Brittany Bike Tour Itinerary

Day 1: Old Town and the Sea
Your guides will meet you at the train station in Quimper to bring you southwards where you’ll get you first glimpse of the wild ocean that meets the Bigouden coastline. You’ll have a proper welcome toast with the region’s best cider before getting a full overview of the week. The guides will fit you to your bike and give you a safety review before you head off on your very first ride southwest along the GR 34 (one of the many trails that make up the network of France’s Grande Randonnée or Great Hike). You’ll pass through old villages and hamlets that don’t seem to have changed in the past 150 years, except for maybe a fresh coat of paint. Arriving in the fishing village of Ile Tudy we’ll stop for a light lunch with some local specialties before the bikes are loaded upon the boat taxi that helps the locals get across one of the many inlets that create this jagged coast. Continue as far as the town of Guilvinec, famous for their huge daily bounty of langoustines before heading back to the hotel. Dinner tonight is at the best seafood restaurant in the area.

Meals: Light lunch & Dinner
Destinations visited: Sainte Marine, Ile Tudy, Loctudy, Guilvinec
Distance: 30 kms / 19 miles

Day 2: Bridges, Boats and Beaches
During breakfast with a stunning view, don’t forget to try the crepes with salted caramel before starting your day. We’ll be leaving the Bigouden region and working our way down the Finistere’s southern coast. On the way to the charming artist’s haven town of Pont Aven we’ll spin through the cider capital of the region, la Foret Fouesnant. A quick stop at our favorite organic Cidrerie is essential to learn how the wonderful drink is made and enjoy a sample of their, brut, semi-sweet and sweet hard ciders. Continuing on we’ll then make a stop in the old fortified town of Concarneau for a lunch stop and wander the old cobbled streets before taking another boat across the bay. You’ll pass a ship yard where Jacques Cousteau’s research boat, Calypso, is being restored to its original beauty. The rest or the ride to our next hotel is stunning on small roads always a short distance from the rocky coastline. Our next hotel is a haven of peace and tranquility. An old manor house restored by the family who has vacationed in it for generations, is in the perfect location looking over a small sandy beach. You’ll enjoy a delicious meal overlooking the sea by the family’s own chef this evening.

Meals: Breakfast & dinner
Destinations visited: la Foret Fouesnant, Concarneau, Port Manech
Distance cycled: 46 kms / 29 miles

Day 3 : îles des Glénans
Today is going to be quite an adventure! You’ll be greeted at the local port with a gorgeous yacht that will take you from Port Manech to the Iles des Glenans. Upon arrival you’ll have breakfast on the boat or the beach and enjoy the pure sea breeze. The archipelago is made up of nine main islands and many islets, in the middle of which is a lagoon renowned for the clarity of its water and the whiteness of its sands; in fact, the area has been described as ‘the Breton Tahiti’. A lighthouse and a semaphore can be found on Penfret Island while Île Cigogne is instantly recognizable by its fort, which was built in 1756 to keep English pirates out of the lagoon. All this you’ll be able to explore by foot while enjoying this pristine nature park. You’ll then board our boat to cross back over to the mainland but keep going upstream all the way to the town of Pont Aven to do some shopping, sample some chocolates & biscuits or buy some art in one of the many galleries. A short and scenic bike ride will bring you back to the hotel to relax and change before returning to Pont Aven for dinner. You are on your own to enjoy dinner in one of the many little restaurants that line the river up through town. Your guide will not hide from you which one is their favorite.

Meals: Breakfast & lunch
Destinations visited: îles des Glénans, Pont Aven
Distance Cycled: Optional 15 kms ride

Day 4: Follow the Megalithic Road
After your last breakfast overlooking the sea at the Manoir Dalmore you’ll be transferred to the coastal town of Carnac to begin your ride past impressive megalithic sites and around the Golfe du Morbihan. The Carnac Stones were hewn from local rock and erected by the pre-Celtic people of Brittany during the neolithic period. One interpretation of this mysterious scene is that successive generations visited the site to erect stones in honor of their ancestors. Once you leave these erect stones behind you you’ll arrive at the Golfe du Morbihan where we’ll meet with a local oyster farmer proud to tell his story and why his industry is really suffering in that area. You’ll also discover more about the aphrodisiac myths of this delicious mollusk! Lunch will be enjoyed in one of the many quaint restaurants in the port of Locmariaquer. Depending on the weather, we’ll cross over the Bay of Biscay to the other side of the Golfe to continue our way down south by vehicle. Arriving in the hip town of le Croisic you’ll have to option of another short ride along the coast or relaxing in the tranquility of your luxurious bedroom. Tonight we’ll have dinner in the town’s best seafood restaurant.  
 
Meals: Breakfast & dinner
Destinations visited: Carnac, Locmariaquer, Port Navalo, Le Croisic
Distance cycled: 35 kms / 22 miles

Day 5: The Salt Flats of Guerande
The warm crepes & croissants are the perfect fuel for this busy day in the southern most region of Brittany. You’ll leave to hotel making your way to the salt flats that made Guerande famous. There are 2000 hectares of salt marshes where you can glimpse the functioning of a salt marsh: twice a day, during the high tides, water from the open sea flows into the marshes. The salt worker opens a valve to give it access to the primary pond and then, the sun, the wind, and the salt worker’s expertise evaporate the water until the salt finally crystallizes in the crystallization ponds (“oeillets”). Here follows the astonishing metamorphosis of a simple drop of water into a tiny grain of salt. What a simple ingredient to give our lives so much flavor!  We’ll meet with a salt harvester to get his perspective on the benefits of salt before heading into town for lunch. This maybe you’re last chance to have some crepes so get your fill while you can. The afternoon ride will then bring us to La Baule where you can do some shopping, hang out on the beach or just have a drink by the sea. Following the coast we’ll return to the hotel to enjoy our last meal altogether in the hotel’s own fine restaurant.

Meals: Breakfast & dinner
Destinations visited: Guerande, La Baule
Distance cycled: 50 kms/ 31 miles
 
Day 6: Return to Civilization 
Enjoy your last breakfast in Brittany. You have the option of going for one last loop ride through le Croisic before your departure from the region. Or stay and enjoy the pool and nearby beaches! Pack up your bags and head to Nantes where your guides will bring you to ther center of town or the Nantes Airport so you can head off to your next destination.

Meals: Breakfast
Destinations visited: Le Croisic & Nantes
Distance Cycled: 15 kms/ 9 miles

TRIP TOTAL: 191 km / 119 MILES averaging 35 kms/22 miles per day. Optional longer rides available each day.