Villas in Saint Malo

About Saint Malo

Saint-Malo is a port town of about 47,000 people that grows towards 300,000 in the summer season. The walled city, Intra-Muros, was almost entirely destroyed in August and September 1944 and rebuilt between 1948 and 1960, so the granite is old in style but not in age. The ramparts can be walked for free. Outside the walls a beach of around 4 km runs from the Paramé cliffs to Minihic at Rothéneuf, and the homes sit within a few kilometres of the centre. Grand Bé, Petit Bé and Fort National can be reached on foot at low tide. Few homes have a pool; most are houses and flats for around four. Centre shops usually close about 19:00 and there is no late evening bus.

Is Saint Malo right for you?

Best for

Couples and families wanting a walled city, tides and ferry access

Not for you if

You want the sea in the same place all day, as the tide range can reach 14 m.

Near Saint Malo

• Cancale

  Brittany's oyster capital, about 15 km east, with a harbour oyster market and a coastal path to the Pointe du Grouin.

• Dinard

  A Belle Époque resort reached by the road over the Rance tidal dam, with large sandy beaches led by Plage de l'Écluse.

• Mont-Saint-Michel

  Reached by bus via Pontorson, about an hour to Pontorson and 20 minutes on; the bay's tide range is around 14 m.

• Cap Fréhel

  A cliff-edged peninsula in Côtes-d'Armor with two lighthouses, one from the 17th century and one from 1950.

Getting to Saint Malo

Most UK visitors come by ferry: Brittany Ferries sails daily to Portsmouth, and Condor Ferries runs direct from Jersey and Guernsey. The station, just over 1 km south of the walls, has TGV trains to Paris in about three hours. Dinard-Pleurtuit-Saint-Malo Airport is about 5 km south. A car helps for villas outside the walls.

When to go to Saint Malo

Accommodation fills quickly in high season, and the population can reach 300,000 in summer. The Festival des Folklores du Monde runs in early July and the Route du Rock festival in summer. Spring brings the Étonnants Voyageurs literary festival, autumn the Quai des Bulles comics festival. Tide times matter more than the month for beach days and for the walk to Grand Bé.

Saint Malo villa holidays: questions answered

Nearby towns to Saint Malo

• Dinard (90)
• Cancale (48)
• Saint Briac (10)
• Saint Cast le Guildo (9)
• Saint Lunaire (8)
• All of Ille-et-Vilaine