Carnac suits families and history fans who want a long sandy beach on Quiberon Bay and Neolithic standing stones just inland. Expect a beach holiday rather than a pool one, since only a handful of homes here have a pool.
Carnac, a town of about 4,200 people, has two centres: Carnac-Ville and Carnac-Plage on the beachfront. The town has five beaches, the largest being the Grande Plage, about 2 km of fine white sand facing due south, with lifeguards in summer. The Yacht Club de Carnac, west of it, offers watersports all year, and the Bay of Quiberon gives good sailing conditions. More than 10,000 Neolithic standing stones lie around the town, in three main groups of rows: Ménec, Kermario and Kerlescan. The Saint-Michel tumulus, built between 5000 and 3400 BC, is a burial mound 12 metres high. Our homes are mostly houses for around four, grouped close together near Carnac-Plage, and only a handful have a pool. A shared path for walkers and cyclists follows the beach east to La Trinité-sur-Mer.
Port east of Carnac with a quay of seafood restaurants, reached by the shared walking and cycle path along the beach.
Seaside resort on the southern part of the Quiberon peninsula, which is joined to the mainland by a narrow isthmus.
Village with some of Europe's most significant Neolithic remains, including a broken menhir of nearly 20 metres and the carved Table des Marchand dolmen.
Town 12 km away on the Loch river, with the old port of Saint-Goustan, the site of the original town.
Auray railway station, 12 km away, has TGV trains on the Paris to Rennes to Quimper line. In summer only, TER trains on the Auray to Quiberon line stop at Plouharnel-Carnac, 4 km from the centre, which sells no tickets. From the UK, Brittany Ferries sail from Portsmouth to Saint-Malo.
Summer is the main season: the Grande Plage has lifeguards, two beach clubs set up beside it, and Plouharnel-Carnac station opens. Since 1991 the main rows of stones have been fenced to let the vegetation recover, with visits mostly by organised tour, but they are open in winter. The yacht club stays open all year.
Yes. The Grande Plage is about 2 km of fine white sand with lifeguards in summer, and it is listed as a family beach. The stones give older children something to see. Very few homes have pools, so the beach does the work.
In winter, yes. Since 1991 the main groups at Ménec, Kermario and Kerlescan have been fenced to help the vegetation grow back, and visits for most of the year are by organised tour. The rows are open during winter.
Take the TGV to Auray, 12 km away, on the Paris to Rennes to Quimper line, then continue by road. In summer, TER trains between Auray and Quiberon also stop at Plouharnel-Carnac, 4 km from the centre.
Carnac has the stones, five beaches and a 2 km main beach facing south. Quiberon lies at the end of the road beyond Carnac, on a peninsula joined to the mainland by a narrow isthmus. Choose Carnac for sand and prehistory.
Written by the TrustedVillas team. Last reviewed October 2026.
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