Saint-Brieuc Bay

Ever-changing beauty

Picture 1 Saint-Brieuc Bay Picture 2 Saint-Brieuc Bay Picture 3 Saint-Brieuc Bay Picture 4 Saint-Brieuc Bay Picture 5 Saint-Brieuc Bay Picture 6 Saint-Brieuc Bay Picture 7 Saint-Brieuc Bay

It's magic! Vibrant colours and lighting effects which change with the rhythm of the tides. From a look-out on Pointe des Roseliers, Saint-Brieuc Bay reveals a delightful view of land and sea as far as the Port du Légué. Cliffs, ports, dunes and heathland decorate the coastline with their charms – the sea, peace and quiet, sports ... and great food!

The camera's always running...

With your nose delighting in the sea-scented air, and your eyes on the sparkling horizon, you can discover the delights of the bay with your feet firmly on the ground. The 'Chemin des Douaniers' coastal path  (the GR34 hiking trail known as the Custom Officers' Path) overlooks an enchanting view, unrolling a carpet of green amid breath-taking panoramas. The spirit of the high seas is here on the cliffs at Pointe de Pordic and Pointe des Roseliers, while the dunes at Bon Abri and L’Anse aux Moines, and the long beach at Les Rosaires, are all lapped by the same turquoise waters. 

Beyond the highest tides 

 You really can walk on the water here – at low tide, that is! In the bay, which has the 5th greatest tidal range in the world, the tide goes out for more than 7km, revealing a foreshore teeming with life. This is a great place for collecting shellfish. In this fascinating area, whole fields of odd-looking wooden posts stick up out of the water at Pointe des Guettes: mussel beds, promising a tasty harvest. In the salt marshes, rocks, mud flats and sand, a variety of typical flora and fauna flourish in peace. There are 112 species of birds to be seen in the Nature Reserve, the largest in Brittany. The Maison de la Baie discovery centre, perched on a promontory at Hillion, helps visitors understand the area's unique ecosystem.

The scallops arrive safe and sound! 

The Bay's most precious natural jewel is 'Coquilles Saint-Jacques' (scallops). From November to April, they turn Erquy and Saint-Quay-Portrieux into a hive of activity. Delicate and pearly, they are the stars of the quayside, the fish market, the pier – and the plate! Following its route from the sea to the table is an interesting and unusual journey.

Binic and Etables-sur-Mer reveal other links between man and the sea, charting a course between their history as ports used by fishermen off to fish in Newfoundland waters, and the charms of their seaside villas. Nestling at the end of the estuary, the Port du Légué is lined with 18th-century shipowners' mansions. What great ports of call on your voyage from history to the pleasures of the beach!

“Standing stones” in the middle of the water

Granite, land, river and sea have shaped the bay here, sculpting its heathland and wooded valleys. Embedded between steep banks, huge piles of rocks reside in the river bed at the Chaos du Gouët – a 4.5km trail where the water gurgles through the greenery. For a shady walk, the Vau Madec valley goes right down to the coast. From moss green to ultramarine, from the scents of the undergrowth to the salt in the fishermen’s baskets, there is something to delight all the senses!

Did you know?

The eclectic Art Rock Festival, the friendly Complet'Mandingue Festival (West African Mandingue culture) in Saint-Brieuc and the summer Folk and Blues Festival at Binic all provide an opportunity to discover something exciting and new.

Guided audio tour