Cherbourg - St Malo in a weekend - any must see towns/sites?

FransJacques

Besides Mont St Michel that is. Want to do a nice light backpack only affair over a 3 day weekend in July.

I don't know much about the Cherbourg peninsula besides that the ferry goes there. St Malo I hear is quite cute. I might extend the riding to St Brieuc if anyone rates it?

Thanks for any suggestions of nice town, sites, restaurants, war memorials etc.

cheers

redvee

Supping a coffee overlooking the harbour of Enfluer(sp) is good as is the ride over the pont du normandie. Done it myself many moons ago as a errant MTBer amongst a group of roadies from Portsmouth, apologies if my geography is crap and I'm in the wrong part of Northern France.

raybo

I recommend riding through Cancale and then along the northern coast of the peninsula into St. Malo. The ride on the coast has some wonderful vistas.

Cancale is very touristy but a good place to get a meal or some food for your ride.

Here is my journal for the day I did this ride, including lots of photos. I ended that day south of St. Malo in Plour sur Rance.

Bon Chance!

Ray

andymiller

In July that area will be heaving. I would book accommodation in advance.

Personally I would head to Roscoff and do a circular tour coming back out of Roscoff.

Cancale is touristy as Raybo says. If you do go there, buy oysters from the stalls overlooking the oyster farm (they will open them and provide you with lemon). IIRC I had a dozen really good oysters for less than 5 euros. Buy wine and bread in a supermarket in the village.

St Brieuc is not much to write home about. if you do go to St Malo then I would take the time to follow the Rance estuary rather than going across the barrage (there's a signposted route that starts by the barrage. Dinan is well worth seeing.

The coast west of St Malo is OK - seaside resorts with lovely beaches, but you need to go further west for the more interesting coastline (in my opinion anyway).