In this article, I invite you on a getaway to the Breton coastline, a seaside and cultural territory, visiting 4 Sensation Bretagne resorts located in the Morbihan department. This network brings together 30 coastal towns and seaside resorts in Brittany, some of which I have already mentioned on the blog, such as Bénodet, Val-André, or even Binic and Saint-Quay-Portrieux. This collective of resorts is united by shared values and a common charter focused on eco-responsible tourism. They are also linked by the GR 34, the famous customs officers’ trail. I invite you to come and discover Carnac, Arzon, and Damgan in the Gulf of Morbihan, and finally Pénestin.
This trip is the story of a blog trip we took in June 2024 with my favorite photographer and a few fellow bloggers. Below, as always, I’ve put together a small selection of things to do and see if you are coming for a stay in Brittany, along with some great addresses.
Practical Information
- Getting there by train: by train from Montparnasse station to Rennes by TGV (1h30), then transfer to Vannes by TER (1h10), or there are also direct TGVs from Paris to Vannes (2h45)
- Local specialties to discover during your stay: Plancoët, a natural Breton mineral water we drank everywhere; Kari Gosse, the “Breton curry” which comes from a spice recipe with overseas aromas invented by Mr. Gosse, because curry first arrived in France via the port of Lorient and the Bretons saw it as a perfect culinary companion for fishing products.
Table of Contents
Carnac
This seaside resort (created in 1860/1865), which houses only 4500 inhabitants during the winter and sees its population grow significantly during the summer with tourists (indeed, more than 70% of the houses are vacation homes), is obviously known throughout the world for its megaliths, which are in the process of being listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site. This high place of European prehistory houses a megalithic site of nearly 3000 standing stones (made of local granite) that date between 4500 and 2000 B.C., spread over 40 hectares and 4.5 km long. These alignments are divided into 3 “fields of stones”: the Kermario alignments; the Ménec alignments; the Kerlescan alignments.
In addition to its standing stones, Carnac, located at the end of the Quiberon Bay, offers a central position and also 5 beaches of fine sand sheltered from the wind, because each hamlet of Carnac has its own beach, including the one called the Grande Plage, which is 1.5 km long (in the 17th century, this area was actually a huge marsh). Among these, the small Saint Colomban beach (Saint with Celtic origins) is recognized as a meeting place for windsurfing enthusiasts. It is also in this former fishing village, with its granite houses, that we find the oldest traces of dwellings in the area. Today, the town also houses many oyster farms in the Anse du Pô (tours are organized in July and August by the Carnac Tourist Office) where you can taste and/or take away very good locally produced oysters and seafood.
My tips:
- The Carnac alignments are accessible for free visiting from October to the end of March; the rest of the time, you can only walk along the edge of the site, and it is accessible only through paid guided tours.
- Other megalithic sites are freely accessible all year round. This is the case for the dolmens of Mané Kerioned, Keriaval, and Kercado, or even the Giant of Manio.
- Free shuttle service during the summer holidays: Carnavette and Carnoz.
- Also to discover: the Menec cromlech; the Kercado cairn; the Saint-Michel tumulus (which I will tell you about below).
Carnac Tourist Office
74 avenue des Druides 56340 Carnac
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Go for a ride in a tuk-tuk
This small business offers a way to discover Carnac differently and in a 100% electric tuk-tuk (ideal when the weather is fickle and rainy, as it was for us), a fun and original means of transport. There are several circuits (standing stones and tumulus, tour of Carnac, tour of the oyster farms) that can last between 1.5 hours and the entire day depending on demand. It was also an opportunity for us to get an initial feel for the town. During the ride, our driver also gave us a guided tour, telling us many anecdotes about the town and Brittany.
Tuk Tuk Carnac
Circuit rates: 50€ for 1/4 people for 1.5 hours / 90€ for 1/4 people for 2.5 hours
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An unusual activity in Carnac? Take a retro photo
This photographer (Sébastien) has been offering you the chance to immerse yourself in the Belle Époque by taking “1900 style” photos for 2 years. On the program for this super original activity, costumes that open at the back and are easy to slip on to change eras and create an illusion. What’s really nice is that Sébastien guides you in choosing the costumes and accessories. And after the session in Sébastien’s photo studio, which is really super fun (we had a great time), you leave with your photo (in printed and digital version). It’s a very nice activity to do with family or friends like we did.
Photo Rétro Carnac
35 Avenue de Port en Dro à Carnac Plage
Rates: 1 to 2 people 30 € small format and 40 € large format / 3 to 4 people 40 € small format and 50 € large format / and then additional person +5 € small format and large format
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Take a Segway ride in Carnac
This company offers a way to discover Carnac by Segway off the beaten path through guided tours. I had already tried Segway in Madrid and also in Granville, so I’m pretty comfortable with this type of vehicle. However, if you’ve never done it before, just know there is a short adjustment period, and you’ll get a test/initiation session before the ride starts. In any case, it’s a very fun way to discover the city, and our guide/companion was also an excellent guide who provided us with plenty of tourist information once again.
Segway tour with Mobilboard
9 allée du Parc 56340 Carnac
Prices: 1h ride, 30€ per person / 1h30-2h ride, 40€ to 50€ per person
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Climb to the top of the Tumulus Saint-Michel
This tumulus with its imposing proportions (12 meters high and 125 meters long) was built around 4500 BC and discovered in the 19th century. It was likely the tomb of a king or a salt queen (a very important trade at the time) because a necklace of precious stones and polished axes were found there, symbols of power. Today, you’ll find a 16th-century chapel at its summit dedicated to Saint-Michel, which gives the site its name. It is also the highest point in the city. Once you reach the top, you have a breathtaking view of the sea and the islands. You can also take advantage of an orientation table that helps you identify the surrounding landscape: the Quiberon peninsula, Belle-Île-en-Mer, and the Rhuys peninsula.
Tumulus Saint-Michel
56340 Carnac
Free and open access to the site
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Where to eat a crêpe in Carnac? La Bolée Bleue
La Bolée Bleue is a lovely crêperie in Carnac that opened in 2023. It offers crispy buckwheat crêpes. I say “crêpe” because in Lower Brittany they apparently say “crêpes de blé noir” (buckwheat crêpes), while in Upper Brittany they use the word “galette.” You can either choose from the pre-composed signature crêpes or create your own according to your cravings.
Must-try: I absolutely recommend you try the one with the Breton sausage Porco Rosso (12€), which is delicious (and I mean it); for a sweet wheat crêpe version, I recommend the Maya with a buckwheat base, Kasha, and buckwheat honey, which we really liked, and obviously the simple lemon one, which is often what I choose personally; as for drinks, we had a cider from the Pays d’Auray (a municipality north of Carnac), which was excellent at 14€ a bottle.
La Bolée Bleue
58 avenue des Druides 56340 Carnac
Open from February to the end of November
Prices: buckwheat crêpes between 8€ and 15.50€ / sweet wheat crêpes between 3.50€ and 10€
Pro tip: lunch menu at 14€ / child’s menu 10€
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Where to eat oysters in Carnac? Chez Stephan Ostréiculteur
This oyster farmer offers oysters born at sea as well as other shellfish and crustaceans. You can come on-site to taste them or buy them directly from the producer. You can specifically try Brittany flat oysters there. I recommend them because they are truly delicious; I found them more subtle with a slight hazelnut taste. It was a style of oyster that was very common in the past and has somewhat disappeared today in favor of cupped oysters, which appeared in France in the late 60s. Today, we find about 90% cupped oysters and only 10% flat oysters (because they are more fragile and they reproduce in colder water).
Furthermore, the best time to eat oysters is autumn and winter, starting from October. The establishment therefore offers retail sales and also on-site tastings (which is what we did). And for information, this oyster farmer located in the small port of Anse du Pô also offers oyster farm tours in high season (registration at the Carnac tourist office).
Stephan Ostréiculteur
127 rue du Pô, 56340 Carnac
Open all year round
Prices: plates of #3 oysters (served with 1 glass of Muscadet, bread, butter, and lemon) between 10.90€ and 13.90€ for cupped (by 6, 9, or 12); between 11.90€ and 14.90€ for flat (by 6, 9, or 12)
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A brasserie in Carnac? Restaurant 18e Amendement
This cozy and friendly address offers brasserie-style cuisine made with fresh and local products. The decor is pleasant and the service is very friendly.
Must-try: as for drinks, we tasted the Breton beer Coreff, a major Breton brewery; for the main course, we tried the duo of red mullet with St-Brieuc scallops and orange-glazed barigoule artichokes (31€); we also tested the semi-cooked sashimi swordfish with a variation of asparagus (28€); for dessert, I recommend you try the ‘Exécution à la bretonne’, a fried far with homemade salted butter caramel and a scoop of salted butter ice cream (9€).
Restaurant 18e Amendement
9 allée du Parc 56340 Carnac
Prices: bottled beers between 6€ and 8€ / Thomas Shelby menu with appetizer + main course + dessert 39€ / child’s menu 12€ / main courses between 17€ and 31€
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Where to sleep in Carnac? Hôtel Édénia
The Hôtel Edénia is located right in front of the main beach in Carnac. It changed owners in 2021 and reopened after a few months of renovations with a brand-new identity. It notably offers rooms with sea views, and we stayed in one of these rooms, which included a small balcony. The hotel’s spa, freely accessible to hotel guests, features 4 treatment rooms, a steam room, a Scottish shower, an experiential shower, a sauna, and a jacuzzi.
Hôtel Edénia
12 boulevard de la Plage 56340 Carnac
Rates: starting from 89 € for a double room in low season
Arzon in the Gulf of Morbihan
The commune of Arzon is located in the Gulf of Morbihan on the Rhuys Peninsula and forms a channel at Port-Navalo where the gulf fills and empties with the rhythm of the tides. This territory contains 42 islands located in the middle of the gulf, plus a Regional Natural Park. Due to its geographical location, Arzon offers two coastlines (an oceanic side with fine sandy beaches and a gulf side with small coves). Don’t miss Port-Navalo, which has a retro feel with its Belle Epoque villas, while Port Crouesty is a hub for contemporary nautical activity.
Gulf of Morbihan Tourist Office
Rond-point du Crouesty 56640 Arzon
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Take a sea trip in an old rigging
We had a great experience on the “Krog E Barz”, a 22-meter-long old rigging (an old fishing boat turned into a pleasure sailboat). We boarded with Alan and his sailor for a sea trip full of emotions. We were able to hoist the sails, take the helm, and also get quite soaked by a “good drizzle” as the captain told us (and fortunately we had been equipped beforehand with good, effective yellow Breton oilskins for this type of weather). This fickle weather eventually gave us an unforgettable memory of this good rain at sea, which made us laugh and added a bit of spice to this trip!
For our part, we did the trip at the end of the day with a small aperitif offered on board during the ride. This type of trip offers a beautiful journey back in time and is also a tribute to the ancestral know-how of marine carpenters. In short, it is an experience that I really recommend if you are passing through Arzon; we loved it!
Krog E Barz
Evening cruise in the Gulf of Morbihan (from 5:30 PM to 8 PM): 38 € adult price in low season / 28 € for children under 12 / 43 € and 38 € in high season
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Hiking on the Petit Mont Circuit
From our hotel (see below), we set off on foot for a short walk: the Petit Mont circuit. This short, easy, family-friendly walk offers beautiful views of Quiberon Bay and its islands (Belle-Île-en-Mer, Houat, and Hoëdic). Three marked trails allow you to discover this sensitive natural site. One of them also passes by the megalithic site of the Cairn Petit Mont (which can be visited, unfortunately we were unable to visit the inside due to lack of time – price 7 € / free for children under 10). This 6,000-year-old site is preserved in a protected environment, and if you don’t have time to visit it like us, you can still walk around the outside to admire its architecture.
Petit Mont Circuit
Duration: 1h/1h30
Difficulty level: easy
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Where to eat in Arzon, Port-Navalo? Le P’tit Zeph
This restaurant, ideally located facing the port of Arzon, Port-Navalo, offers fresh produce, prepared on-site and based on daily arrivals. One of the house specialties is the blue lobster (starting from 17€ per 100g), which comes directly from the establishment’s holding ponds. Unfortunately, we couldn’t test it because it remains very expensive. But we really enjoyed what we chose. A very good address to eat with a breathtaking view of the port, then.
We tasted: smoked haddock chirashi (14€); sautéed scallops with pink shrimp, melting vegetables, fresh tagliatelle, and Satay sauce (26€); pan-fried cod fillet, creamy risotto with oyster mushrooms and chorizo with shellfish cream (24 €); for dessert, don’t miss the house specialty if you like it, the Grand Marnier soufflé, which must be ordered at the beginning of the meal (16€).
Restaurant Le P’tit Zeph
1 rue du Phare 56640 Arzon
Price: glass of wine between 6€ and 8.50€ / starter between 13€ and 14€ / main courses between 24€ and 26€ / desserts between 12€ and 16€ / seafood platter 60 € / seafood plate 35 €
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Where to eat in Arzon, Port du Crouesty? Le Cargo
This restaurant enjoys a nice elevated view of the Port du Crouesty. An address that is nice for its location, its view, and also for its relaxed atmosphere. However, regarding the food, I admit that we weren’t really thrilled by what we ate with the favorite photographer.
We tasted: the “Equinoxe” oysters (9 €); the Thai curry with shrimp, coconut vegetable soup, and rice (18.90 €); hake fillet with carrot mousseline and tartufata risotto (18.90 €); and for dessert, a Breton lighthouse cake with salted butter caramel (7.90 €).
Le Cargo Arzon
Capitainerie Port Crouesty, Arzon
Prices: starters 9 € / salads 16.90 € / fish between 17.90 € and 25.90 € / meat between 17.90 € and 20.90 € / dessert between 7.90 € and 9.50 € / Cargo menu with starter + main course + dessert 31.90 €
The tip: lunch set menu main course + drink 15.90 € / main course + dessert + drink 18.90 €
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Where to stay in Arzon? The Miramar La Cigale Hôtel & Spa
This 5-star hotel, looking like a cruise ship, is located behind the marina and facing the Fogeo beach. A vessel set by the edge of the ocean with its decks, gangways, cabins overlooking the sea, and ocean liner funnels worthy of the era of the most beautiful transatlantic crossings. The building dates back to 1989 but was completely renovated in 2015. It currently belongs to the Emir of Qatar. Inside the building, there is decor reminiscent of the ocean floor, an atmosphere intended by the building’s architect, Diener.
The hotel offers 113 luxurious rooms, including several suites of 50 or 80 m2 with, for those located at the bow of the ship, a breathtaking view of the ocean. The establishment’s rooms are spacious and all have a private balcony or terrace with a view of the lake or the sea (there are 5 categories of rooms and 4 of suites, with views of the ocean, the lake, the peninsula…). The bedding is impeccable, as always in establishments of this caliber, and the rooms are extremely quiet, which is very relaxing.
The hotel’s thalasso & spa
This temple of well-being is a thalassotherapy hotel, and it offers its guests (though the thalasso area is also open to outsiders) an aquatic circuit consisting of 7 stages: swan-neck fountain, bubble loungers, massage jets… Since we were staying at the hotel, we had the opportunity to test the different thalasso areas of the establishment, and they are truly of high quality!
The thalasso offers 3 relaxation areas located in different parts of the building: a marine circuit dedicated to relaxation (walking corridor, bubble pool, sensory shower, hammam, sauna, geyser…); an oceanic spa; and a panoramic pool. In addition to this, the hotel includes 47 treatment cabins with a wide range of care and massages.
The Miramar La Cigale Hôtel & Spa
Port Crouesty, Arzon
Room rates: from 221€ per night (for advance booking)
Spa rates: “aperitif & spa” package every Friday evening by reservation 44 € including access to the marine circuit from 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM + 1 drink and an appetizer platter
The tip: hotel guests have free access to the panoramic pool and fitness center
Link to the hotel’s website
Damgan in the Gulf of Morbihan
Part of the Regional Natural Park of the Gulf of Morbihan, Damgan is located halfway between the Rhuys Peninsula and the Guérande Peninsula. This charming resort offers a large beach with a stretch of sand nearly 4 km long. If you want a smaller, more intimate beach sheltered from the wind, I recommend Kervoyal Beach. To the west of Damgan, also don’t miss the small port of Pénerf, where the famous Pénerf oysters are raised (this oyster is one of the twelve Grands Crus of Brittany).
My gourmet tips: visit the market on Saturday morning in Damgan (open all year round) to buy some local products; a local specialty to try is the Chocobreizh at the Fred & Nathalie bakery; the Tourist Office has a small shop with a selection of Breton and local products (to bring back: “l’été marin” honey by Gwenan Mor Braz).
Damgan La Roche Bernard Tourist Office
Place Alexandre Tiffoche 56750 Damgan
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Take a linocut initiation workshop at Rêves de Bernique
This pretty decor shop holds a few treasures, as the couple who runs it brings back craft items they fell in love with from their various travels, and they also work with a few local artisans. On top of this, we discovered a very unusual activity on-site: linocut. Indeed, the address has been offering introductory linocut workshops for 15 years, a relief printing technique where you start with a drawing that you transfer onto a linoleum plate and then remove material so that the drawing appears in relief, before inking and printing it on a sheet. The workshop goes from creating the drawing to carving the lino, and you then leave with your printed work (possibility to make between 2 and 5 prints per workshop).
Rêves de Bernique
2, rue Kerybel Port de, 56750 Damgan
Engraving initiation workshop price: 65 € (5 people max per workshop)
Average duration: 3 hours
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Take a nature outing in the tidal flats with Mélanie
Mélanie Chouan offers exciting themed tours. She is a passionate and fascinating nature guide. We particularly discovered algae, shellfish, and edible coastal plants with her during an outing on the foreshore at Pointe du Dibenn, near the Pénerf river. During the guided walk, Mélanie also shares tips on how to use the plants. We tasted “sea chips” on the spot—a plant found in the salt marshes—as well as samphire (which is harvested in June), rock samphire that grows on the cliffs, and the red-to-brown peppery dulse seaweed. The outing ends with a tasting of seaweed tartare (or other plant-based culinary preparations), which is included in the service.
Nature outing with Mélanie
Duration of the walk: 2 hours
Prices: €10 per person / €6 for children
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Where to have lunch in Damgan? Le Bistrot de la Mer
This restaurant is a family business run by women, as it has been managed by 3 sisters (Fanny, Julie, and Aurélie, who welcomed us) and their mother since 2004. The establishment also has a very lovely garden with flowers that are all edible and used in the dishes served at the restaurant to season their coastal cuisine. Chef Nicolas Maurice offers Breton-inspired cuisine with a few Japanese influences. Organic products, local fish, and shellfish are in the spotlight. Aurélie also carefully selects her wine list. We even discovered a local drink there, the Cidre le Royal Guillevic (€6.50 per glass), which is made with only one variety of apple: the Guillevic. Finally, to round off the experience, the welcome is extremely pleasant and professional. An address you can visit with your eyes closed.
We tasted: the organic panko-crusted egg with an organic Tomme de Muzillac cream and bacon chips; the gratinated oysters with leek fondue and a Kari Gosse sabayon; the catch of the day; and the mussel pots.
Le Bistrot de la Mer
17 Rue du Port, 56750 Damgan
Price: Pénerf stroll menu: main course + dessert €32 / starter + main course €34 / starter + main course + dessert €42
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Where to eat a crepe in Damgan? Le Café Pêcheur
This spot, located in Pénerf, is run by Sonia and François. They offer cuisine based on seafood and local products, and it is also a creperie. Personally, I preferred to take the opportunity to have a small platter of seafood (my little indulgence when I’m by the sea), and I thoroughly enjoyed it (small seafood platter €18.90 and large €35 – only in season and depending on availability).
Le Café Pêcheur
26 Rue du Port, 56750 Damgan
Price: buckwheat crepes between €9.90 and €15.80 / menu with starter + main course + dessert €32 – starter + main course €28 – main course + dessert €26.50
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Where to stay in Damgan? Hôtel de la Plage
This 3-star hotel is ideally located facing the sea with 17 quite nice sea-view rooms. We stayed in room #17, which is spacious and has a small balcony. The address also offers a relaxation area with a spa, a treatment cabin, and a sauna, but unfortunately, we didn’t have much time to enjoy it.
Hôtel de la Plage
38 boulevard de l’Océan 56750 Damgan
Prices: room from €85 per night / room with balcony from €115 per night
Pénestin
The resort of Pénestin is located in the south of Morbihan and on the border with the Loire Atlantique department. Famous for its “Mine d’Or” (Gold Mine, see below), Pénestin is also known for its bouchot mussel farming (black stakes that are covered in these mollusks). It is indeed the capital of bouchot mussels in South Brittany and has been classified as a “Site Remarquable du Goût” (Remarkable Site of Taste).
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Visit the Plage de la Mine d’Or
The resort is very famous for the cliffs of the Plage de la Mine d’Or, whose shimmering colors make it a unique protected geological site in Europe. Don’t hesitate to take a walk along the 2 km long beach to admire the ocher-gradient cliffs that overlook the sea.
Plage de la Mine d’Or
Pénestin
Free and open access
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Breizh Coquillages
This family-run producer/shellfish farming business, which has been operating for 3 generations, has been based for 2 years at the Pointe du Bile in Pénestin in a 1920s building. It employs 5 people year-round and is positioned with a desire to pass on expertise inherited from previous generations. Breizh Coquillages is set in a privileged location (near an estuary) which is ideal, as you need fresh water to set up a crustacean farm. This allows it to produce high-quality, ultra-fresh shellfish in small quantities. For example, the mussels are raised from start to finish in Pénestin (which is quite rare) because it takes at least 1 year for a mussel to reach “market size.” The harvest takes place from July to October/November, and their products are sold throughout France.
On this site, the Bernard family and Renald, who welcomed us, offer several types of activities: the production of bouchot mussels (i.e., on wooden stakes), hollow oysters, and clams; retail sales of their products (crustaceans as well as homemade mussel rillettes and mussel soups); sales of other seafood products from local, short supply chains (shrimp, crustaceans, fish, scallops…) as well as local Breton products; discovery experiences with tastings and a small dining offering in the spirit of a family-style guinguette; and tours for the public (schools, associations, companies…).
Breizh Coquillages
La Pointe du Bile 56 760 Pénestin
Prices for quick bites: plate of 6 hollow oysters 8 € / plate of 8 pink shrimp 5 € / plate of 8 whelks 5 € / plate of 6 langoustines 10 € / board of rillettes 7 € / glass of Rhuys cider 3 € and 7 € per bottle / selection of local beers between 3.50 € and 7.50 €.
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Thanks to Sensation Bretagne, the various resorts, and Laurent from the AirPur agency for organizing this wonderful trip to discover the resorts of South Brittany.
I hope that all this has made you want to visit Brittany, and if you too have your favorite addresses and tips for this destination, feel free to share them in the comments below!
Photo credits: Nicolas Diolez Photos are not royalty-free; the photographer's authorization is required before any use
