A holiday resort, not just a ferry port (St Malo)

Member Name: MrsHL

Product:	St Malo
Date:	08/05/03 (1455 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Friendly, local people

Disadvantages: Weather not guaranteed, Cobbles and hills not ideal if you have mobility problems, Traffic is heavy in July/August

Stop here! Too often, St Malo is a town through which people pass on their way to a destination further south but, as one who has been visiting France since 1958, I can promise that it has more than enough for a week's seaside holiday.

Destroyed during WWII, SM has been seamlessly rebuilt, with a true feeling for history, displaying restaurant-lined squares, and narrow, cobbled streets. It numbers Chateaubriand, Broussais and the Lamennais brothers amongst its sons. A tour of the ramparts lasts a couple of hours (allowing for the odd coffee on a café terrace) and gives you spectacular views over the beaches that surround the isthmus and the wooded Rance estuary. A short walk over the causeway from the Porte Champs Vauverts at low tide finds you at the tomb of the Great Romantic himself on the Ile Grand Bé, whilst the Fort National, dating from 1689, can be accessed from the Plage de L'Eventail. There are plenty of attractions within the Intra-Muros, such as the Musée St Malo, with its Keep and records of the city, or the stained-glass windows and chapel of the Cathédrale St-Vincent, which also hosts a number of musical recitals during the summer.

If culture isn't your thing, the shops in the Old City are an entertainment in themselves. There is the usual selection of tacky Breton souvenirs, but some lovely clothes/shoes and jewellery shops, too. Leather goods, art and sculpture and perfumery are all good value. If you've gone to France to stock up on 'vin' and food, the hypermarket complex including Carrefour at La Madeleine is a must. Here, you'll find every cheese you can't get at home, books, tyres, deck-chairs and (more) clothes. The big aquarium, near the shopping-centre, is certainly useful if it's wet or you have children, but the small intra-muros one is probably only for the enthusiast. You can visit the Rance estuary project, but only by arrangement with the EDF and prior booking.

Cuisine is
immesurable in St Malo. Crêperies abound (always choose one in which they are made in front of you) but there are Chinese, Javanese and seafood tables, too. 'Le Chalut' is for the flush, whilst 'Le Bistrot de Jean' is fresh and unpretentious; the daily vegetables depend on the day's market supplies. La Duchess d'Anne still has its Michelin star, but the ice-creams served in Sanchez' yellow café in the town centre are heavenly.

Bars are eclectic; designed by the same architect, one resembles (and has used parts of) a church, and the Alambic is popular at night. There are contrived theme-pubs, and for night-clubs per se, I gather you have to venture out of town, towards St Caast or La Madeleine. Many bars have entertainment into the small hours, though.

Hotel accommodation should not be problematic, as there are over 90 hotels in the town, but it's best to book well in advance because hotels know they can fill their rooms with passing tourists. Try L'Albatross, Le San Pedro or Le Nautilus if you want to avoid/can't afford Mercure or Ibis prices.

You can flop on the beaches around the town or, if you're adventurous, go further afield to Rothéneuf, or the dramatic cliffs of the Cap Fréhel, around which most camp-sites are situated. Beach-sports such as surfing and sailing are well-catered for, and many beaches have kids' clubs, where you can pop them whilst you visit the Fort La Latte, which has been used as a film-set many times. Take a boat-trip (20 mins) over the estuary to the stylish resort of Dinard; full of art galleries. In Cancale, you can see oysters growing and being harvested, and sample a few in one of the road-side bars. But you don't need a car to explore 'The Emerald Coast', as the bus-service is reliable. One place it's not advisable to go in high season is the Mont Saint Michel- way too crowded, and terribly expensive; a big disappointment. Dinan has the same cha
rm, without the prices.

Have a look at:
http://www.day-tripper.net/channelportstmalo.h tml
http://www.ville-saint-malo.fr/

You don't even have to go in summer; SM has the highest tides in Europe- awesome as the waves crash over the sea-wall in autumn! Even out-of-season, this resort has a dour charm. Thanks for your patience as I re-edit this; I am old in yrs and new to computers.

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