City guide
What to do in Carnac: the complete guide
The UNESCO listed menhir alignments, the prehistory museum, the beaches, La Trinité-sur-Mer, Locmariaquer and Quiberon: what to do in Carnac and the surrounding area.
6 min read
Carnac has two faces: the village and its thousands of menhirs, one of the largest prehistoric sites in the world, and Carnac-Plage, a seaside resort facing Quiberon Bay.
The menhir alignments
Le Ménec, Kermario and Kerlescan line up nearly three thousand stones raised more than six thousand years ago. Since July 2025, they have been UNESCO World Heritage listed along with the megaliths of the Morbihan shores.
The Maison des Mégalithes, opposite Le Ménec, runs guided tours inside the enclosures. Part of the alignments can be followed freely on foot or by bike, along the paths beside them.
The menhirs and the museum
Heritage siteCarnac StonesCarnac · 1 h 30 to half a dayNearly 3,000 standing stones over four kilometres, raised more than six thousand years ago, at Le Ménec, Kermario, Le Manio and Kerlescan. Inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site on 12 July 2025.
MuseumMuseum of Prehistory, CarnacCarnac · 1 h 30 to 2 hoursIn Carnac, a world-class archaeological collection for understanding 450,000 years of history, above all the Neolithic: polished axes, jewellery, pottery, tools and objects found around the megaliths.- WalkCarnac, circuit des alignementsCarnac · 1 h 45An easy 7.4 km loop from the church in Carnac: the Saint-Michel tumulus, the Museum of Prehistory and the Kermario and Ménec stone rows.
The prehistory museum
Housed in the village’s former presbytery, it displays polished axes, jewellery and objects found in the tombs of the area: the best introduction before seeing the stones.
The beaches
The Grande Plage, sheltered and family friendly, stretches in front of the villas of Carnac-Plage. Légenèse, Saint-Colomban and Ty Bihan, further west, are quieter.
The beaches of Carnac
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.
BeachPlage de Saint-ColombanCarnac · 3 hours to a full dayWest of Carnac, Saint-Colomban is a fine-sand beach known all year for windsurfing, with a first-aid post, a shower, drinking water, toilets, a kids’ club and excellent water quality.
BeachPlage de LégenèseCarnac · 2 h 30 to a full dayIn Carnac, Légenèse is a fine-sand beach on a smaller scale than the Grande Plage, popular with families, with drinking water, toilets, parking and the Marsouins club in summer.- BeachPlage de BeaumerCarnac · 2 to 4 hoursEast of Carnac-Plage, Beaumer is a calm, shaded beach sheltered from the wind, much loved by families and best known for shore fishing at low tide.
BeachPlage de Ty BihanCarnac · 2 hours 30 to half a dayIn Carnac, Ty Bihan is a sandy beach of about 400 m, calmer than the Grande Plage, with a view over Quiberon Bay, the Club des Dauphins in summer and activities suited to families.
Around Carnac
La Trinité-sur-Mer, home port of the great racing yachts, is five minutes away. Locmariaquer and its great broken menhir, the Quiberon peninsula and its wild coast, and Saint-Cado with its island and chapel are less than half an hour away.
Less than half an hour away
Natural siteQuiberon Côte SauvageQuiberon · 1 hour to half a dayNearly ten kilometres of granite cliffs facing the Atlantic, from Portivy to the Château Turpault: the Port-Blanc arch, the Pointe du Percho, heathland and megaliths. Swimming strictly forbidden.
VillageSaint-CadoBelz · 1 to 2 hours on site, half a day with Belz, Port Niscop or ÉtelLinked to Belz by a little stone bridge, Saint-Cado brings together fishermen’s houses, a Romanesque chapel, a calvary and one of the most famous postcards in Morbihan: the Nichtarguer house with its blue shutters.
ViewpointPointe de KerpenhirLocmariaquer · 45 minutes to 1 h 30.A spectacular headland marking the western entrance to the Gulf of Morbihan, facing Port-Navalo, with powerful currents, the statue of Notre-Dame de Kerdro and views as far as Houat, Belle-Île and Méaban.
ViewpointArche de Port-BlancSaint-Pierre-Quiberon · 30 to 45 minutes, or longer if you continue along the wild coast.A natural arch on the wild coast of Quiberon, ideal for admiring sculpted rock, the Atlantic and the energy of the coastline.
Where to stay in Carnac
Stay in Carnac
Places to stay that are still available, with current prices, compared across the main booking platforms.
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