Gulf of Morbihan: the best activities to do in the islands

Facing Vannes, the spectacle is permanent.

It is nonetheless striking.

The Gulf of Morbihan, this mosaic of land and water 20 km long and 15 km wide, changes its face with the tides.

A timeless contemplation that is coupled with a call from the sea.

Because this

inland

“little sea” (

in Breton) dotted with islands and islets shelters an astonishing ecological and cultural richness which extends out of season - perhaps more easily than elsewhere in Brittany -: the geography of the bay l 'shelters Atlantic swells and offers it a microclimate of an almost southern mildness, which may surprise.

Just like the strong sea currents.

Local tourism players are behind the creation of the Club des Plus Belles Baies du Monde in March 1997 - which is based in Vannes.

Beyond this notoriety, the destination stands out as an ideal place to learn to navigate, hike, and taste the Breton island life.

Boarding for a magical stopover with the family, for a weekend or more.

Read the file: Brittany from north to south: our travel guide

Île aux Moines, Gavrinis ... The unmissable places to visit

View from the fort of Île aux Moines.

photlook - stock.adobe.com

Just 5 minutes by boat from Vannes and the mainland,

- 600 inhabitants year round - is the largest of the Gulf Islands.

It is a delight to walk on this hilly garden in the open sea, dotted with camellias, mimosas, palm trees, cypresses and hydrangeas.

Its beaches, its fort, its pine forests, its low walls behind which hide fishermen's houses and opulent buildings, paint a decor that is both polished and authentic.

• Our advice

If you have little time but want to see the best of the island in a spirit "off the beaten track", Lili Voyages (tel 06 88 17 24 23, adult / child rate 14/11 €) offers a tour of hour by minibus (look for the red vehicle at the Lério landing stage, when you get off the boat).

Engravings, drawings ... the dolmen under a cairn on the island of Gavrinis is a real archaeological treasure.

Marie Dufay

The island of Gavrinis

will delight archeology enthusiasts: it indeed houses an exceptional dolmen under a cairn (covered with dry stones) built 3,500 years BC, and undoubtedly intended for the cult of the dead.

With a diameter of 50 m, 6 m high, it is famous for its magnificent engravings representing axes, bows and arrows, or snakes which adorn the small burial chamber and the gallery which leads to it.

In addition to this megalithic treasure, the small 15 hectare island offers visitors a unique panorama of the Gulf of Morbihan, crisscrossed by oyster barges (https://cairndegavrinis.com/, tel: 02 97 57 19 38; take the boat at the Cale de Pen-Lannic in Larmor-Baden; boat price + adult visit 18 €, child 10-18 years old 8 €, child 4-10 years old 4 €).

Read also: From Quiberon to Belle-Île, a charming stopover in southern Brittany

Stroll, bike, heritage: family activities

Family cycling on the Ile d'Arz, which is flatter and quieter than the Ile aux Moines.

Loïc Kersuzan / CRTB

It is undeniably

that you have to visit Île aux Moines.

Very wooded - we love its wood of Sighs, that of Love and that of Regrets -, it hides pretty farms, and prehistoric remains: the Kergonan cromlech (circular alignment of menhirs) impresses with its 90 meters in diameter: c is the largest in France!

From the village, you reach the Pen Hap dolmen in a 1.5 hour walk, which also strikes the imagination with its nine standing stones.

The coastal paths lead you from beach to rocky point, from meadow to hamlet crumbling under oleanders: you can always see the sea!

About fifty species of birds live here, so don't forget your binoculars, and a little bird identification guide.

It will be just as useful on the island of Arz, which is flatter but also quieter, which is only a pebble's throw by boat.

The village, located 2 km from the Beluré wedge, will seduce you with its narrow streets, its gardens whose luxuriance has nothing to envy those of its neighbor, and its captains' houses adjoining the 18th century church. the beautiful wooden vault evokes the frame of a boat.

Lintels and pediments carved with sea anchors or seahorses evoke the maritime past of the Isle of Arz, where one is always a sailor from father to son.

Do not miss the superb Berno tide mill (16th century), the megalithic site of the tip of Liouse, and the peninsula of Billihervé where marshes and mudflats are mixed, suitable for the observation of gray herons, egrets, oystercatchers and other brent geese.

You will find bicycles for rent at the piers of both islands.

• Our advice

Sail on a sinagot, formerly used for fishing.

Berthier / CRTB

True emblem of the Gulf of Morbihan,

is a 10m long rowboat, which was once used to fish for shrimp and flat oysters.

Recognizable by their rectangular red sails,

and

have been restored on Île aux Moines, in the famous Guip shipyard: you can embark there to rediscover the navigation techniques of yesteryear (Association Les Amis du Sinagot, https://sinagot.bzh/; tel .: 06 14 93 04 69, adult / child rate 35/15 €, departure from Port Anna in Séné).

Read also: Brittany and its islands: our favorite destinations

The most beautiful beaches

The first beach to lay your towel or stroll on Île aux Moines is undoubtedly

, located on the west coast, near the port (the village is a few minutes walk away, along the sheltered cove of Lerio).

It is simply lovely with its bathing cabins, its villas, and the sailing school boats which tack under the pines.

It is the only one where you can swim at high and low tide.

In the south of the island,

, with its stone dike still used by various boats, is ideal if you are with children;

it is 2.5 km from the village.

On the island of Arz, there are four beaches.

That of

, surrounded by maritime pines and facing due south, is the most beautiful - and the most frequented - of the island and the panorama of the Île aux Moines and the gulf is particularly pleasant.

Another option: the

, not far from the village, near which a base of the Nautical Center of Glénans has been established since 1969.

You will be able to observe the ballet of catamarans, dinghies and initiation cruisers, which in summer graze the zodiacs that come to moor at the picturesque cove of Pen Raz, near the

.

Read also: From Concarneau to Glénan: our best experiences in this end of Finistère

Finally, if you are the type who likes to uncover

, you will love to browse on

until you find a small corner of quiet sand to sunbathe alone in the world, with a view of the oyster beds or a cemetery of wooden boats.

Because to access this small wooded paradise of 24 hectares connected to Larmor-Baden by an 80-meter long causeway, you have to wait until the sea is low, which offers approximately a 4-hour window.

Practical notebook

Come to Vannes

By train: TGV Paris-Vannes link: 6 to 7 daily trains.

Direct links with Lille and Bordeaux and regular links with Lyon, Marseille and Toulouse.

By bus: Ouibus, Isilines, Eurolines and Flixbus arrive at Vannes bus station.

By plane: one airport in Vannes (Vannes-Golfe du Morbihan) and three airports located more or less far: Lorient Lan Bihoué, Rennes Saint-Jacques, Nantes Atlantique.

How to get to the islands from the mainland?

From the Vannes ferry terminal, with Navix (www.navix.fr) and La Compagnie du Golfe (www.compagnie-du-golfe.fr) which serve both islands for the same price (from € 21.30 ).

The Gulf boat buses (www.ile-arz.fr) only serve the Ile d'Arz.

Also from Port-Navalo, Locmariaquer and Kerners with Le Passeur des îles (www.passeurdesiles.com; for Ile aux Moines round trip adult € 16, child round trip 9 €; for Ile d'Arz round trip) adult return € 13.50, child return € 7), and from Baden with Izenah Cruises (www.izenah-croisieres.com) which offers many options such as combined stops on the two islands, a shuttle to go to dinner on Île aux Moines, etc.

Where to have a drink?

Chez Charlemagne, a must-see spot on Île aux Moines.

Emmy martens

Chez Charlemagne (Île aux Moines)

(https://www.chez-charlemagne.fr/, tel: 02 97 26 32 43, Anse du Lério, after the port).

Facing the sea, this white house with blue shutters is the meeting point for boaters in the evening, and the most famous bar-restaurant on Île aux Moines.

On the terrace, on its afloat barge or in its warm interior, the atmosphere is always there.

You can also have a bite to eat there.

Where to eat?

La Fontaine (Isle of Arz)

, located after the charming hamlet of Penero, halfway between the pier and the village, is the ideal place to eat before visiting the Isle of Arz, or to relax. quench your thirst after a day pacing it.

Fresh and organic products, daily specials often vegetarian, oysters, and a very pleasant terrace during tapas time (http://www.barlafontaine.fr/, tel 02 97 44 32 26).

Remember to book by phone!