The beachy, breezy no-fly French city that's a quick ferry hop away

Times

8 hours ago

The massive stone walls of St Malo rise out of the English Channel, standing proudly against a vast seascape studded with rocky islets and one of the highest tidal ranges in Europe. This city on Brittany's beautiful north coast, almost surrounded by water, rose to fame in the 17th and 18th centuries as a corsair's lair, its pirates had a royal mandate to attack enemy shipping.
Its diamond-shaped old town comprises a maze of narrow streets just as likely to lead you to a square lined with busy cafés asit is to send you through a gate in the walls to a sandy beach. Beyond the walled old town on one side stretches the breathtaking Grand Plage du Sillon — just one of the city's many beaches — while on the other, beyond the port, lies the quiet suburb of St Servan. And the food is fantastic, from fresh local shellfish to buckwheat galettes, delicious Breton butter and crisp cider.
I first visited St Malo 40 years ago — and it has never lost its charm. Whether you're after culture, food or beaches, St Malo makes for an unforgettable and easily accessible city break or family getaway (it's between six to eight hours by ferry from the UK), and is a perfect springboard for exploring the surrounding coastline as well as visiting the Unesco-listed Mont St Michel in neighbouring Normandy.
• Morning Explore the old town• Eat at Crêperie La Duchesse Anne• Afternoon Beach time• Drink at Bar de l'Univers• Evening St Servan• Eat at L'Armateur
• Morning Mont St Michel• Eat at Le Logis Sainte-Catherine• Afternoon Rothéneuf• Drink at Cave & Bar à vins Le Brise Lames • Evening The villas of Paramé• Eat at Annadata
• St Malo's walled old town is every bit as impressive and steeped in atmosphere as you might hope — rambling cobbled streets and squares alive with the buzz of cafés and restaurants. There is no right or wrong way to explore: simply enter at any gate and wander its labyrinthine streets. Not to be missed are the ramparts, which you can follow almost in their entirety, and La Demeure de Corsaire, a former privateer's mansion which paints a vivid portrait of the city's rich maritime past (£7; demeure-de-corsaire.com). • Having been surrounded by the sea since you arrived, now is the time to hit the beach. Go through the gate at Port St Pierre and you'll find yourself on Plage de Bon-Secours, with its seawater pool; at low tide you can walk out to the rocky tidal islet of Le Grand Bé. Around the corner of the old town is Grande Plage du Sillon, a huge expanse of sand with views stretching to the horizon. Keep an eye on the tide as the water comes in fast and right up to the walls (check saint-malo-tourisme.co.uk for tide times).• The hilltop Cité d'Alet in St Servan, west of the ferry port, was the original Gallo-Roman settlement of what became St Malo. Its broad footpaths meander above the sea in the shade of lush trees — the views from up here are particularly good — while the neighbourhood is also home to some excellent restaurants. Don't miss the Tour Solidor, a medieval keep guarding the mouth of the Rance estuary. The most fun way to explore the area is on a Segway tour (from £26; gyro-malo.fr).• It's halfway round Mont St Michel Bay and technically in Normandy, but who's quibbling? You simply cannot come to St Malo without paying a visit to Unesco-listed Mont St Michel, which stands tall amid racing tidal waters like some medieval wedding cake. The abbey, built from the 12th century onwards, with layers of construction standing one on top of the other, seems at times to defy gravity — and the views from the upper terrace are sublime (from £11; abbaye-mont-saint-michel.fr).• There are two reasons to visit the area around Rothéneuf, less than 15 minutes' drive northeast of St Malo. The first is the wild, windswept and beautifully rugged headland of Pointe de la Varde, with its gorgeous sandy beach in a sheltered bay. The second is the excellent Musée Jacques Cartier, in the former home of this 16th-century French seafarer and explorer who 'discovered' Canada (£6; musee-jacques-cartier.fr).• Join a tour of Paramé, the suburb alongside Plage de la Hoguette, with its succession of grand 19th-century villas built by wealthy Parisians. Afterwards take a last stroll back along Grande Plage du Sillon towards the old town, and catch the sunset from the mighty medieval walls.
This is the best place in the old town to indulge in delicious Breton crêpes. Try La Duchesse de Touraine, a buckwheat galette with St Maure goat's cheese, local honey, salad and walnuts; or the signature La Duchesse Anne, a wheat crêpe with Breton biscuit ice cream, salted butter caramel and whipped cream (mains from £12; duchesse-anne.bzh).
There are fancier places in town for a drink, but this is a St Malo institution, on Place Chateaubriand, and heaving with locals enjoying coffee, beer and cider. It opened in the 1920s as a yacht club, and the interior has plenty of atmosphere and old wood panelling, although during the day the terrace out front is the place to be (drinks from £3.50; hotel-univers-saintmalo.com).
One of the very best restaurants in the old town, L'Armateur is friendly and cosy, with a focus on all things fresh and local. Seasonal dishes might include hake with linguine, beurre blanc and wild garlic; on my visit, I had the best risotto with morels and ceps I've ever tasted. Vegetarians should call ahead: it will prepare something off-menu (mains from £18; larmateur-saint-malo.com).
If you do a day trip to Mont st Michel, this is hands down the best place to eat. Removed some distance from the busy main street, it has fabulous food, and a fine terrace with wonderful views across the bay. Enjoy dishes such as gratinated clams with wild garlic, artichoke barigoule, and Chausey Islands lobster (mains from £32; lelogissaintecatherine.com).
Back in St Malo, alongside Grande Plage du Sillon, try this wine shop and bar, it has an excellent selection of wines from across France, the majority from small vineyards, as well as cheese and charcuterie platters if you're feeling peckish (drinks from £3.50; fb.com/cavelebriselames).
This old town vegetarian and vegan restaurant — very rare in Brittany — is phenomenal. The short daily-changing blackboard menu highlights the very best of local, organic and seasonal produce, dishes are beautifully presented — plusselection of organic wines, local beers and excellent cocktails rounds things off. Expect heritage beets with feta and herbs; buckwheat, nori and dill pavé; and strawberry cake with fennel confit. How it doesn't have a Michelin Green star is beyond me (set menu £37; annadata.fr).
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Great stay in the old townStaying in St Malo's vibrant Intra-Muros comes with stacks of atmosphere but some inevitable street noise. At the small and recently refurbished Hotel Cartier, opt for a Chambre Privilège — these are larger, with plenty of windows and a view of the streets below (room-only doubles from £88; hotel-cartier.com).
Best for ocean views and luxuryThe ultimate place to stay in St Malo, the Oceania is not, as you might expect, within the old town, but facing the huge stretch of golden sand that is Grande Plage du Sillon. Luxurious and modern, the Oceania is decorated in natural, earthy tones, and comes with impeccable service and a particularly swish pool and spa area. It's definitely worth splashing out for a room with an ocean view and a terrace — the Evasion rooms are the ones to go for: spacious, stylish, with mesmerising sea views (room-only doubles from £127; oceaniahotels.com).
Boutique beach vibesFurther out along Grande Plage du Sillon, this lovely little boutique hotel has great views of the beach. Rooms have plenty of light, with driftwood colours, and there's a very pleasant breakfast room and bar facing the sea (room-only doubles from £130; hotelalba.com).
Brittany Ferries operate overnight and daytime sailings between Portsmouth and St Malo, with comfortable sea-facing cabins from £84. Waking up with a view of the Breton coast through the porthole makes for a seriously impressive arrival. It's a ten-minute walk from the ferry terminal to the old town. St Malo is 2 hours 30 minutes from Paris by train; Rennes airport is 50 miles to the south.
The largely pedestrianised old town is easily explored on foot. Local buses run to Rothéneuf and Cancale and there's a direct service to Mont St Michel (keolis-armor.com). Bike hire is available via Les Vélos Bleus (velos-bleus.fr).
There's no such thing as too much time in Brittany. Head to the little seaside town of Cancale for fresh oysters, or beaches such as Plage de l'Anse du Guesclin for sand and surf (both 20 minutes by car). The best way to explore is by bike — Brittany has enough cycle routes to keep you busy half a lifetime. Rudolf Abraham was a guest of St Malo Tourisme (saint-malo-tourisme.co.uk), Brittany Tourism (brittanytourism.com) and Brittany Ferries (brittany-ferries.co.uk)