Ile de Re
ISLAND OF RÉ
It is perhaps the best known, but if you want to participate in the fun this is your island. Choose the Hôtel de Troiras , a five-star Relais & Châteaux facing the sea in Saint-Martin-de-Re. pretty classic, offers the alternative option —and the one that fits the most on this island— of renting Villa Clarisse, an 18th century mansion located in the very heart of the old town.
Undoubtedly the best place to enjoy the pleasures of the Atlantic is Le Tout du Cru, a patio of an old cinema, with tablecloths of different colors and a look of fun sea bistro. Among its specialties are the coveted oysters (from €9). You can't leave without trying their Trilogie d'huitres : Oysters au gratin with a base of snail butter, leeks and basil cream. An ode to the local product.
A seafood bistro where you can eat oysters
On the other side of the island, thalassotherapy treatments and a good restaurant await you at the Hotel Richelieu , near the port of La Flotte, where the somewhat expensive – without bordering on pretentious – L'Ecailler is located. Specialists in local fish and shellfish, leave room for the fleur de sel caramel soufflé. Speaking of this coveted type of salt, a visit to the Ecomusée du Marais Salant de Loix is a must, where you can buy it and at the same time discover the history and conservation of the island's marshes.
Villa Clarisse, an 18th century mansion just for you.
ISLAND OF BREHAT
It is the refuge of wealthy Parisians for its deep-rooted authenticity. Lost in the northwest of the country, don't expect big hotels (good people have their own homes on what is known as the "island of flowers"). This nickname is motivated by the color of the summer agapanthus, a plant imported by Gallic sailors and which today displays its beauty on paths and mountains.
Agapanto, the queen plant of Ile de Bréhat
The best and practically the only option is the Belleveu hotel, s simple and with a restaurant attached to Breton products. Indispensable to eat a crêpe with whipped cream and caramel in L'Oiseau des Iles. You must also visit the restored 12th century tide mill , the Chapelle Saint-Michel and stop by the old citadel, where Les Verreries de Bréhat exhibits his collection of handmade pieces of blown glass.
Former citadel of Bréhat, where pieces of blown glass are now exhibited.
BELLE-ÎLE-EN-MER
This island has finally realized its potential and the new establishments show off that trendy boho-chic aesthetic. This is the case of Maison de Stermaria, that with only three rooms exudes large doses of familiarity and impressive views of the ocean. Other interesting options are the pristine Castel Clara, known for its thalassotherapy spa, the original and delicate complex La Désidare and the always safe Le Cardinal.
The charming Maison de Stermaria, in Belle-île.
For those who like history, roots and origins, at the Citadelle Vauban "Hôtel-Musée", overlooking the port, You can rest in an old cell converted into a suite as well as in a room in the old barracks with sea views. Nor should you miss the different performances of the night festival that returns in summer all the essence to what was once an arsenal, it should not be forgotten that this enclave is more than 1000 years old.
The little ones will find in Belle Ile Aventure the perfect place to escape so much posturing. In the purest 'canopy' style, they will be able to climb trees, use trampolines, move between nets... On the contrary, parents will be able to abuse the posture at the Belle-Île Golf Club: to play 14 holes, par 56, skirting cliffs.
Detail at the Hotel de Charme, in the La Désidare complex, Belle-Île.
GROIX ISLAND
This piece of land —just a 45-minute journey from mainland France— hides wonders such as the Grands-Sables beach, which they claim is the only convex one in Europe. It is something like a kind of protruding belly of fine sand that contrasts with the turquoise color of the water. Although part of the island is quite steep, the bicycle here is the perfect means of transport, just as the most appropriate way to eat their typical grilled sardines is with your hands.
Choose the Hotel La Marine, where you can either rent a bike or go out to sea in a catamaran to fish for sea bream, whiting, conger etc. And with a picnic on the high seas included! If what you prefer is to be in front of the port, rest in Ty Mad, also simple and with a good restaurant.
Convex beach of Grands-Sables, Groix.
Different megaliths show the human presence thousands of years ago, however Groix would not prosper until beginning of the 20th century when it became the main tuna port in the country. To find out a little more, visit L'Ecomusee de L'Ile de Groix, in a former canning factory in Port-Tudy.
In addition, trekking addicts are in luck: since the beginning of the year Groix has three routes validated by the Fédération Française de Randonnées Pédestre, perfectly marked paths —and darned with heather— from which to approach the terrain in the most natural way possible. If you start walking, don't pass La pointe des Chats and its Pen-Men (its square lighthouse), nor the Trou de l'Enfer (Hell's Hole), where the sea roars violently through the crack in the cliff .
Ile D'Ouessant
ILE D'OUESSANT
Voucher. The experience may not be as extreme as sleeping in the nearby tiny L'île de Keller (a huge private rock of a kilometer and in whose only manor house its owners spend the holidays without running water or electricity), but the Île D'Ouessant offers 'virtually' the same summer solitude.
The best thing about visiting Ouessant is knowing that, when you arrive at La pointe de Pern, you will be in the westernmost point of metropolitan France . With a large number of vestiges and ruins, you should not miss the Fort Saint-Michel, built in 1902. Also, you should go equipped with binoculars, since the island is a very important ornithological reserve, with 400 species of birds identified during migration.
There was a time when establishments did not have great luxuries. That is the case of the quiet and friendly Roc'h ar Mor, a business that runs in the hands of the same family for three generations and whose terrace directly overlooks Porsmeur beach. But a newcomer to the island, the Hostellerie Point Saint-Mathieu, has changed the overall picture: with its spa, its swimming pool, its restaurant located in a 14th century mansion, its ruins of an old abbey and the lighthouse! French delicacy and exclusive treatment are its hallmarks.
Views of the Hostellerie Point Saint-Mathieu, Île D'Ouessant.
NOIRMOUTIER ISLAND
The best thing about this island is that since 1971 it is linked by a toll road to the mainland via a bridge. It is not necessary to take a ferry to discover its marshes, salt flats, dunes, paths full of mimosas and oak forests. And if you don't feel like paying to get there, you can always wait for low tide and rush across the Gois Pass (a cobblestone causeway leading from Beauvoir-sur-Mer) just before high tide floods it again.
In a building that has been almost everything, from a salt warehouse to the home of the island's bosses, the good thing about the Hotel du General d'Elbee is that Over the centuries, it has managed to preserve that spirit —and decoration— typical of the mansion that it once was. So take advantage and treat yourself to a royal breakfast (or revolutionary, as you prefer, I've already said that this building has belonged to 'everyone') in its lounge open to the garden with views of the pool.
To taste its cuisine, where oysters and mussels monopolize almost all the attention, reserve a table at Les Plateaux. Do not leave the island (besides until low tide) until you have tried the agneau de pré salé (a lamb fed on meadows that are sometimes covered by the sea so its meat is already naturally salted).
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Hôtel du Général d'Elbée swimming pool.