Two of France’s most distinctive regions. Brittany boasts miles of dramatic coastline marked with countless coves, rugged rocks and splendid beaches. While Normandy has is a striking and wonderfully old fashioned feel characterised by craggy granite coastline, quiet villages and unspoilt countryside.
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Brittany
From the jagged inlets of the Emerald Coast to the white sands of the Quiberon peninsula, it’s a smorgasbord of shape and colour that cannot fail to delight the senses.
Points of interest: Côte de Granit-Rose | Saint-Malo | Dinan | Quimper | Golfe de Morbihan | Carnac | Fôret de Paimpont
Situated at the foot of a hill, Locronan was initially named Saint-Ronan after its founder who laid out the settlement in the 5th century. Hemp has grown naturally in the local area since the 15th century and was cultivated, processed and exported internationally, used for ships’ rigging.
Côtes-d’Armor
Moncontour [📸 cotesdarmor.com]
Moncontour
Like Locronan, Montcontour was known locally and internationally for its production of sailcloth up until the late 1700s. Its imposing ramparts nod to its medieval founding.
Morbihan
Rochefort-en-Terre [📸 Rochefort-en-Terre tourism]
Rochefort-en-Terre
Located on a rocky outcrop above the River Arz, Rochefort-en-Terre is said to be the most beautiful of all the villages in the Most Beautiful Villages in France. In the early 1900s, French-born American painter Alfred Klotz bought a local château and encouraged residents of the town to decorate their houses with geraniums - a tradition that is still visible today.
Ille-et-Vilaine
Saint-Suliac
Saint-Suliac
Nestled by the River Rance in north western Brittany sits a charming fishing village, its colourful, floral streets are lined with shuttered, granite stone houses, some draped with fishing nets or other nautical items and many dating from the 14th century.
Normandy
Normandy is a place with a noticeable artistic streak: Monet’s garden at Giverny is located here and the fine Gothic architecture of Rouen Cathedral was the subject of a number of the impressionist’s paintings. Towns such as Honfleur typify the picturesque, maritime charm of its ports.
Points of interest: The D-Day Landing beaches | Cotentin Peninsula | Honfleur | Mont-Saint-Michel | Giverny | The Bayeux Tapestry | Abbaye de Jumièges | Château de Fougères
Manche
Barfleur [📸 Office De Tourisme Du Cotentin]
Barfleur
Twinned with Lyme Regis on the southern coast of Britain, Barfleur has a rich maritime history. It was first occupied by the Vikings and served as an important port from which British sovereigns would return to Britain. Today its cultural vitality and picture postcard port makes it a bustling tourist hot spot.
Beuvron-en-Auge is a charming little villages situated in the marshes of Dives about 30km from Caen. It’s full to the brim with architectural heritage and is a must-see if you’re visiting this area of Normandy. Sitting on the cider trail, there will be plenty of opportunities for tasting regional tipples!
With its colourful half-timbered houses and streets awash with floral shades there is no wonder Le Bec-Hellouin is listed as one of the most beautiful villages in France. The village was built around the 11th century Abbaye Notre-Dame du Bec which is, to this day, still occupied by Benedictine monks and is open daily.
Nestled in the heart of the Forest of Lyons this pleasant village is the former residence of the Dukes of Normandy. Its central square is blessed with pretty half-timbered faНades, an 18th century market hall, fountains and café terraces.
This picturesque village sat on a meander of the River Sarthe has been inspiration for many artists including Corot, Courbet and Harpignies. Its pretty stone houses and pleasant medieval bridge lay snug amid a leafy setting. The Romanesque church and Gothic Petit Saint-Céneri chapel are must-sees.
Camping Sandaya Escale Saint-Gilles is a large, busy holiday-style campsite with 419 pitches but only around 50 for touring units. Facing the Glénan Islands, it is 50 metres from the beach, close to the River Odet and offers various types of accommodation. Families with young children, rather than teenagers, could find that the wide range of activities and entertainment offered, as well as a large sports and fitness complex (100 m. away off-site), make l’Escale St-Gilles a good choice.
Les 2 Fontaines is a large site with about 300 pitches. Of these 66 are for touring, 120 are used by tour operators and the remainder are for mobile homes. The well cared for pitches are on grass, level and attractively laid out among mature trees and shrubs. All have 10A electricity, water and drainage. Trees have been carefully planted creating one area with silver birch, one with apple trees and another with palms and tropical plants. The pool complex is an excellent feature, complete with chutes, flumes and waterfalls and a covered pool with an adjacent gym and massage room. There are numerous daytime activities for all the family to enjoy and a variety of entertainment in the evening.
Camping Sandaya le Ranolien has been attractively developed around a former Breton farm – everything here is either made from or placed on or around the pink rocks, some of them massive. Of around 500 pitches, approximately 100 are for touring, mostly large and flat, but some quite small, all with 10A electricity, water and drainage.
Fort Espagnol can be found close to the village of Crac’h, with easy access to the Morbihan Gulf. 50 touring pitches vary in size and are in a wooded setting, most have electrical connections (10A). A number of mobile homes, chalets and safari-style tents are available to rent. There is an impressive lagoon-style swimming pool complex, featuring a number of slides and other water features. There is also a heated, indoor pool. Other amenities include a small shop and snack bar. Various activities are organised during July and August, including dances, karaoke, and numerous sports competitions. A free shuttle bus to the beach is available daily.
A beautiful setting in the grounds of a French Chateaux just 6 km from the main beach in Saint-Malo, and the bus stops just 400m from the site gates; you are also just 2 km from the sea if you fancy a dip. The site is also just a short drive from the ferry terminal, so it could be used as an initial overnight upon arrival in France, although most guests seemed to be staying much longer. The location is ideal for exploring Brittany as you are on the Emerald Coast close to Mont St Micheal and Cancale. The site facilities are of an excellent standard, having been recently refurbished.
One hour from Paris, on the banks of the Seine and overlooked by the impressive remains of Château Gaillard (Richard Coeur de Lion), this attractive and spacious ten-hectare site will appeal to couples and young families. The site offers mobile units to rent and touring pitches in separate areas. These are either riverside or in a large central triangle, all very close to the Seine; all pitches are divided by low hedging, and some offer a degree of shade.
Bellevue is located just west of Villers-sur-Mer with its sandy beach and nine and a half kilometres west of fashionable Deauville. It is ideally situated for cross-channel ferry ports and visiting the D-Day landing beaches.
Camping L’Orangerie de Lanniron is a beautiful and peaceful family site set in ten acres of a 17th-century, 38-hectare country estate on the banks of the Odet River, formerly the home of the Bishops of Quimper.
Camping la Tourelle à Moncontour offers camping pitches and chalet accommodation in Moncontour, a fortified Medieval village, classified as one of the most beautiful villages in France. As well as the shopping facilities found in the village, there is also a large supermarket within 14 kms and you'll find Saint Brieux Bay and the beaches just 25 kms away. If you're looking for activities closeby, there is pond fishing, a free skate park, mini-golf, a regional bike trail and horse riding within 10 kms. Slightly further afield you'll find the seaside resorts of Pléneuf-Val-André, Erquy, Binic and Côte d'Emeraude within 50 kms, and also the Broceliande forest, Nantes to Brest canal, Guerledan lake, Golf courses and casinos.
A friendly, family site, l’Anse du Brick overlooks a picturesque bay on the northern tip of the Cotentin Peninsula, eight kilometres east of Cherbourg port. This quality site makes a pleasant night halt or an ideal longer stay destination for those not wishing to travel too far. Its pleasing location offers direct access to a small sandy beach and a woodland walk. This is a mature, terraced site with magnificent views from certain pitches. Tarmac roads lead to the 230 touring pitches (all with 10A electricity) which are level, separated and mostly well shaded by many trees, bushes and shrubs. There are also mobile homes for rent.
This is a beautiful rural site; as the name says, it is Camping in the Forrest. The location for those that love to return to nature could not be improved upon with forest walks and cycle tracks and a lake adjoining the site offering swimming and a selection of activities, including fishing and sailing, or you can sit in the bar/restaurant and enjoy your surroundings. Fresh locally baked bread and croissants can be ordered the evening before, and even a full continental breakfast can be ordered. The reception also stocks some basic provisions.
