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I hope these photos will inspire you to one day travel to Saint Malo in Brittany France. As a blogger, I love showcasing an area. Saint Malo is an amazing place to capture on film. It’s one of those places where I wish that I had the skills of a professional photographer. I would visit this area again solely for the sunsets.
About Saint Malo:
Saint Malo is a fortified city in Brittany France. It’s a sailors town with a history of piracy. Yes Pirates! Argh! The walled city still has pirate themed decor throughout the center of town. It almost has a carnival- like feeling to it, so it’s much different than Perros-Guirec. Saint Malo is a huge tourist destination because it has a little bit of everything that a tourist would be looking for in a holiday. It’s steeped in WW2 history, shopping, and plenty of outdoor beach activities.
Where To Stay in Saint Malo:
While booking the hotel for this trip, we initially thought that it would be best to book a hotel right in the center of the Old Town. We luckily did not and found a nice hotel right on the water which was only about a five to ten minute walk into the center. The center was extremely crowded and looked like it would have been really difficult to squeeze the car through the narrow streets.
We recommend Hotel & Appart L’Adress. This hotel was close to the beach and had parking available. If you book it, you may want to get a room with a small kitchenette area, so it’s easy to prep your own meals. The room that I have linked has more of an apartment feel with a table, balcony, and a kitchen sink. It’s perfect for longer stays or if you just want a little bit more space.
Tip: Make sure to reserve your hotel parking spot with reception while booking the hotel. Parking is quite limited in the area during peak season.
Travel Insurance:
Don’t forget your travel insurance! We recommend World Nomads: our affiliate page is here: travel insurance. Make sure to have coverage that includes medical expenses, trip cancellations, and coverage for your belongings from theft or damage.
Saint Malo is about a four and a half hour drive from Paris, so you may want to include car rental insurance as well.
When To Visit:
We made the mistake of visiting in August so I would recommend going in June or September. July and August are the busiest times of the year for most of the seaside towns in France.
Tip: If you have time, read All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr before visiting.
A Few Activities in Saint Malo:
1. Visit the Saint-Malo Cathedral to see it’s stained glass windows!
2. You may want to try one of the region’s famous crepes.
3. Sunbathe by the turquoise water.
4. Kayak, Paddle Board, or Swim
Saint Malo was full of activities for everyone. You can swim, or rent kayaks/SUP boards. There is also a nice boardwalk that you can run or walk on by the beach.
5. Check out the Etoile du Roy Ship.
6. If you aren’t into the beach activities, there are plenty of other options like shopping or just people watching.
7. Check out the architecture and the rooftops! More photos can be found on my instagram.
8. Take a boat tour! We recommend booking activities through Viator.com.
9. Have a beverage at the quirky carnival-pirate themed bar, Le Cafe Du Coin De La Rue De La Ville Du Port.
10. Check out the art vendors by the entrance of the fortified city.
Fort National During the Day
As the sun was beginning to set, the tide also began to recede. We were then able to walk over to Fort National. The image above was taken during the day of the fort.
Fort National in the Evening
Intra Muros of Saint Malo
Once you walk over to Fort National, you’ll get a pretty amazing shot of the Walled City! The center of Saint Malo is called Intra Muros.
Tips for Watching the Sunset: (August)
Tip #1: The sunsets around 9:30 PM in August, so I recommend eating dinner early at 7:00 so that you can walk around the beach at sunset. It was really busy while we were there and we were able to have the beach almost to ourselves at sunset because everyone else was still eating dinner. The French eat closer to 8:30 PM or 9:00 PM, so make your dinner reservation closer to 7:00 PM to have the beach at 9:00 PM.
Tip #2 : Wear shoes that you can walk around wobbly stones and take off while at the beach. Take a jacket as well, even in August. We have walked around many cobbled stones streets in Europe, but Saint Malo has some serious wobbly streets.
More Activities Near Saint Malo:
We had planned to see Mont Saint Michael but after seeing the crowds, we skipped it and thought we may save it for another day.
Viator offers private transportation to Mont Saint Michel. There are also private walking tours at Mont Saint Michel as well. We have posts about visiting Normandy, which I will link below, if you are planning a trip to see more of the historical WW2 sites.
If you live in France and you’ve already seen Mont Saint Michel, you may want to visit Les Rochers Sculptures. Admission is only €2.50 per person. They are large rocks with a pretty cool story that goes along with them. The Les Rochers are about a 15- 20 minute drive from Saint Malo.
Restaurant Recommendations:
Brittany France is famous for having delicious mussels, frites, and seafood options. Saint Malo has plenty of restaurants and you will be able to find anything that you are looking for! Here are two restaurants that are known for their mussels. They also are located right inside of the walled city.
Cafe De L’Ouest: This restaurant had falafel and a vegan Buddha Bowl.
La Corniche: We didn’t visit this one but the locals told us that they had phenomenal mussels.
Vegan or Vegetarian Recommendation:
For breakfast or lunch, we recommend Cavoua. They have fresh juices, and filtered coffee. You can eat gluten free and vegan here with plenty of options like fruit bowls and avocado GF toast. They also have the classic French goodies like croissants and pain au chocolate. It’s a short 10 minute walk from the hotel to the coffee shop.
Were you Photo Inspired?
I hope that a few of our photos have inspired you to travel to Saint Malo in Brittany France. You can check out our gallery page if you are interested in purchasing a photo.
If you want to further explore the beautiful coasts of Brittany, you may want to view our Perros Guirec blogpost. We also have posts about Lower Normandy and Upper Normandy.
Is there a place that you would visit again just for the sunrise or sunset? I would love to know in the comments below.
Sharing is caring. Pin one of the images below to save it for later. As always, thanks for stopping by. A bientot!
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