Saint-Malo (with Saint-Jouan-des-Guérets)
Saint-Malo is where we have the most villas. The walled Intra-Muros was rebuilt after wartime damage, and you can walk the ramparts most of the way round. At low tide a causeway leads to the Grand Bé island and Chateaubriand's grave. The Sillon beach runs east for a few kilometres, and Paramé and Rothéneuf have quieter coves. Dinard is ten minutes across the water by shuttle boat.
Best for: Families who want a walled old town, big beaches and the ferry close by
Not for you if: You want peace in summer: the old town and its ramparts are packed in July and August.
Dinard (with La Richardais and Pleurtuit)
Dinard grew as a resort for British and American visitors in the 19th century, and its cliffs are lined with large villas. The Plage de l'Ecluse is the main beach, with a promenade round to the Pointe du Moulinet looking across to Saint-Malo. A shuttle boat crosses to Saint-Malo in around ten minutes, and the road goes over the Rance tidal power station. The town hosts a British film festival each autumn.
Best for: Couples who want grand seafront villas, coastal walks and sheltered beaches
Not for you if: You want a lively evening scene out of season: Dinard is quiet from autumn to spring.
Cancale and Saint-Coulomb (with Saint-Méloir-des-Ondes)
Cancale is known for its oysters, sold at stalls by the harbour and eaten on the sea wall, with the oyster beds showing at low tide. The Pointe du Grouin, just north, looks across the bay to Mont-Saint-Michel on a clear day. Saint-Coulomb has sandy coves such as the Plage du Guesclin, with a small fort on a rock. Saint-Malo is around 20 minutes away.
Best for: Food lovers and walkers who want oysters and the coast path
Not for you if: You want a swimming beach below the house: Cancale's harbour is tidal and the best sand is a short drive away.
Saint-Briac and Saint-Lunaire (Emerald Coast)
West of Dinard the coast breaks into small sandy bays between rocky points. Saint-Lunaire has the Grande Plage and the Pointe du Décollé, with views along the coast, and Saint-Briac has a small fishing harbour and the Dinard Golf course, one of the oldest in France. Both are around 10 to 15 minutes from Dinard and about half an hour from the Saint-Malo ferry.
Best for: Families and golfers who want small sandy bays and quieter villages
Not for you if: You want a wide choice: we have far fewer villas here than in Dinard or Saint-Malo.
The Bay of Mont-Saint-Michel (Cherrueix and Le Vivier-sur-Mer)
The bay is flat, open and huge. Cherrueix is known for sand-yachting on the beach, and Le Vivier-sur-Mer is the centre for the bay's bouchot mussels, grown on wooden posts in the sand. Mont-Saint-Michel, just over the border in Normandy, is around 30 minutes from Cherrueix; you park on the mainland and take a shuttle bus. Only cross the sands with a qualified guide. Saint-Malo is about 30 minutes away.
Best for: Families and walkers who want sand-yachting, mussels and Mont-Saint-Michel nearby
Not for you if: You want to swim: the sea goes out for kilometres at low tide.
The Rance and inland villages (Saint-Suliac, Le Tronchet, Mesnil-Roc'h, Val-Couesnon)
Saint-Suliac is a stone village on the Rance estuary, with a small beach and a slipway, and is listed among the most beautiful villages in France. Inland, Le Tronchet and Mesnil-Roc'h sit among woods near Combourg, whose castle was Chateaubriand's childhood home. Val-Couesnon and Saint-Georges-de-Reintembault are further east, closer to the castle town of Fougères. We have only a few houses here.
Best for: Couples who want riverside walks and a quiet rural base
Not for you if: You want the beach every day: most of these villages are 20 minutes or more from the sea.
