South Brittany: menhirs and the Gulf of Morbihan

Route description

Pont-Aven, the river town where Gauguin and his friends painted, is a gentle start with galleries, water mills and butter biscuits. Take the N165 east past Lorient, then turn down the narrow isthmus to Quiberon.

The Côte Sauvage on the western side of the peninsula is all cliffs, arches and crashing surf, with a road and a footpath running along it; swimming is forbidden there. Back at the root of the peninsula, the Carnac alignments stretch for kilometres; start at the Maison des Mégalithes to see what is open.

Stop at Saint-Goustan, Auray’s old port, for a waterside lunch, then continue to Vannes, where half-timbered streets lead to ramparts and gardens. Boats leave from Vannes and other ports around the Gulf of Morbihan to the Île aux Moines and the islands.

Finish inland at Rochefort-en-Terre, a flowered village of slate roofs that is especially popular in December for its lights. The whole area has plenty of motorhome aires and campsites, and all stops are close together on flat roads.