Belle-Île-en-Mer is the largest of the French Breton islands. There are very pretty little typical fishing villages not far from large beaches with fine white sand, bordered by impressive cliffs. If you have a week to take, you have to discover this little paradise on earth. Plan to go there out of season to avoid the horde of tourists coming to Morbihan in the summer.
Just like the wild coast of southern Brittany, Belle-Île-en-Mer is a unique spectacle offering you a wild world living with the tides and the seasons. Belle-Île-en-Mer is a piece of "natural" and authentic land to discover 15 km just opposite Quiberon and the Gulf of Morbihan.
To get to Belle-Île-en-Mer, you have to take the boat from Quiberon. The crossing takes three quarters of an hour with the ferry. Once on the island, you can travel by car, motorbike, bicycle or on foot. Arrive 45 minutes before departure to register your boarding and 20 minutes before if you are on foot. It is the Compagnie Océane sailors who will guide you to park your vehicle in the hold of the ferry with the greatest precision. The price to go to Belle-Île-en-Mer is €15.50 per adult €8.50 per child between 4 and 18 years old, €3 for a dog and from €80 for a vehicle, €21 for a motorbike and €7.50 for a bicycle. During the summer, direct connections are every 30 minutes.
You can go around the island in one day, but that is not the goal if you want to see and know all the treasures it conceals. First of all, there are four communes which are:
Each village has its own identity and you will discover its soul, its particular colors and its unique atmosphere by staying a day or two there.
Palais is the first place you discover when you arrive in Belle-Île-en-Mer. Everything goes through the port of the village. The Palace is the heart of the island. Go have a coffee on the port and watch the life around you. You will see fishermen going to work or going to the auction with fresh spider crabs and lobsters, but also boaters coming on sunny days. At low tide, Le Palais becomes a very lively town, as many go looking for shells or fish in torus of water. Some streets of the city are pedestrianized and allow you to go window shopping or taste good chocolates or traditional ice creams. On the square, every morning, go to the market where you will find local products such as fish, cheeses or even garden vegetables. Then visit the Vauban citadel and admire the superb panorama from the ramparts.
If you are a hiker and love grandiose landscapes, then do the Gr 340. Follow the beacons. The path is coastal and goes to the old semaphore. You can admire the entire harbor of the Palace then go to the Pointe de Taillefer via the fairy trail which goes up quite a bit and also goes down. You will find on the place, lace rocks plunging steeply into the sea. On the cliffs, there are a large number of various flowers giving the landscape the impression of an impressionist painting. Continue the Gr 340 towards Sauzon while passing by Port Jean beach.
Bangor is the village located in the wildest part of the island. Although it is not on the seaside, Bangor is worth the detour for its colors, its markets of local producers and its typical architecture. The hamlets are very colorful and in spring many hollyhocks bloom along the old stone walls. You can taste the delicious pancakes and local cider or a Morgat which is the local beer of the island. If you are a surfer, extend your visit to Donnant beach, which is a well-known spot for indulging in this sport. The sea is raging there, but the landscape is breathtaking. Also go to the Aiguilles de Port Coton to admire the steep cliffs throwing themselves into the ocean where the waves crash on the rocks below in a wild crash. If you like wild and authentic landscapes, you will be served. You will also see the natural light changing depending on the marshes.
Sauzon is a charming little village on Belle Île en Mer. With its small port and colorful houses, you will discover the authenticity of the island. Take a break in one of its restaurants along the quay and taste iodized seafood products at any time of the day. Discover Sauzon on foot. Again, you can follow the GR 340, go to the Pointe des Poulains or go to the beach of Port Puce and that of Bordery which is a superb wild cove.
Locmaria is an extremely rural town. It is also the village at the highest point, but also the least frequented by tourists because of its developed agriculture. However, Locmaria is worth the detour for its whitewashed church and its fishing port, its former fort being today an opulent villa and its surroundings such as Port Andro which can be reached by the Gr 340 to the tip of Kerzo.
You can go around Belle Île en Mer by car, but as you have understood by reading these few lines, you will miss a lot of wonders. So choose the hike or the bike and learn to look again. Belle-Île-en-Mer can be contemplated and experienced, but not crossed.
