The 13 essential things to do in Saint Malo

Your desire to explore France leads you to visit Saint-Malo? Discover the must-sees of this beautiful city that is surnamed “Cité Corsaire”. At the collision!

Located in Ille-et-Vilaine, Saint-Malo impresses. Indeed, if it is known that it was once a den of corsaries, the ramparts and the fortress that bear witness to it today give it an unparalleled prestance. You must visit Saint-Malo on foot, quietly, taking the time to discover each of its corners, each of its secrets. And so that you don't miss anything, we selected you the 13 essentials to do in Saint-Malo. Now you have all the cards in hand to discover the treasures of this city!

1. The Remparts of Saint-Malo

A must-see of the city, the Remparts de Saint-Malo form a loop of nearly two kilometers. Built in the 12th century, the ramparts were destroyed by a huge fire in the middle of the 17th century. Two centuries later, they were fortified and then classified historical monuments.

As to where to start, there is no real entry or exit: you can start your visit where you like! However, think of a stop at Fort La Reine, the Tour Bidouane or La Grand’Porte, before blowing you into the city...

Visit Saint-Malo intra muros

Apart from the charming streets with stone houses and slate roofs, discover the Dutch Bastion. There are canons and the statue of Jacques Cartier, a great French explorer born in Saint-Malo in 1491. Also, the city has two religious buildings classified as Monuments Historiques de France.

First, discover Saint Vincent Cathedral, a real architectural pearl of the second century. Then, head to the chapel of Saint-Sauveur, not far from the Bastion of Holland, dating from the eighteenth century.

2. Saint-Malo Aquarium

At the entrance of the city, by the south, you will find the Grand Aquarium of Saint-Malo. Open to the public since the mid-1990s, it houses over 11,000 marine animals of 600 different species, spread over a surface of 4,000 square metres. Come and admire many species of jellyfish, sharks, corals or crabs... The aquarium even offers original attractions:

• A touch basin where you can touch some local species such as sea spider, turbot, spindle or redhead;
• A bluffing simulation of descent into oceanic abysses;
• The Nautibus, a nacelle that drives you into the depths of a basin of more than a million and a half litres of water containing hundreds of different species that may come to meet you...

3. The beaches

It is true that we tend to reduce Saint-Malo to its ramparts and to its intra-wall city. Visiting Saint-Malo is also the beauty of its beaches. The most impressive of them is the Grande Plage du Sillon. It runs along almost the entire northwest coast of the city and when the sea goes back, it becomes immense! Also to be seen, the beach of Hoguette, the beach of Môle or the beach of Bon Secours, from which the Île du Grand Bé becomes accessible to low tide.

4. The islands of the Bés

Visiting Saint-Malo also goes through the Bes Islands! These islands are accessible by the Passage des Bés, only at low tide. The island of Petit-Bé, the farthest, is home to a fort that was designed to protect Saint-Malo in the 17th century. As for the island of Grand-Bé, in addition to supporting a strong defensive, it welcomes the burial of the writer François-René de Chateaubriand.

Watch out! Carefully monitor the tide schedules before crossing the Passage des Bés. The sea rises fast enough when you don’t pay attention to it.

5. The Solidor Tower

South of the fortified city and behind the port, stands proudly the Solidor Tower. An impressive medieval dungeon of the 14th century, it was then used to control the marine entrances of the river Rance. Until the beginning of 2020, the Tour Solidor was home to a museum on the history of the Cap-Horniers. But the collections, after their restoration, will be transferred to the future Maritime History Museum of Saint-Malo.

Nevertheless, the Tour Solidor is always pleasant to visit even from the outside!

6. Le Phare Môle des Noires

The most interesting when you go to admire the Lighthouse of the Blacks in Saint-Malo, it is of course the path you will take: the Pole of the Blacks. Indeed, in addition to closing the port, it allows access to the lighthouse and to observe a breathtaking view of Saint-Malo.

The lighthouse in itself is not impressive, but remains very beautiful.

7. La Digue de Rochebonne and its villas

Some will come to visit Saint-Malo for his villas to the worked architecture that are part of his fame. On one side of the dike, the Grande Plage du Sillon, and on the other, a succession of beautiful villas of the late nineteenth century.

Colored, stone or wood-paned, they give the Malian coast a lush and soothing charm. Take one to two hours to walk!

8. Les Rochers Sculpted by Rothéneuf

At the extreme northeast of the city, in the district of Rotheneuf, discover the Sculpted Rocks at the same time the Breton granite. These are the works of Abbé Adophe Julien Fouéré, made between the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

On site, no religious figures, but famous local figures (like Jacques Cartier) or directly related to the news of the time.

9. National Fort

Just like the islands of the Bés, the Fort National de Saint-Malo is only accessible to low tide. Private property owned by a Breton family, it remains open to visits. Come and discover the secrets behind the granite walls of this building whose importance has crossed the centuries.

Moreover, for the little anecdote, if you do not see the French flag raised, it is that the Fort is closed! Good to know: the visits are not free, but guided and commented. They last on average between 30 and 40 minutes.

10. The Château de Saint Malo

At the end of the Grande Plage du Sillon, at the gates of the Saint-Malo intra muros, there is the Château de Saint Malo. It dates from the 15th century and is pentagonal shape with four towers.

Today it houses the town hall and some administrative services as well as the former Museum of History of the City and the Malouin Country. Museum that will be moved to a new location very soon, like the Musée de la Tour Solidor.

11. La Pointe de la Varde

Located not far from Rothéneuf, Pointe de la Varde is a natural rocky area that offers a breathtaking view of the bay and the city of Saint-Malo. You can walk there in the respect of the trails.

That said, it also houses historical vestiges of the Second World War, so a German blockhouse and several tobrouks.

12. The City of Alet

In the district of Saint-Servan is the City of Alet and the memorial 39-45. In the extension of the port, what is called the City of Alet is in fact a landscaped and green space, offering the opportunity to walk quietly close to the urban tumult.

Also discover the 36-45 memorial and the remnants of the Second World War, some of which remain witness to the power of the enemy. Also, in front of you, do not forget to observe the chic town of Dinard.

13. A boat trip

If you are on the Breton coast, it is a step that you must not miss under any pretext: a boat ride.

From the city Jacques Cartier , boat rental allows you to go to other exceptional places, such as the Bay of Mont-Saint-Michel , that of Cancale or Cape Fréhel.

What do you want?

How to get to Saint-Malo?

Visiting Saint-Malo is really not complicated. Indeed, by car, plane or train you will easily access it.

• By car, the D168 from the west (Dinard) or the D137 from the south (Rennes) will guide you to Saint-Malo. However, many smaller departments also bring you there, from the rest of Brittany or France.
• Otherwise, the followers of train can access the Corsaire city in TER from the station of Rennes.
• Finally, the nearest airport is that of Rennes, we advise you to rent a car on site if you decide to take the plane. L’airport of Rennes is very well served in terms of national flights (Bordeaux, Montpellier, Strasbourg, Paris...). In less than two hours and for a very interesting sum fare if you choose to go via a flight comparison like UlyssesSaint-Malo opens its doors!

Where to stay in Saint-Malo?

City of travelers, it has many hotels and guest rooms that will be a pleasure to welcome you. You can choose to stay in the intramuros or rather in the neighborhoods around like Paramé, Rothéneuf or La Madeleine. The seafront, along the Grande Plage du Sillon is also an ideal place for a successful stay. To benefit from the best accommodation offers, do not hesitate to consult a Compare hotels . You will only have to choose the establishment that suits you best. Sea view, authentic architecture, ultra modern comfort, or all at a time, there are for all tastes!

And for those who want to live as real homeless people, don’t hesitate to ask you about housing AirBnB in Saint-Malo . Some of them are wonderful pears! After that, you will only have to visit Saint-Malo freely!