1. Carnac
Carnac has the rather unusual juxtaposition of being a very popular seaside resort with lovely sandy beaches and home to one of the world’s most important prehistoric sites. Over 3000 stones of varying, yet unusually modest, proportions lie in densely packed parallel alignments, stretching for over one kilometre.

2. Concarneau
The main attraction of this important fishing port on the south Brittany coast is Ville Clos, a small walled town built on an island in the natural harbour. Accessed by a bridge from the quayside, the narrow streets within the granite ramparts are lined with shops and restaurants.

3. Dinan
The half-timbered houses and cobbled streets of Dinan, lie on a hill overlooking the wooded valley of the River Rance. Once a busy port with access to the sea at St Malo, it is now a quiet backwater with pleasant riverside walks and pleasure boat cruises. Not to be confused with the nearby Belle Époque resort of Dinard with its lovely sandy beaches.

4. Golfe du Morbihan
The Morbihan Gulf is a massive inland sea dotted with numerous islands; only a narrow channel connects it to the open sea. Some of the islands can be explored on foot or by bike, while a great way to discover the enormity of the Golfe is aboard one of the many pleasure boats that ply the creeks and open waters between the small harbours.

5. Islands
Brittany is home to an unexpected number of inhabited islands, just offshore. Take one of the regular ferries to explore a part of Brittany that is definitely off the beaten track. They vary in character from the wild Ouessant (Ushant in English), the most westerly island in France, car-free Houat, popular with away-from-it-all holidaymakers, and low-lying Sein, an island whose inhabitants have defied both the elements and foreign invasion down the years.
6. Locronan
Locronan boasts an elegant collection of Renaissance buildings from the town’s wealthy past and is one of the few places in Brittany classified as Les Plus Beaux Villages de France (‘The most beautiful villages of France’). The Locronan pilgrimages (or ‘pardons’ in Breton) are some of the most important in Brittany.

7. Mont St Michel
This World Heritage Site is one of the most iconic sights of France. The Gothic-style Benedictine abbey perches on a rocky island amidst vast sandbanks exposed to fast-rising-tides between Normandy and Brittany. Now linked to the mainland by a causeway, it is one of the most visited sites in France.

8. Pointe du Raz
The Pointe du Raz is a dramatic headland jutting out into the wild Atlantic at the tip of Cap Sizun, on the remote and unspoilt western edge of Brittany. There are a number of breathtaking cliff walks in the area with views across to the low-lying Ile de Sein and the beautiful wide sweep of the sandy Baie des Trépassés (Bay of the Dead).

9. St Malo
The popular seaside town and busy ferry port of St Malo lies at the mouth of the River Rance on a dramatic islet-strewn stretch of the Brittany coastline. The old city is a web of narrow cobbled streets surrounded by ramparts, all carefully restored after its destruction during World War II.

10. Vannes
This busy market town, with an attractive Medieval quarter, lies at the head of the Golf du Morbihan, and is a good embarkation point for boat trips around the gulf.

If this inspires you, why not browse our selection of holiday cottages with pools in Brittany and see what catches your eye?

Visit the official website for Brittany