Saint-Malo Overview

Scenic St-Malo (sehn-mah-lo; pop. 53,000) deserves its reputation as a prime tourist destination. It combines the best of France’s northern villages: rich history, delicious seafood, postcard-perfect vistas, and brilliant beaches. Though 80% of the town was destroyed in 1944, stone-by-stone reconstruction has made it difficult to distinguish the old from the new. The town’s ramparts and towers fortify the scenic vieille ville and overlook miles of gorgeous coast.

Trains: Between av. Aristide Briand and rue d’Alsace. Ticket office open M-F 5:30am-8pm, Sa 5:30am-7:45pm, Su 7:30am-8:50pm. Trains run via Dol to: Caen (3hr., 2-4 per day, €28); Dinan (1hr., 5 per day, €9); Paris (4hr., 14 per day, €60-75); Pontorson (1hr., 2-3 per day, €8); Rennes (1hr., 14 per day, €13).
Buses: Esplanade St-Vincent (☎02 99 40 85 96), next to the tourist office. Illenoo (☎02 99 19 70 80; www.illenoo.fr) runs to Mont-St-Michel (2hr., 2 per day, €4.50) via Pontorson. Tibus (☎08 10 22 22 22; www.cotesdarmor.fr) runs to Dinan (1hr., 3-4 per day, €2) and smaller towns to the west. Office (☎02 99 40 19 27) in the train station has info on all buses. Open daily 8:45am-1:30pm and 2:30-6:30pm.
Ferries: Gare Maritime du Naye and Gare Maritime de la Bourse. Open daily 7:30am-6pm. Brittany Ferries (☎08 25 82 88 28, www.brittanyferries.com) serves Portsmouth (9hr., 1 per day, €60-75). See Getting There: By Boat, . Condor Ferries (☎08 25 13 51 35; www.condorferries.com) runs to Jersey (1hr., 1-3 per day, €34-63) and Guernsey, UK (2hr., 1-2 per day, €34-68).
Public Transportation: Keolis, esplanade St-Vincent (☎02 99 56 06 06), by the tourist office. Buses run locally and serve Cancale (30min., 7-14 per day). Tickets available at the office or on board. Office open M-F 8:15am-12:15pm and 1:45-6pm, Sa 8:15am-noon; varies seasonally. Information also available at train station. Most bus lines run daily July-Aug. 7am-midnight; Sept.-June 6am-8pm. Tickets €1.10 (valid 1½hr.), carnet of 10 €9; day pass €3.
Taxis: Taxi Malouins (☎02 99 81 30 30) or Taxi Petit (☎02 99 21 06 01). At esplanade St-Vincent and the train station.
Bike Rental: Les Vélos Bleus, 19 rue Alphonse Thébault (☎02 99 40 31 63; www.velos-bleus.fr). €9 per ½-day, €12 per day; €150 deposit. Open daily 9am-noon and 2-6pm; reduced hours in low season and on weekends.
Windsurfer Rental: Surf School St-Malo, 2 av. de la Hoguette (☎02 99 40 07 47; www.surfschool.org), along Grande Plage de Sillon. Rental €25 for 1st hr., €17 thereafter; €42 per ½-day; €79 per day. Lessons €35 per hr. Open daily July-Aug. 9am-6pm, Sept.-June 9am-noon and 1:30-6pm. Reception open until 5:30pm. AmEx/MC/V.

Orientation And Practical Information

The intra-muros, or old walled city, atop a rocky peninsula at the northernmost point of the town, is the heart of St-Malo’s shopping and restaurant district. The harbor entrance is to the south, while the large, sandy beach runs east. Inland and eastward lies a less expensive but less colorful area where you’ll find the train station, the youth hostel, and cheaper restaurants and hotels.

Tourist Office: Esplanade St-Vincent (☎08 25 13 52 00; www.saint-malo-tourisme.com), just outside the city walls. Turn right on the road outside the train station, then left onto av. Jean Jaurès at the roundabout. Make a left onto rue de l’Astrolabe. At the roundabout, make a right onto av. Louis Martin and follow it to esplanade St-Vincent (15min.). Alternatively, take bus #C1 or C2 (dir.: St-Vincent). From the gare maritime, turn left onto chaussée Eric Tabarly, which becomes quai St-Louis and then esplanade St-Vincent. Free city guide contains a map, walking tours, and tide tables; more detailed map (€0.50), list of accommodations, and the quarterly L’Omnibus (a list of concerts) also available. Open July-Aug. M-Sa 9am-7:30pm, Su 10am-6pm; Sept. and Apr.-June M-Sa 9am-12:30pm and 1:30-6:30pm, Su 10am-12:30pm and 2:30-6pm; Oct.-Mar. M-Sa 9am-12:30pm and 1:30-6pm.
Bank: BNP Paribus, 18 av. Jean Jaurès. Open M-F 8:30am-12:10pm and 2-5:30pm. Branch inside the intra-muros at 9 rue Broussais. Open M and F 9am-12:30pm. ATMs accessible daily 6am-10pm.
Laundromat: 27 bd. de la Tour d’Auvergne. Wash €3.50-8, dry €1 per 10min. Open daily 7am-9pm.
Public Toilets: Pl. des Frères Lamennais (€0.30).
Police: 3 pl. des Frères Lamennais (☎02 99 20 69 40), next to the post office.
Pharmacy: 8 rue Vincent (☎02 99 40 86 47), across the street from Marché Plus. Open M 2-7:30pm, Tu-Sa 9am-12:30pm and 2-7:30pm.
Hospital: Centre Hospitalier Broussais, 1 rue de la Marne (☎02 99 21 21 21).
Internet Access: Cyber M@lo, 68 chausseé du Sillon (☎02 99 56 07 78; cyberstmalo@yahoo.fr). €2.50 per 30min., €4 per hr. Open from mid-June to mid-Sept. M-Sa 10am-11pm, Su 3-8pm; from mid-Sept. to mid-June Tu-Th 11am-9pm, F-Sa 11am-11pm, Su 3-8pm. Cyber’Com, 26 bis bd. des Talards (☎02 99 56 05 83). €2.10 per 30min. Open M-Tu and F 9am-noon and 1:30-6pm, W 1:30-6pm, Th 10am-noon and 1:30-7pm. Also at L’Alambic (see Entertainment, ).
Post Office: 1 bd. de la République (☎02 99 20 51 78). Currency exchange, fax services, and photocopying available. Open M-F 8am-6:30pm, Sa 9am-12:30pm. Branch at pl. des Frères Lamennais (☎02 99 40 89 90), next to the police station. Open M-F 9am-noon and 2-5:30pm, Sa 9:30am-noon. Postal Code: 35400.

Accommodations And Camping

Rooms inside the walls of the city don’t come cheap, but there are budget options within a few minutes’ walk outside. Reserve at least a few days ahead, especially in summer, when the town becomes a magnet for beachgoers.

Auberge de Jeunesse: Centre Patrick Varangot (HI), 37 av. du Révérend Père Umbricht (☎02 99 40 29 80; www.centrevarangot.com). From the train station, take bus #5 (dir.: Croix Désilles) or 10 (dir.: Cancale). On foot from the station, turn right and follow the road for 10min. Turn right on av. Pasteur, which becomes av. du Révérend Père Umbricht. Keep right at the Auberge de Jeunesse sign (30min.). Large stone building 3 blocks from beach. Plain rooms with large windows. Popular with school groups. Tennis, volleyball, and basketball courts. Bar and common room with TV. Kitchen with individual refrigerators (€1.50). Accepts the Pass Bretagne . Breakfast included. Laundry €4. Free Wi-Fi. Bike rental €11 per ½-day, €15 per day. Wheelchair-accessible. Reception 8am-11pm. July-Aug. dorms €17, with showers and toilets €19; singles €26. Sept.-June dorms €15, with showers and toilets €18; singles €28. MC/V.
Hôtel l’Avenir, 31 bd. de la Tour d’Auvergne (☎02 99 56 13 33), 5min. from the station, 10min. from the vieille ville. Simple rooms with blue walls and linens. Above a quiet bar. Breakfast €5.50. Reception 7:30am-8:30pm. Singles €23, with showers €28; doubles €26/32; triples €60. Extra bed €5. Prices slightly higher July-Aug. Cash only.
Camping Municipal de la Cité d’Alet (☎02 99 81 60 91; www.ville-saint-malo.fr/campings), southwest of the city. Take bus #6 (dir.: Quelmer/La Passagère) to Alet. Head uphill and left at the ruins of Cathédrale St-Pierre onto allée Gaston Buy; the campground is 50m ahead. 300 scenic sites near the beach. Reception May-Sept. M-F 9am-12:30pm and 3-6pm, Sa-Su 8:30am-7pm; hours extended July-Aug. Gates closed 11pm-7am; after 8pm see the night guard. 2 people and tent €13; 2 people and caravan with electricity €17. Extra person €5.80, ages 2-12 €2.70. MC/V.

Food

Generic, overpriced restaurants huddle just within the intra-muros. Outdoor markets (8am-1pm) are held inside the walls and on place Bouvet in St-Servan (both open Tu and F) and on boulevard de la Tour d’Auvergne (M, Th, Sa). There is a Marché Plus supermarket at 10 bis rue Ste-Barbe, underground near the entrance to the city walls at Porte St-Vincent (open M-Sa 7am-9pm, Su 9am-1pm), and a Champion supermarket on av. Pasteur near the hostel. (Open June-Sept. M-Sa 8:30am-8pm, Su 9:30am-noon; Oct.-Apr. M-F 8:30am-12:30pm and 2:30-7:30pm, Sa 8:30am-7:30pm, Su 9am-noon.)

Le Sanchez, 9 rue de la Vieille Boucherie (☎02 99 56 67 17). Gluttonous servings of gelato worth the long line. Order to go and get more for less. 1 scoop €2, 2 scoops €3, 3 scoops plus toppings €4.80. Open from mid-June to mid-Sept. daily 8:30am-midnight; from mid-Sept. to Mar. M-Tu and Th-Su 8:30am-7:30pm; from Apr. to mid-June daily 8:30am-7:30pm. MC/V over €15.
La Brigantine, 13 rue de Dinan (☎02 99 56 82 82). Offers cheap but satisfying galettes (€1.80-9.40) and crêpes (€1.90-6.50). Open July-Aug. daily noon-10pm; Sept.-June M and Th-Su noon-2pm and 7-10pm. MC/V.
Le Bistro de Jean, 6 rue de la Corne de Cerf (☎02 99 40 98 68). Freshest market fare is given traditional French bistro treatment. Chalk menu changes daily. Appetizers €7.50-15. Plats €14-28. Desserts €6.60. Lunch menus €14-19. Open M-Tu and Th-F noon-1:45pm and 7-9:45pm, W and Sa 7-9:45pm. AmEx/MC/V.

Sights

The town’s ramparts, on the northern side of the city, look out over the beach toward a series of small, fortified islands that once guarded St-Malo’s harbor. At low tide, pebbly causeways strewn with stranded mollusks emerge from the sea, giving access to the two closest islands, Fort National and Grand Bé; check the tide schedules at the tourist office before you visit. Those who prefer dry excursions should heed the posted warnings not to set out for any islands if the tide is within 10m of the causeway.

Fort National. This island fortress was designed in the 17th century by the French military’s master architect, Vauban, to protect St-Malo from the English. He seems to have done his job well, as the fort has never been taken by sea. The top of the stony fortress offers a fabulous view of the bay and the city. (☎06 72 46 66 26. Open June-Sept. daily. Hours depend on the tides; ask the tourist office. Tours in French at low tide. Pamphlets in English, German, Italian, and Spanish. €4, ages 6-15 €2.)

Le Grand Bé. The curious rocky seclusion of Le Grand Bé, west of Fort National and near the piscine de Bon-Secours, offers a moment of solitude. The only permanent resident is St-Malo’s native son and French Romantic author Chateaubriand (1768-1848), who asked to be buried where he could hear nothing but the wind and waves. Farther out to sea is Le Petit Bé, defended by another, smaller fort. Tours are available, but the causeway leading to Le Petit Bé from Le Grand Bé isn’t exposed at every low tide. (☎06 08 27 51 20; www.petit-be.com. Hours depend on the tides; ask the tourist office for details. €5, under 8 free.)

Grand Aquarium. The collection of fish, arranged thematically by habitat, and the 360° wraparound shark tank are some highlights of this sight. The aquarium’s pride and joy is the Nautibus, an underwater ride. (Av. du Général Patton. Take bus #C1 or C2, dir.: St-Servan or Découverte, from the station or the tourist office. ☎02 99 21 19 00; www.aquarium-st-malo.com. Open daily from mid-July to mid-Aug. 9:30am-10pm; late Aug. and early July 9:30am-8pm; Sept. and Apr.-June 10am-7pm; Oct.-Mar. 10am-6pm. Closed 3 weeks in Nov. and 3 weeks in Jan. Last entry 1hr. before close. €18, ages 4-14 €13, under 4 free.)

Cathédrale Saint-Vincent. St-Malo native Jacques Cartier, famous for his Canadian explorations, is buried in this 12th-century cathedral, which has been carefully restored following heavy damage in WWII. The distinctively modern 20th-century iridescent stained-glass windows have an undeniable kaleidoscopic allure. (Open daily 9:45am-6pm. Mass Tu-Sa 6:30pm, Su 10, 11:30am, 7pm.)

Château. The city’s château, on the northeast corner of the ramparts, dates back to the 14th century. It is home to the town hall and the Musée d’Histoire, which fills two huge towers with artifacts illustrating St-Malo’s maritime history. Climb to the top of the watchtower for the city’s best views. (☎02 99 40 71 57; musee@ville-saint-malo.fr. Open Apr.-Sept. daily 10am-12:30pm and 2-6pm; Oct.-Mar. Tu-Su 10am-noon and 2-6pm. €5.20, students €2.60.)

Nightlife

Pick up L’Omnibus, a brochure that lists local concerts, at the tourist office.

L’Alambic, 8 rue du Boyer (☎02 99 40 86 41). Distillery equipment hangs from the ceiling. Young crowd. Internet €1 per 10min. Beer €2.50-4. Hard liquor €6. DJ F-Sa from 9pm. Open daily May-Oct. 10am-2am; Nov.-Apr. 11am-1am.
L’Absinthe, 1 rue de l’Orme (☎02 99 40 85 40). Attracts a varied clientele to a spacious 4-floor, wood-paneled interior with red lights and comfortable nooks. Beer €2.50-4.50. Frozen margaritas €3.50. Whiskey €5.50. Open daily 5pm-2am. MC/V.
L’Aviso, 12 rue du Point du Jour (☎02 99 40 99 08). Serves 300 types of beer (from €3.70) and 15 kinds of whiskey to a predominantly middle-aged crowd. Open daily July-Aug. 5pm-3:30am; Sept.-June 5pm-3am.

Festivals

Étonnants Voyageurs (☎02 99 31 05 74; www.etonnants-voyageurs.net), at the end of May or beginning of June. Preeminent international literary and film festival in France.
Festival des Folklores du Monde (☎02 99 40 42 50), 1st week of July. International folk music and dance performances.
Route du Rock (☎02 99 54 01 11; www.laroutedurock.com), 2nd weekend in Aug. Rock, techno, and pop music performances.
Quai des Bulles (☎02 99 40 39 63; www.quaidesbulles.com), during the last weekend in Oct. A celebration of comic books.

Beaches

It’s hard to go wrong with the world-famous beaches in St-Malo. On the western side of the intra-muros, best accessed by stairwells that lead down from the walls, plage de Bon-Secours is sheltered on both sides by rocky outcroppings. It features the curious piscine de Bon-Secours, three cement walls that hold in a pool’s worth of salt water even at low tide, complete with a diving platform. To the east is the larger Grande Plage, a vast expanse of sand. Farther up the coast is the romantic plage Rochebonne. On the other side of the old city, to the south and protected from the sea by a marina, lies the more family-oriented plage des Bas Sablons, popular with waders and school groups.