Off the beaten track in Brittany, France

Where to go, according to the locals

Words: Rhonda Carrier

The Lorient area of southern Brittany is perfect for authentic adventures in France, with secret corners much-loved by locals but overlooked by visitors and free of mass tourism. We asked native Bretons for their hidden spots ideal for a five-day break staying in one or two lovely places and enjoying laid-back days out.

Lorient

The highlights

The call of the sea and of a travelling past influences everything in this lively seaport. One of the main sights is the Kéroman Submarine Base, built by the Germans in 1941 to house U-boats and now open for multimedia tours that look at the history of wartime shipwrecks and submariner rescues. Also unmissable is the Cité de la Voile Eric Tabarly, a sailing museum with simulators and other interactive exhibits.

Compelling history aside, Lorient is a vibrant modern city filled with pop-up galleries, tempting café terraces from which to people watch and a fantastic fish market in which to browse the freshest produce from the surrounding waters. Boat trips tempt you on on the ocean waves, perhaps taking you to enjoy a drink in the tiny gem of a port of Locmiquélic just opposite, or towards the paradisiacal Gâvres peninsula to the south.

Villa Margaret/Teddy Verneuil

Where to stay

Stay on the nautical theme by checking into Aiden by Best Western, a boutique hotel with colourful, bohemian decor inspired by the French East India Company and its colonial missions. When you’re not out busy being an explorer yourself, there’s a courtyard patio or two salons with fireplaces for cooler days.

Where to eat

Lorient is a foodies’ delight, with one of Brittany’s best locavore restaurants, the zero-waste zero-waste Le Code Ø, and several chefs – including those at Karantez, Sources and Gare aux Goûts – who trained in Paris’ finest kitchens. Just outside town, Les Penn Sardines (Moëlan-sur-Mer) and Villa Margaret (Larmor-Plage) are locals’ favourites.

Port Louis

The highlights

A 15th-century Spanish–built citadel – one of the loveliest in all of France – watches over this fishing port and over nearby Lorient and Lorient Bay. Its listed ramparts are a good place to begin exploring, as is La Grande Poudrière, the old gunpowder store.

Lorient was where the Compagnie des Indes was first based; you can learn about its prosperous spice trade in the fascinating museum located within the citadel itself. And don’t miss a visit to the Fine Epicerie Shop, ‘L’Echauguette’ to sample the curry powder created by Chef Didier Corlou and named after the town.

Afterwards, head up to the top of the ramparts to try the new 7.9km Circuit of the Ramparts walking route. Starting from the top of the ramparts, you’ll enjoy spectacular views of the sparkling harbour, the ocean and even as far as the island of Groix. The entire loop will take around two hours to complete and leads you round the town to discover the ramparts, the beautiful beaches, small coves, the ports so you can soak up incredible views the whole way round.

BestJobers

Where to stay

Oozing character with its mix of simple nautical and vintage decor, La Citadelle Hôtel has a plum position on the market square just steps from the beach and the ramparts. There’s a pretty garden and a new private-hire spa with sensory showers, a sauna-hammam and an outdoor hot tub.

Where to eat

Seafood is a big draw here, too, with many restaurants and traditional crêperies offering airy sea views to go with your meal. Among the town’s most highly rated venues are the Michelin-Guide-listed Avel Vor with its innovative contemporary cuisine and the Restaurant Le B with its enviable sea view.

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Loîc Kersuzan

Noë C

Secret spots worth seeking out

Le Vieux Passage, Plouhinec

Less than a ten minute drive from Saint-Cado

Among the Ria d’Etel’s hidden treasures is this enchanting little port with its cute-as-a-button Breton houses reflected in the shimmering waters of the maritime gulf, along with the sky and the lush greenery. It’s a place to simply amble at whim, taking in the sight of fishermen unloading the day’s catch.

Chapelle Sainte-Barbe, Le Faouët

A three hour drive north of Lorient

Slowly rising into view from the depths of the Ellé valley, as if out of nowhere, the enigmatic Sainte-Barbe chapel was built six centuries ago, by a nobleman who believed he was saved from a storm by the saint’s intervention. It looks like something out of a fairytale, with access via a majestic stone staircase.

Riec-sur-Bélon

A 30 minute drive north west of Lorient

Hidden away in a maze of secret roads and paths between the banks of the Aven and the Bélon, this beguiling town is the capital of Brittany’s famous flat oysters, which derive their hazelnut taste from the blend of saltwater and freshwater reaching the oyster farms that extend 4km along the riverbanks.

Petit Pérello beach, Ploemeur

20 minute drive south of Lorient

This clear-water cove in the western suburb of Lorient –where you’ll also find the Océanis aquatic centre - is a little-known gem with magnificent, glittering sand. Nestled between the rocks and hence sheltered from the Atlantic winds, it’s lined by gorse bushes inhabited by chirping crickets.

Alexandre Lamoureux

Emmanuel Berthier

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Presqu’Ile de Gâvres

The highlights

Overlooking the ‘Grand Site de France’ of Gâvres-Quiberon – home to Brittany’s largest bank of sand dunes at 35km in length – this wild peninsula gives access to nature in its rawest, most unadulterated form. As well as several kinds of dunes and a background of lakes and mudflats, there are around 700 plant species to happen upon, from violets and rare orchids to sea thrift and even curry plants. It’s also a great kitesurfing spot.

One of the best ways to discover the Gâvres peninsula is via its section of the GR34, the long-distance coastal hiking path from the Mont-Saint-Michel to Saint-Nazaire. Meanwhile, cyclists can take in the Gâvres-Quiberon Grand Site as part of the La Littorale biking route, also running around the coast of Brittany down to the Loire. The glorious views take in sandy beaches from Etel to Plouharnel, craggy cliffs and typical Breton hamlets.

Simon Bourcier

Where to stay

Phare de Kerbel, Plouhinec: This is the only lighthouse in Brittany where you can stay in the octogonal glass lantern. Observing the changing light over Port-Louis and Gâvres, 25m high perched in a cosy studio flat with breathtahing 360° panoramic views is a dream. This legendary accommodation also features a heated swimming pool, a steam room and a private garden.

Where to eat

Tiny Gâvres excels in local fare served with ocean views in simple, unpretentious venues such as the beachside La Taverne with its copious seafood platters including Breton oysters. For authentic savoury and sweet pancakes accompanied by crisp Breton cider, the Crêperie du Men Gwen is well rated.

Loïc Kersuzan

Marc Schaffner

Loïc Kersuzan

Saint-Cado and Ria d’Etel

The highlights

Together with picture-postcard Saint-Cado island, the inland sea of the Ria d’Etal between Lorient and Vannes forms one of the loveliest spots in all of Brittany – one dotted by oyster farms (don’t miss a tasting of Etel river oysters), dunes, wild beaches and tiny coves full of colourful fishing and sailing boats bobbing on the water, headlands and marshes.

A river valley that was invaded by the sea, the Ria d’Etel forms a sheltered bay dotted with little islands and closed at its mouth by shifting sand banks. Whether you explore on foot or by mountain-bike or horseback, you’ll come across herons, cormorants, oystercatchers, sandpipers, terns and other wildlife.

On an island in the middle of the river, reached via a bridge, the spellbinding hamlet of Saint-Cado has cute fishermen’s houses and a pretty Romanesque chapel to admire – ideally by the light of the setting sun.

Vincent Croce

Where to stay

All five rooms and suites at the simple, stylish La Bulle d’Etel, a five-minute walk from the beach in the village of Etel, come with heart-stirring sea vistas, and one has is own balcony overlooking the Ria d’Etal. You’re right on hand for several restaurants and bars offering sunset views.

Where to eat

The must-visit here is La Cabane de Cadoudal, an oyster-tasting venue with an overwater terrace, open from April to September and offering guided tours of the oyster beds on Mondays in high summer. If you’re here in late July, don’t miss the tuna festival in Etel, with bagpipes and cannons.