Page 280 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - France

A tour guide illuminating the
ancient stone carvings in a
cave on the island of Gavrinis

24
Belle-Île-en-Mer
EXPERIENCE Brittany ~ Quiberon g n Quai
! A3 ⌂ Morbihan
Bonnelle, Le Palais; www.
belle-ile.com
Brittany’s largest island, the
“beautiful island” lies around
14 km (9 miles) off the coast
of the Golfe du Morbihan and
can be reached in 45 minutes
by car ferry from Quiberon.
22 from fishing, oyster cultivation There are several fine coastal
paths popular with walkers,
and tourism to megalithic
Golfe du Morbihan sites, notably on the island of dramatic cliffs and a number
Gavrinis, where stone carvings of good beaches. Inland there
! B3 ⌂ Morbihan have been excavated. There are exposed highlands cut
~ Lorient £ @ g Vannes
n 1 quai Tabarly, Vannes; are boat trips to the island of through by sheltered valleys.
www.golfedu Gavrinis from Larmor-Baden In the main town, Le Palais,
morbihan.bzh and services around the gulf stands the Citadelle Vauban,
can be picked up from Auray, a 16th-century star-shaped
Morbihan means “little sea” in Locmariaquer, Vannes and fortress, which now houses a
Breton, an apt name for this Port-Navalo. restaurant-with-rooms and an
landlocked expanse of water. interesting museum devoted
Only connected to the Atlantic to the island’s history. The
by a small channel between 23 island hosts the internation-
the Locmariaquer and Rhuys ally renowned Festival Lyrique
peninsulas, the gulf is dotted Presqu’île de en Mer each August.
with islands. Around 40 of the Quiberon
islands are inhabited, the ! B3 ⌂ Morbihan
largest being Île d’Arz and the ~ Quiberon £ Jul–Aug
Île-aux-Moines. These are @ g n 14 rue de Verdun,
served by regular ferries that Quiberon; www.quib
depart from Conleau and eron.com
Port-Blanc respectively.
Around the gulf several Once an island, the slender
small harbours earn a living Quiberon peninsula, barely
con nected to the rest of
France by a sliver of sand bar,
INSIDER TIP has a bleak west coast with
The Plage du craggy, sea-punished cliffs.
Gouret It is appro priately known as
On the Île-d’Houat, off the Côte Sauvage (Wild Coast).
the coast to the south of The east coast is a far more
the Morbihan, the plage benign place. At the penin-
du Gouret (Treac’h er sula’s southern tip is the fishing
Goured in Breton) is a port and resort of Quiberon.
wonderful 2-km (1-mile) The town is bright with blue-
stretch of golden sand, painted houses, and there are
backed by dunes. Even pubs aplenty, ideal for a
in the high summer it is refreshing cider after a walk
blissfully empty, and is along the wind-whipped coast.
one of the region’s most The town is the point of
beautiful, wild beaches. departure for a ferry that
carries vehicles to Belle-Île.
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