Region guide
What to do on the Emerald Coast
Cap Fréhel, Fort La Latte, Saint-Malo, Dinard, Saint-Briac, Saint-Cast, Cancale and the Pointe du Grouin: the guide to the Emerald Coast, from headland to headland.
7 min read
The Emerald Coast owes its name to the colour of the sea in fine weather. It runs from Cap Fréhel to the Pointe du Grouin, on either side of the Rance estuary, with Saint-Malo and Dinard facing each other.
Cap Fréhel and Fort La Latte
The pink sandstone cliffs of Cap Fréhel drop more than sixty metres into the sea, amid heather and gorse moors. A path links the cape to Fort La Latte, a castle perched on its rocky spur.
The great sites
ViewpointCap FréhelPlévenon · 1 to 2 hours, more if you walk to the fort or along the GR34.One of Brittany’s great panoramas, with cliffs, heathland, an emerald sea and sweeping views over the north coast of Brittany.
CastleFort La LattePlévenon · 1 h 30 to 2 hoursOn a rocky headland facing the sea, Fort La Latte is one of the most spectacular fortresses in Brittany, with a medieval keep, a drawbridge and panoramas over the Emerald Coast.
LighthouseCap Fréhel LighthousePlévenon · 1 h 30 to 3 h, or half a day with a walk to Fort La LatteA 32.85 m square tower rebuilt after 1944, with a white light visible 29 nautical miles away, among the cliffs and heathland of Cap Fréhel.
ViewpointPointe du GrouinCancale · 1 to 2 hours.An iconic headland near Cancale with a panorama from the bay of Mont-Saint-Michel to the Emerald Coast, with views of Chausey, Cap Fréhel and the Île des Landes.
Saint-Cast, Saint-Jacut and Lancieux
On the Côtes-d’Armor side, Saint-Cast-le-Guildo has one of the largest beaches on the coast. Saint-Jacut-de-la-Mer stretches along its peninsula, and Lancieux looks out over the Ébihens archipelago.
Saint-Briac, Saint-Lunaire and Dinard
Saint-Briac inspired painters, and its Pointe de la Garde Guérin offers one of the finest panoramas on the coast. The Pointe du Décollé, in Saint-Lunaire, and the villas of Dinard extend the walk to the estuary.
Villages and viewpoints
VillageSaint-Briac-sur-MerSaint-Briac-sur-Mer · 2 hours to half a day, a full day with the beaches and the coastal pathSaint-Briac-sur-Mer combines sailors’ lanes, captains’ houses, the Balcon d’Émeraude, the Nessay peninsula and little beaches, in one of the most elegant villages on the Emerald Coast.
ViewpointPointe de la Garde GuérinSaint-Briac-sur-Mer · 45 minutes to 1 h 30.A listed headland rising 48 m above the sea, the highest point on the Ille-et-Vilaine coast, with a panorama from the Dinard gulf to Cap Fréhel and as far as Chausey on a clear day.
ViewpointPointe du DécolléSaint-Lunaire · 30 to 60 minutes.An iconic rocky point in Saint-Lunaire, about 300 m on foot from the car park, with a spectacular panorama from Saint-Malo to Cap Fréhel and a superb sunset.
VillageSaint-Jacut-de-la-MerSaint-Jacut-de-la-Mer · Half a day minimum, a full day with the Ébihens or the walk around the two baysSaint-Jacut-de-la-Mer stretches its old fishing village between eleven beaches, two bays and the Ébihens archipelago, reachable on foot only at low tide.
VillageSaint-SuliacSaint-Suliac · 2 hours minimum, half a day to a full day with the Mont Garrot and the peninsula trailSaint-Suliac gathers its granite houses and flowery lanes around a small harbour on the Rance, overlooked by the Grainfollet oratory and the Mont Garrot.
Saint-Malo and Cancale
On the other side of the Rance, Saint-Malo and its ramparts, then the coast up to the Pointe du Grouin, facing the Île des Landes. Cancale closes the Emerald Coast with its oyster beds, on the edge of the Bay of Mont-Saint-Michel.
The most beautiful beaches
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.
BeachGrande Plage de Saint-Cast-le-GuildoSaint-Cast-le-Guildo · 3 hours to a full dayIn Saint-Cast-le-Guildo, nearly 2 km of fine sand line the Les Mielles quarter, with lifeguarded swimming in summer, water sports, beach clubs, showers, wheelchair access and a promenade to the harbour.
BeachLongchamp BeachSaint-Lunaire · 3 hours to a full dayIn Saint-Lunaire, Longchamp is the town’s largest beach, facing north-west, known for surfing, lined with managed dunes and a stepped sea wall, with lifeguards in season, a first aid post and a Hippocampe beach wheelchair.
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.
BeachPlage du VergerCancale · 2 h 30 to half a dayIn Cancale, Le Verger is a large fine sandy beach in a natural setting of dunes and cliffs, with water rated excellent in 2026, toilets, parking and access to the GR34.
Where to stay on the Emerald Coast
Stay in sur la Côte d’Émeraude
Places to stay that are still available, with current prices, compared across the main booking platforms.
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Our other region guides
- What to do in the Gulf of Morbihan
- What to do on the Crozon peninsula
- What to do on the Pink Granite Coast
- What to do on the Quiberon peninsula
- What to do on the Guérande peninsula
- What to do in the forest of Brocéliande
- What to do in Cap Sizun and at the Pointe du Raz
- What to do in the Bay of Morlaix and Roscoff
- What to do in the Pays Bigouden
- What to do in the Pays des Abers and on the Côte des Légendes