Beautiful Island in the Sea. I don't know what medieval marketing genius came up with that name, but if only England had thought of it first, how differently would history have turned out?
The island's name — in combination with its rugged coastline, charming fishing villages, and white sand beaches — has become its destiny: a summer tourist Mecca. The population of the island goes from roughly 5,000 in the off-season to more than 50,000 in July and August, all crammed into 84 square-kilometres.
I'm sure it's still Belle-Ile (don't say la Belle-Ile, simply Belle-Ile) in the summer, but I think it's at its most charming in the late spring. The official tourist season launches Easter weekend, when the Parisians come open their vacation homes for the first time after the winter; most of the stores and facilities that close off-season are now open but the island doesn't yet feel like an amusement park.
The island's biggest town, Le Palais, as you enter the harbour on the ferry
Reached by car-ferry from Quiberon, 30 minutes north of Vannes in the Morbihan (56), Belle-Ile is the largest of the Brittany islands, although the islands of Houat and Hoëdic can also be visited departing from Quiberon. (They are known as the 'silent' islands so that's where to go if you don't like crowds or cars, for that matter, as they're not allowed on these islands.)
Belle-Ile's history, however, is what makes it the most well-known of the chain; the twin menhirs 'Jean et Jeanne' point to pre-historic human habitation but its current fame dates from the era when it was a beloved destination for Claude Monet and Sarah Bernhardt, who had a summer mansion on its west shore, the ruins of which are currently being renovated. The actress even wished to be buried on Belle-Ile (although she was ultimately deposited at Père-Lachaise in Paris).
Belle-Ile's history is also closely linked both to the English, who occupied the island for two years, 1761-1763, during la guerre de Sept Ans, and the Acadians, who took refuge on the island when the English also got the upper hand in France's Canadian colonies.
Now the island is known for the traditional pleasures of any vacation on the Brittany coast (swimming, boating, fishing, biking, hiking); a collection of charming lighthouses from the nearly miniature to the Grand Phare on the west coast; and la citadelle Vauban, one of a series of massive 17th-century military fortresses built for Louis XIV by Marshal Vauban (real name Sébastien Le Prestre) and now turned into a historical museum.
How to get there
Air France does fly (in teeny-tiny planes) from Nantes to Belle-Ile, but most people take the 45-minute ferry ride from Quiberon; you should definitely reserve your place in advance as the ferries fill up even on non-peak weekends. (It's a car-ferry, but space for vehicles is extremely limited and intended mostly for locals.) If you leave your car in Quiberon, make sure and leave enough time to find parking.
Coming from Paris by train, take the TGV to Quimper (get off at Auray) and connect by local trains or buses to Quiberon.
The view of the 'Wild Coast' that Sarah Bernhardt fell in love with
What to do
To a large extent, the island itself is the attraction; you can occupy a long weekend simply by making the tour and visiting the citadelle.
There are a dozen rental companies within walking distance of the port — the main city, Le Palais— but I'm going to plug the one that offers both transportation and nostalgia for EUR 55-69 a day: Cars Verts, which rents Citroën 2CV or Deux-Chevaux.
Warning: driving a Deux-Chevaux takes a bit of practice so you're liable for 10 minutes of embarrassment before you get used to it, but imagine touring the coast and the charming sea-side villages with the top down and the wind in your hair. And who needs to drive fast — you're on vacation!
Our rented Deux Chevaux in front of the Grand Phare
The adventurous can also opt for scooter or bike rentals, although this latter would require you to be in moderately good shape to make it all around the island since sections of the coastline are fairly hilly.
If you want to spend a week or more on the island, you'll probably want to rent an apartment or house and a Google search will turn up a dozen companies to help you locate one — but it won't come cheap. Count on paying EUR 1,100 to 1,700 for a week-long accommodation for an entire family. Likewise, it is an island, so prices at the supermarket are high; if you drive in, try to do your shopping in advance.
You can have a fun weekend on the cheap on Belle-Ile, however; we opted for Hôtel Le Galion, a one-star hotel in Le Palais that was clean and convenient — two minutes walk from the ferry — if a bit on the shabby side (EUR 97 per night for a duplex sleeping four, not including breakfast).
Unlike some other beauty spots in the Morbihan, Belle-Ile is not particularly rich in either top-of-the-line restaurants — although you can count on very fresh moule-frites or other coquillages in season — or shopping, although the summer street fairs do attract a lot of regional artists.
The local specialty used to be sardines until the last fish-canning factory relocated to Quiberon in 1976; if you rent a kitchen, there is still plenty of fresh fish to be had at the local markets and the local chèvre has a distinct sea-breeze tang.
If luxury is what speaks to your heart, you'll want to stay at the four-star Castel Clara (EUR 149-310 per night for a standard room, up to EUR 569 for a suite) and indulge in the adjoining thalassotherapy facilities, although these are operated separately and can be visited without staying in the hotel.
The island also hosts a golf course that includes the famous Hole #2, said to be the only one of its kind in Europe, where you have to hit the ball over the ocean from one cliff to another. (No word on the environmental consequences of all the golf balls lost this way.)
It's true that Belle-Ile transforms into a Breton version of a Club Med resort come the summer. But that's largely because it still truly is a beautiful island in the sea; if you visit now, it can still feel like it's yours.
A secluded beach that will be jam-packed with bathers come July
To book your ferry ticket:
Société Morbihannaise de Navigation, Tel. 0 820 056 000
Belle-Ile Office de Tourisme (in French only)
Les Cars Verts, 1, Quai de L'Yser, Le Palais, Tel: 02 97 31 81 88
Hôtel Le Galion, Place de l'Hôtel de Ville, Le Palais, Tel: 02 97 31 81 71
Castel Clara, Port Goulphar, Bangor, Tel : 02 97 31 84 21
Castel Thalasso, Port Goulphar, Bangor , Tel : 02 97 31 80 15
Expatica
The article was first published in April 2006. Please note that prices mentioned in the article were based on 2006 and may have changed since then.
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Belle-Ile is the biggest and probably best known of the Brittany islands. We think it's most charming before the summer hordes hit. Here are our tips on planning your next short break.
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