The island that trapped Monet
Implacable cliffs, lonely beaches and seafaring towns that dot the coastline. Everyone who comes to "beautiful island" he is engrossed by his wild surroundings without even thinking about it. happened to the painter Monet , to the actress Sarah Bernhardt and it will happen to you too.
Let's get situated. We meet at the Quiberon Peninsula , at the southwestern end of Brittany , willing to take the ferry (15 €) Heading for Belle-Île-en-Mer.
Belle-Île-en-Mer
Only 15 km separate this small island, with 5,000 inhabitants and **the size of Formentera (84 km²)**, from the morbihan coast . The Atlantic wind blows, we go into a patch greener than Asturias and our Celtic spirit comes out. We are in France, but we feel very very far from Paris.
The Palais it is the gateway to Belle-Île, the capital and its main population center (2,500 inhabitants). The hustle and bustle of the pier contrasts with the tranquility of the island. Seasonally, between 5 and 20 daily ferries dock at the port among the sailboats, pleasure boats and the occasional fishing boat ready to fish. Each year the island is visited by around 400,000 tourists, according to the Belle-Île-en-Mer Tourist Office .
Creperie de L'Annexe
We wandered through the narrow streets of the town, of brightly colored houses , slate ceiling and three floors, so pristine that it seems that they have just been painted. In the Crêperie l'Annexe (€12) we discovered the best place for our first encounter with the Breton gastronomy , always at the service of the sea. Here it is mandatory to test your famous crêpes or their galettes stuffed with fish, seafood or vegetables and wash it all down with authentic homemade cider. We are already getting the hang of the Breton bon vivre.
After lunch, the Citadel Vauban , an imposing fortification raised on a rocky spur that protects Le Palais. Vauban was the favorite military engineer of Louis XIV , who would redesign this bastion between 1683 and 1689 to repel pirate attacks on this strategic enclave. Today the fortress houses an interesting museum ( entry €8.50 ) on the history of Belle-Île and a ** luxurious hotel (from €135) ** with cells converted into charming suites and rooms with privileged views of the port.
Galette de la Creperie L'Annexe
We can't leave Le Palais without first browsing through the shops and stores that attract both foreigners and locals. Here everything is taken care of to the smallest detail , everything is done with great care, and this is how their shop windows look like they were taken from a vintage poster.
Chocolatiers like Les Niniches , decoration stores such as Ile Illuminated or native products such as Aux Gouts du Monde They show us that everything that is done in Belle-ile, stays in Belle-ile. The famous canning shop belle iloise it remind us the sardine fishing tradition on the island and the typical white sweaters with blue stripes in the souvenir shops remind us that we have not left Brittany.
Bangor Cliffs
There is no shortage of artists and craftsmen from all over France who have decided to settle on the island, captivated by its tranquility and natural magnetism. Among his ateliers stand out the fluid glassware and the whiskey distillery Kaerilis , which have given a new look to Le Palais and the entire island.
In Belle-ile there is no time to rush. We were immediately infected by it. island beat in which the clock is always left over, silence abounds and the bicycle becomes the dream vehicle to explore its coastal paths, its beaches and its interior countryside. They are ambassadors of slow travel.
Kaerilis Whiskey Distillery
MONET AND THE NEEDLES OF PORT COTON
“I am in a beautiful country of savagery, a tremendous pile of rocks and an incredible sea of colors” . That's how he writes Claude Monet to their friend Gustave Caillebotte in 1886, recently arrived on the island.
The painter goes to Belle-Île in search of different landscapes, of new sensations , and he discovers untamed nature, unpredictable weather and beauty that catches him. From the edge of the cliff he sets up his easel, contemplates the coast and begins to paint, over and over again until he reaches 39, that same print: the needles of Port Coton.
The Needles of Port Coton
Following in Monet's footsteps, we crossed the island in search of that landscape. **We pass by the great lighthouse of Goulphar (admission €2.50)** which with 52 meters high dominates the plateau, and we continue along a narrow road that takes us to the west coast, in the bangor township.
In the Port Coton Needles contemplates the fierce battle between sea and rock ; a set of sharp rocks supports the incessant beating of the waves in front of the fifty meter high shale cliffs.
Little by little the sun goes down, changing the tonalities of the sky while the seagulls leave the scene. This is a special, almost hypnotic enclave that invites you to meditate and take lots of photos **(not just paint) **.
Very close, without leaving Bangor, the Hotel Le Grand Large , is a pleasant three-star hotel located in an old chalet with sea views **(from €78) **, ideal for stay in belle-Île . Another interesting proposal is the Hotel Castel Clara , also next door, with his extensive seafood buffet and European Ecolabel thalassotherapy center.
Port Coton Needles
LA POINTE DE POULAINS AND SARAH BERNHARDT
In 1894 , would land on the island the most important actress of the French tragedy, Sarah Bernhardt , to be forever captivated by the charm and mystery of it.
At the north end of belle ile , on the Pointe de Poulains her, she would buy a small fortress to shelter in the last thirty summers of her life. The fort ** is today a museum (entrance € 5) ** in her honor where they explain to us the life and work of the first celebrity of the time , so eccentric that she even slept in a coffin and had a crocodile as a pet, until she ate her puppy, they say.
We follow the path that leads to the lighthouse, located on a tiny rocky island, connected by a beach that can only be accessed at low tide.
Sarah Bernhardt Fort and Pointe de Poulains
Back in the heart of the island we stop at Sauzon to taste the best fish Belle Ile and check if the port is as beautiful as it has been painted for us.
We sat on the terrace Cafe de la Cale , located on the shore of the estuary, with views of the bay, the boats, the colorful houses and the small lighthouse, and soon we draw our conclusions. Sardines are the house specialty , although the menu that opens with seafood soup and fish of the day is more than tempting (price €20).
Coastal Route GR 340
ACTIVITIES IN THE PROTECTED ECOSYSTEM
The rugged coastline hides up to 7 km of deserted beaches and protected nature yet to be explored. Sailing, surfing and kayaking will seduce those who are not afraid to take the pulse of the Atlantic on beaches like the one in Donnant, Herlin or Les Grand Sables, of moving dunes.
When the sea gives a break, the seabed, full of reefs, maerl banks and with the highest concentration of barnacles in Europe, becomes the best setting for diving and snorkelling. already on solid ground, the GR 340, an 82 km path that surrounds the island , will delight runners, cyclists and hikers who want to discover this ecosystem protected by the Nature 2000 Network.
In Belle-Île-en-Mer silence and bicycles abound