors  growing along with its well deserved reputation.  Homeward bound we always pick up small sacks of natural sea salt and the pretty fleur de sel sold cheaply by the wayside to take home to our less fortunate stay-at-home family.  

Nowadays the campsite  is under new ownership but boasts its own swimming pool and other modernisations and is still worth considering whereas the much larger Eurocamp  style site on the edge of Guerande lacks its intimacy and tranquillity.

As our son grew we switched from caravan to pop top camper and then ultimately to motorhome and over the years we spread our wings further afield, taking in the usual destinations of The Dordogne, the Lot, Provence, the Gorge du Tarn, Languedoc and the Midi…..and they are always well worth the long drive. But not everyone wants to take on these long haul trips.  So what else is there in Brittany, just a short hop from the ferry port?

Well the answer is much, much more. Now that we live here we have discovered so much that is charming and tranquil in Brittany and for those for whom the budget is tight a memorable holiday is still possible.

Take, for instance, the  quite amazing Isle de Brehat on the north coast near Paimpol.  Here another privately run site, Camping Panorama de Rohou   (http://www.campingpanorama.com/) is inexpensive, has free wi-fi, and boasts the most beautiful view you can imagine. A ten minute walk from the site takes you to the little ferry port from where day trippers take a 15 minute ride to the stunning island where only walking or cycling is permitted. It is possible to walk the island’s length in under two hours. But why would you want to hurry? See the island in July when the flowers are at their best, picnic by the quaint tidal mill, or laze with a Galette and a glass of Breton cider in the little village square. Or explore the rest of this stunning Cote de Granit Rose via its well marked coastal path . You will be clicking your camera at every turn with views of an azure sea dotted with islands.

We kicked ourselves when, after all our visits to Morbihan over the years , we discovered La Gacilly, a short drive north of Redon. The home of the world famous perfumerie Yves Rocher  whose influence is everywhere from the fragrant flower-filled fields to the immaculate factory visitor centre, La Gacilly has a three month-long arts festival  from June to the end of September in which sculptures and huge thematic photos adorn the quaint streets and riversides.  

Recently we discovered the Blavet Valley, a long winding ravine similar in many ways to the Wye Valley in Monmouthshire, along which flows the navigable and tidal Blavet with so many attractive villages  along its length as it drifts down to Lorient. Our favourite stop-off is Hennebont….great for equestrian enthusiasts with its fascinating Haras, open to visitors, and splendid walled town promenades.

Later in my next article I will tell you about more of “Secret Brittany”….but the best kept secret of all is its absence of crowds and traffic jams.  Not sure I should be telling you this………it could catch on!