With children
Brittany with the family
The places that work with children: sheltered beaches, castles you can visit at a run, and the tide as a playground.
7 min read
Brittany is one of the few regions where children do not need to be kept busy. The tide does the work: twice a day, it uncovers several hundred metres of foreshore, with rock pools, crabs and shells. It is free, it is different every day, and it fills a whole morning.
The rest is organised around two constraints: journeys, which wear children out faster than adults, and the weather, which means always having an indoor backup plan.
The places that suit best
Every place in our guide has a score out of ten for this criterion, which takes into account pushchair access, safety, the length of the visit and what there is for a child to do, not just to look at.
The highest rated for a family visit
Heritage siteSaint-Malo Intra-MurosSaint-Malo · A dayA walled city entirely encircled by 1,754 metres of granite ramparts, facing the Channel, to the rhythm of the highest tides in Europe.
ActivityOcéanopolisBrest · 3 h 30 to half a dayIn Brest, Océanopolis turns half a day into an underwater journey: the new Tropical Pavilion, Breton ecosystems, otters, science experiments and the Cité des Océanautes.- CampsiteCamping Éco Luxe Les EmbrunsClohars-Carnoët · 3 to 7 nightsA 5-star campsite in Le Pouldu, two hundred metres from the beaches: a 4.5 hectare landscaped park, a heated indoor pool, a wellness area and upmarket cottages.
CastleSuscinio CastleSarzeau · 2 to 3 hoursBetween marshes and ocean, Suscinio was one of the great residences of the Dukes of Brittany; restored, it now combines a medieval castle, immersive displays and a natural estate.
VillagePloumanac’hPerros-Guirec · 2 hours minimum, half a day to a full day with a walk to TrégastelPloumanac’h brings together a natural harbour, Saint-Guirec beach, an oratory, the Mean Ruz lighthouse and huge jumbles of pink granite along one of the finest stretches of the GR34.- CampsiteCamping de L’OcéanLe Croisic · A week or several days to make the most of the facilities and Le CroisicAbout 200 m from the beach in Le Croisic, Camping de L’Océan brings together a 2,100 m² indoor and outdoor water park, a 400 m² spa area and a wide range of family accommodation.
- CampsiteCamping du Port de PlaisanceClohars-Fouesnant · 1 night or moreNear Bénodet, this 12-hectare 5-star campsite has a 1,000 m² indoor Aquadôme, a heated outdoor water park and a wellness area.
- CampsiteCamping Sandaya Le FiefSaint-Brevin-les-Pins · 2 to 7 nightsA 5-star holiday village campsite in Saint-Brevin, eight hundred metres from the ocean: fifteen hundred square metres of pools, a thousand of them indoors, a spa, clubs for ages 0 to 17 and cottages for up to ten people.
VillageCancaleCancale · 2 hours minimum, ideally half a day. A full day with the Pointe du GrouinFacing the bay of Mont-Saint-Michel, Cancale brings together the Port de la Houle, an oyster market open all year round, fishermen’s houses, oyster beds and a coastal path to the Pointe du Grouin.
CastleChâteau des ducs de BretagneNantes · 2 h 30 to 3 h 30In the heart of Nantes, the Château des ducs de Bretagne combines medieval ramparts, a ducal palace in white tufa stone and a large museum devoted to the history of the city.
BeachLa Baule BeachLa Baule-Escoublac · 3 hours to a full day, longer to walk the whole bayFrom Pornichet to Le Pouliguen, the bay of La Baule stretches about 9 km of fine sand, with lifeguarded sections, beach clubs, water sports, walks, facilities for disabled visitors and water quality monitored all summer.
VillageRochefort-en-TerreRochefort-en-Terre · 2 hours to half a day, more during the Christmas eventsRochefort-en-Terre creates an almost theatrical setting of granite houses, half-timbering, flowers, craftspeople and a castle perched on a rocky spur.
Shore fishing, how to do it
It is the Breton activity par excellence, and it is regulated by prefectoral order. Minimum sizes exist so that shellfish have time to reproduce: four centimetres for a clam, three for a cockle. The catch is capped at five kilos per person per tide, all species combined. The areas are also classified by the health quality of the water, and those classified C are forbidden for consumption.
Castles, when it half rains
A Breton castle takes an hour and a half to visit, which is about the patience of an eight year old. The ones best designed for children have ramparts to walk along, stairs to climb and a keep with a far view: it is the movement that makes the visit pass, not the display cases.
Castles and heritage
- Heritage siteSaint-Malo Intra-MurosSaint-Malo · A dayA walled city entirely encircled by 1,754 metres of granite ramparts, facing the Channel, to the rhythm of the highest tides in Europe.
- CastleSuscinio CastleSarzeau · 2 to 3 hoursBetween marshes and ocean, Suscinio was one of the great residences of the Dukes of Brittany; restored, it now combines a medieval castle, immersive displays and a natural estate.
- CastleChâteau des ducs de BretagneNantes · 2 h 30 to 3 h 30In the heart of Nantes, the Château des ducs de Bretagne combines medieval ramparts, a ducal palace in white tufa stone and a large museum devoted to the history of the city.
CastleChâteau de JosselinJosselin · 2 to 3 hoursAbove the Oust, Josselin combines powerful feudal towers, a finely carved Renaissance facade, furnished interiors and ten centuries of Rohan family history.
Heritage siteValley of the SaintsCarnoët · Two hoursMore than 200 monumental statues in Breton granite on a hill in Central Brittany, in a contemporary project that aims for a thousand.
Heritage siteVannes walled townVannes · Half a dayA walled town in Morbihan that keeps nearly a kilometre of ramparts, five of its seven gates and two thousand years of continuous urban history.
CastleChâteau de FougèresFougères · 2 to 2 h 30With its towers and three walled enclosures, Fougères has one of the most impressive medieval fortresses in Europe, in the heart of the former Marches of Brittany.
CastleChâteau de TrévarezSaint-Goazec · 2 h 30 to 3 h 30In Saint-Goazec, Trévarez is a Belle Époque château of pink brick and stone, surrounded by a vast park with the Jardin remarquable label and marked by the bombing of 1944.
Sheltered beaches
With young children, a sheltered beach is better than a beautiful one. The criteria are simple: facing south or east, a gentle slope, lifeguards in summer, and a car park nearby, because you do not carry all the gear for a kilometre.
Beaches for children
BeachSillon BeachSaint-Malo · 3 hours to a full dayIn Saint-Malo, the Sillon stretches nearly 3 km of sand between Intra-Muros and Paramé, with a historic sea wall, breakwaters, lifeguarded swimming, restaurants, a shower, drinking water, a kids’ club and two Hippocampe beach wheelchairs in summer.- BeachLa Baule BeachLa Baule-Escoublac · 3 hours to a full day, longer to walk the whole bayFrom Pornichet to Le Pouliguen, the bay of La Baule stretches about 9 km of fine sand, with lifeguarded sections, beach clubs, water sports, walks, facilities for disabled visitors and water quality monitored all summer.
BeachL’Écluse BeachDinard · 3 hours to a full dayIn the heart of Dinard, L’Écluse combines fine sand, an open-air seawater pool, kids’ clubs, the Wishbone Club, the casino, terraces, summer lifeguards and excellent facilities for disabled visitors.
BeachCarnac Grande PlageCarnac · 3 hours to a full dayAt Carnac-Plage, two kilometres of south-facing fine sand offer lifeguarded swimming, two beach clubs, water sports, facilities for disabled visitors, restaurants and a seafront promenade.
BeachSaint-Guirec BeachPloumanac’h / Perros-Guirec · 2 hours to half a dayIn Ploumanac’h, Saint-Guirec is a small sandy beach nestled in pink granite, lifeguarded in season, with a beach club, restaurants, shops, an oratory and direct access to the customs officers’ path.
BeachPlage de TrestraouPerros-Guirec · 3 hours to a full dayIn Perros-Guirec, Trestraou is the resort’s big lively beach, with a promenade, casino, restaurants, sailing centre, surfing, events and summer lifeguards.
BeachGrande Plage de QuiberonQuiberon · 3 hours to a full dayIn the heart of Quiberon, this 900 m south-facing beach combines fine sand, a promenade, restaurants, summer lifeguards, a kids’ club, showers, toilets and facilities for disabled visitors.
BeachPlage des Grands SablesÎle de Groix · 3 hours to a full dayOn Groix, Les Grands Sables is an exceptional convex beach of fine white sand, lifeguarded in summer, known for moving with the currents and storms.
BeachPlage du Coz-PorsTrégastel · 3 hours to a full dayIn Trégastel, Coz-Pors is a spectacular beach surrounded by pink granite boulders such as the Dé, the Tas de Crêpes and the Sorcière, lifeguarded in July and August and equipped with a Hippocampe beach wheelchair.
BeachGrande SalinetteSaint-Briac-sur-Mer · 3 hours to a full dayIn Saint-Briac-sur-Mer, the Grande Salinette is a west-facing beach of fine sand lined with white beach huts, facing the Château du Nessay, lifeguarded in summer and ideal for families.
The backup plan
It rains in Brittany, less than people say but more often than elsewhere: it comes in showers, rarely whole days. A museum, an aquarium or an indoor visit is enough to see out a squall, and you should have one in mind before setting off in the morning.
Visits under cover
- ActivityOcéanopolisBrest · 3 h 30 to half a dayIn Brest, Océanopolis turns half a day into an underwater journey: the new Tropical Pavilion, Breton ecosystems, otters, science experiments and the Cité des Océanautes.
- ActivityCité des TélécomsPleumeur-Bodou · More than 4 hoursIn the Radôme park in Pleumeur-Bodou, the Cité des Télécoms tells the story of communications: a visit of more than 4 hours, with games and exhibitions.
ActivityLa BourbansaisPleugueneuc · A full dayBetween Rennes and Saint-Malo, in Pleugueneuc, La Bourbansais brings together a listed château and gardens and a zoo with more than 60 species.
ActivityLa Récré des 3 CurésMilizac · A full dayLa Récré des 3 Curés, in Milizac-Guipronvel near Brest: Brittany’s largest amusement park, 17 hectares and more than 50 attractions.
ActivityKingolandPlumelin · 2 h to half a dayKingoland in Plumelin: a family amusement park.- ActivityLe P’tit DélirePloemel · A full dayLe P’tit Délire, in Ploemel near Auray: more than 70 activities from age 1 on 13 wooded hectares, a 700 m² indoor area and water slides.
- ActivityArmoriparkBégard · 2 h to half a dayArmoripark in Bégard: a leisure park with games and water activities depending on the season.
- ActivityAven ParcPont-Aven · 2 h to half a dayAven Parc, a family leisure park in Pont-Aven: a harness-free climbing course on three levels, a maize maze and inflatable games, from April to September.