We are frequent travellers to St Malo. Each time to we go back to visit family in Jersey, invariably we end up there. It’s just such a huge change of culture from our Australian way of life. So, I thought I’d discuss my favourite things to do in St Malo.
We’ve done St Malo as a day trip, and as a multi-day trip, so I should be able to point you in the right direction.
St Malo is mainly known today as a corsair city. That is, it was held by pirates and fortified as a base by them. As a city it’s history dates back about 1500 years. But the earliest settlement here is around years ago.
It is situated on the coast of northern Brittany facing out into the English Channel.
How Should I Get There?
In my opinion, the absolute best way to arrive is by sea. There are regularly scheduled ferries that arrive each day, from both the south of England and the Channel Islands.
To come upon a huge pirate fortress from the sea is a brilliant sensation. Watching it slowly build on the horizon, and gradually take in the scale of the place.
We have also driven into St Malo a couple of times. This sight is less impressive from the land. But more importantly, the parking situation is not ideal.
Don’t get me wrong, the authorities have done well to fit in as much parking as they have. But, during peak periods, you can spend quite a while trying to get a spot.
The last option I’d suggest is by train. There is a regular train service running daily between St Malo and Rennes. Which then goes on to Paris. From memory it only took a couple of hours and was a comfortable way to cover the distance.
What About Accommodation?
If you look at a map of St Malo and overlay the hotels, you’ll wonder how they fit them all in.
We’ve never had a problem getting accommodation, even booking it one week before our stay, during the peak of summer. Many of them look like nothing more than a doorway, but once inside they just open up.
There are modern hotels which are 3-4 stars and some of the older ones which are 2 stars. If you’re travelling by car then I’d recommend staying in hotels outside the fortified city. You’ll find it much easier to get parking, even though it will probably still be street parking.
I normally book using Booking.com. I find it easy to use and the prices are competitive.
What Should I Do When I’m There?
The first thing I always do when I get there is to walk the ramparts. These are the walls around the fortified city. Spend a good 1.5 hours on a slow walk.
You’ll have your camera out taking dozens of photos. The views from the walls are spectacular. Both looking out towards the sea, the river, and the port. But, also looking in towards the city itself.
There are several points around the walls where you can get access. Even in peak summer, the ramparts are big enough that you won’t feel cramped from other people.
Once the walls are done, then it’s time to start heading down into the shopping precinct. There’s a huge variety of shops down here. And, thankfully, there are no chain stores in this area.
Most of the shops are fairly quirky. Even though I’m not a natural shopper, I could spend hours wandering through these shops.
Restaurants
While looking at the shops, you’ll be passing by lots of world class restaurants.
Fortunately, the restaurants here display their menu’s out the front. So, on your walk, you can make some decisions about that night’s dinner. There is a good spread of price ranges to cater for most budgets.
One of the things I love here is the set menu. They may have menus A, B and C. These cover 3 price ranges, and all will have an entrée, main and desert.
I’ve never had a bad meal in St Malo.
Other Attractions
Within the fortified city there is also an aquarium that’s worth a look, a local museum and the church.
The church was a surprise to me. I’d seen the spire when approaching the city, but for some reason never went looking for the church.
The church is in the centre of the fortified city, and it’s a real treasure. The architecture is magnificent, and I’ve spent a lot of time looking at it from all angles.
Saint-Servan
I always equate Saint-Servan with being the neighbouring suburb. It is set on the next bay over from the port.
A walk through Saint Servan lets you bask in the classic French culture. The beautiful, shuttered windows. Window boxes full of Geraniums in bloom, and lots of natural stone.
Stroll down to the waterfront and take some time at the cafés on your way around the bay. If you’re lucky the weekly markets will be on as well.
Continue your way around the bay, and up the hill of the headland. Around the top of the headland, you’ll find World War 2 German bunkers. These have an outlook into the channel.
In the top of the thick steel bunker are huge craters, where the bunkers had suffered direct hits from British ships. I remember my dad saying, “well they penetrate, did they?’ I said,” maybe not, but I’ll bet their ears were ringing for week.”
The trail around the headland then leads you back to the St Malo port.
Dinard
St Malo sits at the eastern entrance to the River Rance. Over the other side of the river is the town of Dinard. There is a little ferry that goes over and back several times a day.
From where the ferry drops you off, you can walk around this headland to get to the town itself. You can probably walk through inland to get there as well, but the headland is a lovely walk.
The town itself is just a nice place to spend a few hours.
Mont St Michel
Just across the road from the fortified town of St Malo, is the bus station. And the buses run regularly to several regional areas.
You can take the bus from here, up the coast to Mont St Michel. As a bonus, the views are great on the way there.
The Abbey of Mont St Michel is one place that should be on your bucket list. I would put it in the same league as the Eiffel tower, Sydney Opera House or the Tower of London. The kind of place that leaves you in awe as you stand before it.
To explore the abbey, you really need at least 3-4 hours. There are shops within the fortifications as you make you way further in, and they have a huge variety of goods.
Click here to check out the website for the abbey.
Dinan
Dinan is a beautiful little town, set inland from St Malo. Once again, you can get there by bus, from the station outside St Malo.
It’s set on the river on steeply sloping land. A town full of half-timbered buildings from another age. The sort of place where you need a decent sized memory card in your camera.
Set at the top of the slope is the fortifications that overlook the river valley. Spend at least 3 hours here as well.
So that’s a rough look at St Malo. It’s a special place that’s worth a visit. To get the most out of it, I’d suggest spending 3-4 days. Any less than that and you’ll be missing out.
Do you know of any hidden gems in St Malo that I’ve missed? If so, please drop me a line so I can go and have a look. Then I can add it to the post.
If this post was of value to you, then here’s some links to some of my other posts that might interest you.
The best things to do in Paris
Cheers and happy travels