Brittany has some of the loveliest beaches and coastline to be found in France, with picturesque fishing villages scattered between rocky coves, and lots of beautiful sandy beaches.
The general characteristics of the coast are also very different in different regions - for example the coast in western Finistere which is exposed to the force of the Atlantic Ocean is quite different to the coast along the English Channel in northern Brittany or the calmer waters in the Morbihan Gulf. Below we have suggested some of the most popular resorts, villages and beaches that you might like to include in your visit.
The Brittany Coast, resorts and beaches from north to south
France This Way review: the nature of the coast in Brittany, with hundreds of very small beaches and coves, does mean it is more or less impossible for us to visit, review and comment on every beach and resort since there are literally hundreds of these small beaches and coves that you will discover as you explore - and which add greatly to the pleasures of a visit.
There are several 'named' regions along the Brittany coast of Brittany includes:
The Emerald coast around Dinard in north-east Brittany
Saint-Malo
See the Saint-Malo guide.
Cancale
See the Cancale guide.
Dinard
Dinard is a very picturesque town as well as having easy access to several attractive beaches. It is our favourite place to stay in northern Brittany. See the Dinard guide.
The Cote de Granit Rose at the north of the Cotes d'Armor region
Cap Frehel
The beaches around Cap d'Erquy are among our favourites in this region. See the Cap Frehel guide.
Saint-Brieuc
On the coast north of here at Binic you can find an attractive beach that gets rather overlooked because of the nearby Cote de Granit Rose. See the Saint-Brieuc guide.
Paimpol
See the Paimpol guide.
Treguier
See the Treguier guide.
Perros-Guirec
The beaches here such as Ploumenac'h and Lannion Bay on the Cote de Granit Rose combine lovely beaches with rocky coastline and are very beautiful. See the Perros-Guirec guide.
Tregastel
Tregastel is another of the picturesque resorts on this part of the northern Brittany coast. See the Tregastel guide.
The western part of Brittany includes the Finistere coastline
Locquirec
See the Locquirec guide.
Plouezoch
See the Plouezoch guide.
Le Conquet
See the Le Conquet guide.
Camaret
See the Camaret guide.
Morgat
Although it is in western Finistere, the beach at Morgat is protected from the Atlantic waves and is a good place to stay when exploring this region of Brittany. See the Morgat guide.
Crozon
See the Crozon guide.
Douarnenez
See the Douarnenez guide.
Audierne
Quite remote in western Finistere, Audierne is close to some spectacular beaches, although often more suitable for windsurfing than for children paddling. See the Audierne guide.
Benodet
The most popular resort in south-west Brittany, Benodet is always lively whereas Fouesnant just a short distance to the east is typically quiter. Both have lovely beaches. See the Benodet guide.
Cote des Legendes and the Cote Sauvage
To the south of Finistere and into the Morbihan department of Brittany you find the Atlantic beaches of the Cote des Legendes and the Cote Sauvage. The Cote Sauvage includes many popular beaches, fishing villages and resorts, and also access to some of the loveliest islands in Brittany.
Concarneau
See the Concarneau guide.
Quiberon
Quiberon combines a lively resort with a very large beach that is always popular with visitors, and there are several calm beaches on the eastern side of the Quiberon peninsula to the south. See the Quiberon guide.
Carnac and Carnac Plage
See the Carnac Plage guide.
Locmariaquer
See the Locmariaquer guide.
See more of the islands off Brittany and the coastal resorts in the regional guide to Brittany coast and islands.