Villas in Côtes d'Armor

Côtes d'Armor suits walkers and families: Perros-Guirec has pink granite, Paimpol has islands, Cap Fréhel has cliffs. Our villas are spread thinly along the coast rather than packed into one resort, so choice in any single town is limited. Tides here are among the biggest in Europe, which shapes beach days. Most visitors arrive by ferry at Saint-Malo or Roscoff and drive.

Where

Villas: 106
From, per week: £208
Cheapest month: September
Nearest airports: Direct flights from the UK to Brittany are limited and change from season to season, so check what is flying to Dinard, Rennes or Brest. Many visitors take Brittany Ferries from Portsmouth to Saint-Malo or from Plymouth to Roscoff and drive, which also means bringing your own car.

Where to stay in Côtes d'Armor

Tréguier, Pleubian and Paimpol (the Presqu'île Sauvage)

The peninsula between the Trieux and Jaudy rivers is quiet farmland ending in rocky shore. At Pleubian the Sillon de Talbert, a long shingle spit, runs out to sea. Tréguier has a cathedral and a Wednesday market, and Paimpol a working harbour. Boats from the Pointe de l'Arcouest reach the car-free Ile de Bréhat in about ten minutes. Saint-Malo is around an hour and three quarters away.

Best for: Walkers, sailors and anyone who wants islands and estuaries

Not for you if: You want a sandy beach where you can swim at any time of day: low tide here exposes wide rocks and mud.

The Pink Granite Coast (Perros-Guirec, Trégastel, Trébeurden, Pleumeur-Bodou)

The best-known stretch of the Breton coast. The customs officers' path between Perros-Guirec and Ploumanac'h winds past huge pink boulders, and Trégastel has sheltered beaches between the rocks. Boat trips run to the Sept-Iles bird reserve, home to gannets and puffins. Pleumeur-Bodou has the Cité des Télécoms and its radome. Roscoff ferry port is about an hour and a quarter away.

Best for: Families and walkers who want rock pools and sandy coves

Not for you if: You want somewhere quiet in August: the coast path at Ploumanac'h gets very crowded.

Cap Fréhel and the Emerald Coast (Fréhel, Beaussais-sur-Mer, Languenan)

Cap Fréhel's cliffs and heather moorland are among the most visited headlands in Brittany, with Fort La Latte about an hour's walk along the coast path. Sables-d'Or-les-Pins and Erquy have long sandy beaches nearby. Beaussais-sur-Mer and Languenan sit further east, closer to Dinan's old town. Saint-Malo and Dinard airport are around 45 minutes to an hour away.

Best for: Couples and walkers who want cliffs, heath and a short drive from Saint-Malo

Not for you if: You want shops and restaurants on foot: Fréhel is a scattered village and the cape is exposed to wind.

Val-André and the Bay of Saint-Brieuc (Pléneuf-Val-André, Planguenoual, Hillion, Saint-Glen)

Val-André has one of the longest sandy beaches on this coast, backed by a seafront promenade and cafés, and Erquy's scallop harbour is close by. The inner bay around Hillion is a nature reserve with huge tidal flats, good for birds. Saint-Glen is inland, about 20 minutes from the sea. Rennes is around an hour and a quarter away, Saint-Malo about an hour.

Best for: Families who want a long sandy beach with a promenade

Not for you if: You are sensitive to smells: green seaweed can wash up on some beaches in the inner bay in summer.

The Goëlo coast (Plouha, Etables-sur-Mer, Plérin)

North of Saint-Brieuc the coast rises into some of the highest cliffs in Brittany, around Plouha. Plage Bonaparte there was used in the Second World War to evacuate Allied airmen by sea. Etables-sur-Mer and nearby Saint-Quay-Portrieux have harbours, sandy beaches and markets, and Plérin is on the edge of Saint-Brieuc. Rennes is about an hour and a half away.

Best for: Walkers who want high cliffs and small coves

Not for you if: You need easy beach access with small children: many coves are reached down steep paths.

Lannion Bay and the inland Trégor (Plestin-les-Grèves, Saint-Michel-en-Grève, Ploumilliau, Plounérin)

The Lieue de Grève is a wide sandy bay between Saint-Michel-en-Grève and Plestin-les-Grèves, good for long walks at low tide. Inland, Ploumilliau, Ploubezre and Plounérin are farming villages among woods and streams, with the market town of Lannion close by. Perros-Guirec is around 30 minutes away. Roscoff ferry port is about an hour's drive.

Best for: Value, space and a quieter base near the Pink Granite Coast

Not for you if: You want to walk to the sea: several of these villas are inland villages.

When to go to Côtes d'Armor

July and August are warmest and busiest, with French families on the coast and the crêperies and boat trips running daily. June and September are quieter, often just as pleasant, and better for walking the coast path. Weather is Atlantic and changeable: expect rain in any month and pack layers even in summer. The sea stays cool. Tides vary hugely, so check tide tables for swimming and island crossings. From October to Easter some seasonal restaurants and boat trips stop.