The Presqu’île de Quiberon is a 14km-long slither of land on the southern coast of Brittany. Boasting a wild, rugged coastline, attractive resorts and pristine beaches, the narrow peninsula is attached to the Breton mainland by a small sandbank, the Isthme de Penthièvre.
We drove down to the Presqu’île de Quiberon after spending the morning touring the megalithic sights of Carnac. Our first stop on the peninsula was the evocative Côte Sauvage (Wild Coast, below) on its south-western tip.
The 8km-stretch of rocky coastline is breathtakingly beautiful and it was exhilarating standing atop the cliffs watching the tempestuous waves crash onto the rocks below.
The jagged coastline, which is studded with caves and arches, is broken up by patches of sandy beaches, although anyone hoping for a dip in the sea will be disappointed.
Swimming is not recommended along the Côte Sauvage as the ferocity of the sea makes it far too dangerous.
After our tour of the Côte Sauvage, we made our way to the town of Quiberon (above) on the southern part of the peninsula.
Quiberon is a smart, attractive seaside resort with an enormous sandy beach and a shorefront lined with shops, restaurants and cafés.
The town was once a major sardine port and from its Port Maria you can catch a boat to the nearby islands of Belle-Île-en-Mer, Houat and Hoëdic.
Having parked the car, we set off for a stroll around the town, stopping at Le Quai Ouest, a bar-cum-restaurant on the seafront for a very late lunch (in my case the crêpe du jour – salted caramel – and a jus de pomme de Carnac). The waiting staff were incredibly friendly, and the food and drink hit the spot.
We then spent some time looking in the shops along the seafront (resisting the urge to buy any more stripy tops), before making our way to the Grand Plage (above).
We ambled across the huge stretch of sand to the inviting blue-green sea to dip our toes in the water, only to find that – despite it being a blisteringly hot day – the water was freezing!
The Presqu’île de Quiberon is spectacularly beautiful and while we didn’t spend as much time there as I’d have liked, I nevertheless enjoyed our brief tour of the peninsula.
