Beach
Plage de Port-Mer
Cancale · Ille-et-Vilaine
In Cancale, Port-Mer is a large family beach sheltered from the prevailing winds, lined with restaurants and a big water sports centre, with a shower, drinking water, toilets, a kids’ club and a Hippocampe chair.
- Suggested time
- 3 hours to a full day
- Type of place
- Large sheltered family beach with a water sports centre and restaurants
- Atmosphere
- Family-friendly, nautical, friendly and sheltered
- Getting there
- Plage de Port-Mer, 35260 Cancale. Direct road access to the seaside area.
Who this place suits
- With family
- 10/10
- As a couple
- 9/10
- With friends
- 10/10
- Solo
- 8/10
- With a dog
- 4/10
- Reduced mobility
- 9/10
These scores are calculated from what the page records: official rating, facilities, difficulty, duration and location. They are a guide, not a substitute for contacting the venue, especially about accessibility.
About
Port-Mer is a large beach in the north of Cancale, in a bay naturally sheltered from the prevailing winds, which makes it very popular with families. It is lined with several restaurants and a big water sports centre that livens things up in summer. Many activities are on offer, and some providers run boat trips, for example to watch dolphins or aboard traditional sailing ships. The beach has a bar, restaurants, a kids’ club, a shower, drinking water and toilets. It welcomes people with reduced mobility, and an adult Hippocampe chair can be borrowed through the water sports centre. However, Port-Mer is listed as not lifeguarded: being well equipped does not mean it is supervised.
What you will see
- A large family beach.
- Sheltered from the prevailing winds.
Practical information
- Getting there
- Plage de Port-Mer, 35260 Cancale; direct road access to the seaside area
- Services
- Bar, restaurants, beach club, showers, drinking water, toilets, water sports centre
- Parking
- Can be very busy in July and August and on sunny weekends
- Pets
- Dog rules vary by town and season; check the municipal order or the signs at the beach entrance.
- Accessibility
- Wheelchair access
- Lifeguarded swimming
- Not lifeguarded
- With family
- Very well suited, with parents keeping watch
- Tides
- Strong influence; at low tide, a wider foreshore; at high tide, swimming is closer
- Activities
- Swimming, sailing, kayaking, kids’ club, boat trips, photography, eating out
- Safety
- Do not mistake an equipped beach for a lifeguarded one, respect the water sports centre’s activities, watch children at all times, check conditions before a boat trip, keep clear of the boat launching areas
- Best time
- With family, on a rising or high tide; for calm, early morning; for photos, late afternoon
- Photography
- The top of the beach, the ends of the bay, the coastal path; morning or late-afternoon light
- Ideal for
- Families, water sports centre, restaurants, kids’ club, boat trips, people with reduced mobility
- Nearby
- The Pointe du Grouin, Cancale, Port Picain, the Anse du Verger, the GR34, the port of La Houle
Tips on the spot
- Check the tide times before you go, and download them for offline use.
- Check the marine weather, swell and wind.
- Read the signs at the entrance and respect the flags and instructions.
- Choose the lifeguarded area when there is one, and do not overestimate your swimming level.
- Watch children at all times, and set a family meeting point.
Show 7 more tipsHide
- Check the water quality in season, and do not swim if there is a ban.
- Arrive early in July and August; June and September are quieter.
- Use sun cream even when the sky is hazy, and keep a windproof layer.
- Respect the dunes and vegetation, and take all your litter home.
- If in doubt about conditions, do not swim.
- Ask the water sports centre to borrow the Hippocampe chair.
- Walk the GR34 to the Pointe du Grouin.
Frequently asked questions
What kind of beach is it?
Large sheltered family beach with a water sports centre and restaurants.
Why come here?
The most complete family beach in the north of Cancale, perfect for a day of beach and water sports, with food on site and boat trips available.
How much time should I allow?
3 hours to a full day.
What is the atmosphere like?
Family-friendly, nautical, friendly and sheltered.
Is swimming lifeguarded?
No, Port-Mer is listed as not lifeguarded, even though it is well equipped.
Can you take a boat trip?
Yes, some providers run trips from Port-Mer, for example to watch dolphins.
See also the beaches in Cancale.
Stay in Cancale
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Read in the journal
- City guideWhat to do in Cancale: the complete guideThe oyster market at the port of La Houle, the oyster beds, the Pointe du Grouin, the Île des Landes, the beaches and the coastal path: what to do in and around Cancale.
- RankingThe most beautiful beaches in Ille-et-VilaineThe Sillon and Bon-Secours in Saint-Malo, L’Écluse in Dinard, Longchamp, Saint-Briac and Cancale: the most beautiful beaches in Ille-et-Vilaine, on the Emerald Coast.
- DepartmentWhat to do in Ille-et-VilaineSaint-Malo, Rennes, the Bay of Mont-Saint-Michel: the department where you arrive, and the biggest tides in Europe.
Traveller reviews
Nobody has reviewed this place yet.
Photographs: ChBougui · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons · Pierre André · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons · ClemRutter · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons