2022 - August - Saint-Malo

At Wikipedia, you can read about Saint-Malo as one of the most visited places in France. At least I can confirm a high density of hotels and restaurants. So the approximately 46,000 inhabitants are never alone. Nevertheless, we personally did not feel that it was too crowded.

There are plenty of reasons to visit Saint-Malo. There is the original reconstructed old town center with its fortifications. But also the location of the place in Brittany, directly by the sea, is impressive. And another special feature makes the place spectacular: the extraordinary tidal range! It averages more than twelve meters, which means the difference between low tide and high tide. The reason for this unusually strong movement of water is the narrowness of the English Channel.

Using a tide calendar, you can easily see when low tide and high tide are, but of course, you can also see it clearly for yourself. At high tide, the water reaches the houses, and at low tide, you will find a huge beach in the same place. It's incredibly impressive! We took kilometer-long beach walks during these times.

But the surrounding area is also worth seeing. Since we were only here for a few days, we could only scratch the surface. But what is definitely worth it is a boat trip to Dinard. It only takes a few minutes, and you're already in the also very picturesque neighboring village. Here you can walk along the promenade, stroll through the town center, and then walk back up the hill on the other side.

If the jetty of the water bus appears a bit different when you return, it may be due to the ebb or flow. That's how it was for us. When we arrived, the water level was very low, a few hours later it was quite high. The anchorage looked a bit different then.