- DepartmentIlle-et-Vilaine
- From Paris~2 h 15 by TGV
- Best forHistory, beaches, seafood
- Stay2–3 nights
Saint-Malo sits at the mouth of the Rance estuary on the Emerald Coast (Côte d'Émeraude). For centuries it was a fiercely independent port of merchants and privateers, the corsaires who raided English shipping with the king's blessing, and the city's wealth paid for the tall granite mansions packed inside its walls. Much of the old town was destroyed in August 1944 and then rebuilt stone by stone, so what you see today looks centuries old but is largely a post-war reconstruction.
Intra-muros and the ramparts
The walled city, known as intra-muros, is small enough to cross in ten minutes. The best introduction is a loop of the ramparts, about 2 km of walkway with views over the beaches, the islands and the port. Inside, the lanes lead to the Cathedral of Saint-Vincent, the castle that houses the town hall and the history museum, and dozens of crêperies and oyster bars.
Tides and tidal islands
The bay has some of the largest tides in Europe, and the difference between high and low water can exceed 12 metres at spring tides. At low tide you can walk across the sand to Fort National, built to Vauban's plans in 1689, and to the island of Grand Bé, where the writer Chateaubriand is buried facing the sea. Check the tide tables posted at the gates: the causeways flood quickly and people are cut off every summer.
Beaches
The long Plage du Sillon runs east towards Paramé and Rothéneuf, lined with wooden breakwaters. Beside the walls, Bon-Secours has a seawater pool that refills at every high tide. Across the estuary, elegant Dinard is ten minutes away by the passenger boat.
Day trips
- Mont-Saint-Michel, about an hour east by car.
- The oyster port of Cancale, 20 minutes away.
- Medieval Dinan, about 30 minutes inland, or by boat up the Rance.
- Cap Fréhel and Fort La Latte, about an hour west.
Practical tips
- Brittany Ferries sails from Portsmouth to the ferry terminal just outside the walls. See ferries to Brittany.
- TGV trains from Paris take roughly 2 h 15 to 2 h 30.
- Parking inside the walls is very limited; use the park-and-ride or the car parks along the port.
Stay in Saint-Malo
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Top sights near Saint-Malo
Saint-Malo Ramparts & Fort National
Walk the walls of the corsair city, then cross the sand to Vauban's fort at low tide.
Read guide →
Cancale Oyster Market
Eat oysters straight from the stalls, looking out over the oyster beds of the bay.
Read guide →
Cap Fréhel & Fort La Latte
Purple heather on 70-metre cliffs, a lighthouse and a fairy-tale castle on the sea.
Read guide →Header photo: Photo: François Malo-Renault, CC BY-SA 4.0
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