Sainte-Marine travel guide

Visit Sainte-Marine (Brittany, France)

Sainte-Marine is a fishing port and seaside resort on the Odet estuary in the department of Finistere in Brittany in north-west France.

Explore Sainte-Marine

France This Way review: The charming village of Sainte-Marine is one of the nicest seaside resorts on the Finistere coast. It is small but charming.

Sainte-Marine was once a small fishing port. In the early 19th century there were only 16 inhabitants in the village but a boom which came with lobster fishing in the mid 19th century led the village to expand.

In the late 19th century tourism arrived in Benodet on the other side of the estuary and in Saint Marine and various large villas were built. Emile Zola rented one of these in Sainte-Marine in 1883 and described it as being like living on an island with all produce coming in by boat.

In 1910 the Villa Tri-Men, which overlooks the port, was built. Originally, a private residence it later became a holiday camp and is now a luxury hotel and restaurant.

Meanwhile life for the sailors was hard and many perished at sea. Jacques de Thezac, a yachtsman and philanthropist built a sailor's shelter, the "Abri du Marin" in Sainte-Marine. This was built as a training and recreation centre for sailors and fishermen.

It is open now with a small exhibition relating to the lives of sailors in the area.

The Abri du Marin is built on the edge of the charming port of Sainte-Marine. On the opposite side of the estuary you can see the town of Benodet. There is a small ferryboat which can take you over to Benodet in just a few minutes.

From Benodet you can also take a day cruise or weekend cruise to the Glenan Islands with the 'Vedettes de l'Odet' ferry company.

Near to the port is the Chapelle Sainte Marine which was built in the 16th century and added to in the 1960s. Inside the chapel are various items relating to the sea and also some polychrome statues from the 16 and 18th centuries.

It has beautiful modern stained glass windows created by André Bouler who studied in Fernand Léger's studio in Paris.

When tourism began to develop in Sainte-Marine the Hotel d'Anse was built and this can be seen up the road from the chapel. Further along the road is the lighthouse which was built in 1885.

The tower is about 15 meters high. Its lantern is a reconstruction after the original was destroyed by the Germans in 1944.

Over the road from the lighthouse is a fort dating back to 1862. It sheltered 40 men and had 12 canons. It is now used as an art exhibition space.

Attractions nearby

Sainte-Marine is on a coastal path where you can walk from Benodet to Ile Tudy via Sainte Marine.

Benodet is another charming resort and can be reached using the small ferry if travelling on foot or by bike or you can drive over the Cornouaille bridge.

Pont l'Abbé is a pleasant town with a bridge which is one of the few inhabited bridges in France.

You can find more travel ideas in the Finistere guide and the Brittany guide.