Towns & cities · Vannes
1 Vannes
Prefecture of the Morbihan with intact medieval ramparts, where old wash-houses line the gardens below the half-timbered houses.
View full page →3 days between the Gulf of Morbihan, Carnac and Belle-Île
A small inland sea dotted with islands, the most famous standing-stone alignments in the world and a wild island offshore: in three days, the Morbihan brings together the best of southern Brittany.
Our day-by-day itinerary
The map shows the numbered stops in visiting order, with one colour per day. The line follows the roads where available; otherwise it joins the stops as the crow flies. Distances and times are approximate (by car, without traffic).
Day 1 — Vannes to Site mégalithique de Locmariaquer
Vannes, a medieval city with its ramparts, then the Gulf of Morbihan by boat, and Locmariaquer, with its great megalithic monuments.
Natural wonders · Vannes
2 Golfe du Morbihan
A small inland sea sown with a multitude of islands, the Gulf of Morbihan owes its Breton name, "little sea", to this sheltered stretch of the ocean. Megaliths, oyster farming and fishing villages make up the identity of this territory apart.
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Monuments · Locmariaquer
3 Site mégalithique de Locmariaquer
A megalithic site on the Gulf of Morbihan with the Grand Menhir Brisé and the Table des Marchand.
View full page →Day 2 — Alignements de Carnac to Le Grand Site Dunaire Gâvres Quiberon et la Ria d'Etel
Carnac: the standing-stone alignments and the prehistory museum, then the wild coast of the Quiberon peninsula and the great dune site.
Monuments · Morbihan
4 Alignements de Carnac
The Carnac alignments are in the commune of Carnac in the Morbihan département in Brittany.
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Museums · Morbihan
5 Musée de Carnac
Carnac is a high place of Prehistory. The James Miln – Zacharie Le Rouzic Prehistory Museum is in a former presbytery, in the heart of the town.
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Natural wonders · Morbihan
6 Le Grand Site Dunaire Gâvres Quiberon et la Ria d'Etel
The dune massif between the Gâvres peninsula and the Quiberon peninsula is the largest in Brittany with 25 linear kilometres of dunes.
View full page →Day 3 — Aiguilles de Port Coton to Grotte Marines de Porthos
Belle-Île-en-Mer: the Port-Coton needles painted by Monet, Donnant beach and the sea caves of Porthos.
Natural wonders · Morbihan
7 Aiguilles de Port Coton
Located west of Belle-Île, on the wild coast, the needles have as their neighbour the Grand Phare guiding sailors with its range of 111 km...
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Beaches · Bangor
8 Plage de Donnant
Large wild beach on the west coast of Belle-Île-en-Mer, between dunes and cliffs.
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Caves · Morbihan
9 Grotte Marines de Porthos
Belle-Île-en-Mer, on the Atlantic Ocean facing Quiberon, is the largest of the Ponant islands but also the wildest.
View full page →When to go
From May to September for cruises on the gulf and crossings to Belle-Île. June and September are quieter than July and August. The Carnac alignments can be visited all year round.
Getting around
A car lets you link Vannes, Locmariaquer, Carnac and Quiberon. Belle-Île is reached by boat from Quiberon; on the island, hire a car or a bike. The gulf is explored by boat from Vannes or Port-Navalo.
Our tips
- Book the crossing to Belle-Île in summer, especially with a car.
- At Donnant beach, only swim in the supervised area: the currents are strong.
- In summer, guided tours take you right among the Carnac standing stones.
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