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Vannes

The prefecture of Morbihan and a town with a rich historical past, Vannes is a great place to visit. Pedestrianised streets, half-timbered houses, the gardens of the Château de l'Hermine, an old wash-house worthy of a Disney film at the foot of the ramparts, a half-Gothic, half-Italian Renaissance cathedral (the only one in the whole of Brittany). The town of Vannes is also an integral part of the pilgrimage of the 7 founding saints of Brittany (Tro Breiz) with its creator: Saint Patern. Next to the Porte Prison gate, you can see part of the ramparts dating back to the Gallo-Roman period. If you go through the Porte Saint Vincent gate, you will come to the port, where you will find a number of cafés. Be sure to see the statue of Vannes and his wife on one of the half-timbered houses in the historic town centre, as it is one of the town's emblems.

Carnac

There are two types of Carnac: Carnac-Plage and Carnac-Bourg. Carnac-Plage is a fairly recent seaside town with its shops, stalls, bars and seaside restaurants. Carnac-Bourg is the original, and therefore ancient, town. Here you can see some of the region's traditional old buildings, as well as the old church with its ceiling in the shape of an inverted ship's hull, where classical music concerts are held every summer. Carnac is also famous for its alignments of menhirs and dolmens. There are four groups of alignments: Kermario, Ménec (with a dolmen) Manio and Kerlescan. Access to the alignments is restricted to those taking a guided tour, as they are surrounded by fencing for their own preservation. There is an observation tower in the middle of the Kermario alignment for an overall view. The Maison des Mégalithes is next to the Le Ménec alignment. Here you'll find a wealth of information about megaliths and the discoveries made by archaeologists, and you can also book a place on a tour of an alignment and wander among the standing stones (menhir = standing stone). Don't forget to visit the Carnac prehistory museum, where local discoveries are on display.

La Trinité sur Mer

Small seaside town with many new buildings, very large sailing marina. Port of departure for many regattas and local sailing races.

Auray

The town of Auray is also steeped in history. It was once a fortified town with a castle. It is famous in the history of France and Brittany for the battle of Auray during the war of succession to the throne of the Duchy of Brittany: the definitive victory of the Montforts (supported by the English) over the Count of Blois (supported by the Kingdom of France). There is no longer a fortified castle, but the buttresses can still be seen - the street linking the upper town to the port below is known as Rue du Château.

Down below, you'll find an old fishing and trading port. There are also some beautiful half-timbered houses dating back to the Middle Ages. The granite stone harbour that spans the inlet is one of the town's symbols. There are plenty of bars and restaurants on the quayside.

In the upper town, you'll also find pedestrianised streets with beautiful half-timbered houses. On the Place aux Roues you'll also find cafés, bars and restaurants centred around a small fountain with a cobbled square.

The harbour and the foothills of the old fortified castle are very lively during the Semaine du Golfe maritime festival. When the flotilla of old working boats enters the harbour, it's like reliving the days of sail fishing.

Lorient

The town of Lorient was almost entirely razed to the ground during the Second World War. The oldest buildings all date from the 1950s. As a result, the city centre is very similar to that of any large town, with its shops, bars and restaurants.

However, the military town has a lighthouse where you can climb to the very top and see the town and port from a different perspective. You can see all the way to the mouth of the Blavet

The new Cité de la mer Éric Tabarly (a local boy) offers visitors the chance to discover the sea through exhibitions and fun activities.

You can also visit the former U-boat base. Left abandoned by the Germans when they liberated the Lorient pocket, it was taken over by the French army and used as a submarine base. Now left vacant, you can visit a French submarine, Le Flore.

The town comes alive during the 10-day Interceltic Festival in early August.

Etel and its ria

The Etel ria is also very beautiful to see, but swimming is not permitted as the currents are very strong. A ria is where a river flows into the sea, with the sea rushing inland and into the river mouth. This is where reverse currents "clash". In the commune of Belz, along the river, you can see a lagoon-like spectacle made up of land that is only submerged when the tide rises. The fauna here is rich in marine birds. You can also admire the village of Saint Cado, which is only linked to the mainland by a bridge said to have been built by the devil. This was once the site of a monastery founded by Saint Cado, of which all that remains is the small Romanesque church, the Calvary beside the church, Saint Cado's bed where he is said to have taken to lying down in order to perform his miracles, and the fountain below the church, which floods at every high tide.

Port-Louis

A small town with character, built under Richelieu. Its architecture is typical of the period, with right-angled streets forming a sort of grid when viewed from above, and small cobbled squares...

The Vauban citadel was also built under Richelieu. It housed the Comptoir de la Compagnie des Indes. This company was responsible for the triangular trade, which was no longer practised with the abolition of slavery. It now houses the national museum of the Compagnie des Indes, where you can see a large collection of objects brought back by the company, as well as models of ships, etc.

Locmariaquer

Locmariaquer is a seaside resort like La Trinité or Carnac-Plage. It is, however, one of the starting points for visiting and discovering the islands of the Gulf.

Although not as famous as the Carnac alignments, you can still see a very impressive Neolithic site, comprising a cairn (a tumulus made from a dolmen, covered in stone), a broken and engraved menhir (with one piece missing), and an engraved dolmen (lying stone). The last piece of the broken menhir can be found on the island of Gavrinis in the Gulf of Morbihan, along with the island's magnificent, almost entirely engraved cairn, for which this small island is famous. This complex is only accessible with a guided tour.

Belle-Ile

Located 45 minutes by boat from Quiberon, Belle-Ile is the largest island in the Gulf and also the best-known of the Breton islands.

We advise you to arrange your own transport (electric bike hire for the more courageous, car or scooter hire on site or bus from May to the end of October) or to make the crossing by car (book the trip in advance as there is limited space on the boat for cars).

When you arrive in Palais, you can visit the town and the Vauban citadel. Head for Sauzon to see one of the prettiest harbours on the island, which is often the one shown in photos to designate the island. At the Pointe du Cardinal, you'll have a bird's eye view of Sauzon harbour. Continue along the coast until you reach the Pointe des Poulains, with its wild landscape battered by the winds and where the currents are just as violent as on the wild coast of Quiberon. Here you'll find the House of Local Flora and Fauna, located in the old fortress that was once the holiday home of actress Sarah Bernhardt. From the Apothicairerie, you'll find the bird sanctuary and a beautiful walk along the coast.

The beach at Port Donant is a lovely little beach, but we'd recommend going to see the Aiguilles de Port Coton, which are several granite spurs jutting out of the sea like needles; it's always spectacular to see them. You can also enjoy the Bangor market every Sunday morning with local producers. You can also climb to the top of the Bangor lighthouse for an overview of the island. In Locmaria, the island's fourth-largest town, you can visit the Pointe du Skeul or go for a swim at Port Andro beach.

You can also swim at the Grands Sables beach or admire the view over Quiberon or the nearby island of Houat.

We would like to warn you that if you choose to cycle around the island, it is very hilly and some of the roads are very difficult to climb because of the coast (e.g. the route du vallon).

Plouharnel

The small town of Plouharnel, situated before the peninsula, is very busy, but its town centre is rarely visited, even though it is made up of old buildings that make it an isolated village right in the heart of the town. Nearby is a hamlet called Sainte Barbe. Dating back to the Middle Ages, this hamlet stands out for its tranquillity and its history in relation to the peninsula. At the time, access to the peninsula was dangerous and very risky (quicksand, baïnes, bandits, etc.). ), people wishing to go to Quiberon were obliged to pass through this village before reaching Quiberon. They would therefore pray to Sainte Barbe to ensure that their crossing went as smoothly as possible.

The Gulf Islands

L'Ile aux Moines is one of the best known, and also the largest. Formerly the property of the Abbey of the Monks of Redon, its name comes from its shape, which resembles a cross. The island has always been inhabited, with traces of life dating back to the Neolithic period (cromlec'h de Kerguenan and dolmen de Penhap).

Ile d'Arz is the other main island in the Gulf. Still inhabited, you can see the village of Pennero and its fishermen's and merchant navy officers' houses. The Berno tide mill is also a must-see on the island, as many tide mills have disappeared from Brittany and it is rare to be able to see one.

The Isle of Gavrinis is certainly not the largest island in the Gulf, nor the best known. But it is well worth a visit. It was once the property of the Order of the Knights of St John of Jerusalem, and the ruins of a chapel have been discovered there. The island was also owned by Nicolas Fouquet, Louis XIV's finance minister at the time. But the island's most remarkable feature is its cairn, which is almost entirely engraved.