Sufficiently foreign yet reassuringly familiar, Brittany has long boasted a winning formula for UK holidaymakers, and Dinard, the most attractive resort on the north coast, provides the ideal base to explore the region.
From the poignancy of the Second World War battlefields (some 90 minutes away) to the ever-present Victorian influences – golf courses, place names – Dinard and its surroundings feel, in some senses, like a continuation of southern England.
Here, you'll find striped 19th-century beach huts; belle époque mansions with their bow windows; patchwork fields; cider producers and butter churners; wild moorland reminiscent of Dartmoor, and Dinard's own British film festival. And all a leisurely ferry ride from Portsmouth.
The key difference is, of course, the diet. There are restaurants offering tantalisingly fresh seafood at every turn. And, as you tuck into lobsters and langoustine, and look out across the sweeping arcs of golden sand, the rich maritime heritage and the nearby citadel of St Malo, you'll realise why this quiet seaside town has, for so long, been so hard for the British to resist. And it's not too late to visit – the warmth of the Gulf Stream climate lingers late into autumn.
Get there by…
Brittany Ferries (0871 244 0466; www.brittany-ferries.com), which offers services from Portsmouth, Plymouth and Poole to Caen, Cherbourg and Roscoff. The high-speed service from Portsmouth to Cherbourg takes three hours. For those not in a hurry, overnight services are also available from Portsmouth to St Malo, returning during the day. Return fares start from £85 per person, for a car with two passengers on the Portsmouth-to-Cherbourg service.
Trains run direct from London Waterloo to Portsmouth and Poole, and from London Paddington to Plymouth. Contact National Rail (08457 484950; www.nationalrail.co.uk) for details and prices. National Express (www.nationalexpress.com) offers daily coach services to all three British ports. For driving directions, see www.theaa.com/route-planner Ryanair (www.ryanair.com) has services to Dinard from both Stansted and East Midlands.Flights next month start from
£16 return.
Stay at…
The 150-year-old Grand Hotel Barrière (0033 2 30 88 01 03; www.lucienbarriere.com), which still commands the finest views in town, with panoramas over the Rance estuary and the walled city of St Malo. The rooms are very comfortable, and a spa, indoor pool, casino and secluded terrace with heated pool are available; from £110 per room per night. Hotel du Parc des Tourelles (0033 2 99 46 11 39; www.hotelduparc.org), 500 yards from the Plage de l'Ecluse, is a good-value alternative. With compact but clean rooms, Wi-Fi and generous breakfasts, it may not boast the amenities of higher-starred hotels but it is well placed, with friendly service.
For those on a budget, the small Camping le Châtelet in nearby Saint-Cast-le-Guildo has sweeping coastal vistas as well as views of the 14th-century Fort la Latte. The site boasts a pool, lake and is ideally placed to access the nearby sandy beach. A mobile home, sleeping five, costs from £25 per person per night in late August (based on five sharing) through Canvas Holidays (0845 268 0827; www.canvasholidays.co.uk)
Spend the morning…
Beating the blue-rinse brigade by taking an early morning stroll along Dinard's network of coastal footpaths that will lead you past some of the 400 or so belle époque villas that vie for prime position over Brittany's Emerald Coast, and the yachts bobbing in the Rance estuary where Winston Churchill used to holiday.
Failing that, opt to ramble along the 14th-century ramparts that almost encircle nearby St Malo (access from Porte Saint-Vincent) and offer great views of the bay, as well as the town's medieval streets below.
If you are feeling energetic, then earn your lunchtime moules marinières by packing the bikes (or hire) for a half-day trip east into Normandy. Park up in Pontsoron, eight miles away, and pedal along the banks of the Couesnon river, which divides the departments of Brittany and Normandy and leads to Mont Saint-Michel. Bretons still believe this Unesco heritage site should be theirs (silt deposits meant the river not only changed directions but hands). You can understand why they are so protective – it may have graced the cover of a dozen guidebooks, but from high on its granite perch, this Benedictine abbey still dominates all horizons.
Have lunch in…
La Gonelle (0033 2 99 16 40 47; www.lagonelle.com), a seafood specialist situated on the Promenade du Clair de Lune that boasts great views across the estuary; ask for a table on the terrace. If you have any doubts about the freshness of the seafood, they will evaporate when you see the oysters, crabs, mussels and langoustines and more being unloaded on the quayside in front of you. Open for both lunch and dinner, but book ahead.
Spend the afternoon…
Playing golf. It is perhaps no surprise, given the English connections, that the Breton peninsula is a hotbed for the sport. St Laurent, Les Ormes and St Malo offer a great mix of seaside links and parkland courses, but the historic Dinard Golf Club, the second oldest in France, is my pick. Situated five miles away in Saint-Briac-sur-Mer, this classic seaside links course may be short by modern standards, but with the stiff ocean breeze and fast greens it can still be challenging. The views over the headlands, harbours, beaches and beginnings of the Atlantic alone are worth the trip.
Your Golf Travel (0800 043 6644; www.yourgolftravel.com) offers a range of great-value breaks at several courses in the region. Three nights' B&B at the Grand Hôtel du Val-André, plus rounds at both Dinard Golf Club and Golf Les Ormes, costs £369.
Have dinner in…
La Duchesse Anne (5 place Guy-La-Chambre, 0033 2 99 40 85 33), a Michelin-starred brasserie set in the ramparts of St Malo and perhaps the pick of all the restaurants in the area. Fresh seafood (turbot in beurre blanc, Cancale oysters and grilled lobster in a rich brandy sauce) is the mainstay of the traditional French menu. Mains from £18.
For those who prefer sundowners and a generous servings of salade niçoise, plates of seafood crêpe or steaming bowls of moules marinières, look no further than the seafront eateries dotted along the Plage de l'Ecluse, where people-watching, street performances and live bands help you while the evening away.
Spend the next day…
On the beach. Dinard may never quite recapture the halcyon days of the late 19th century, but with four beaches and a benign climate it remains one of northern France's most popular seaside destinations. The lively Plage de l'Ecluse is the centre of the action. This large stretch of sand, situated a stone's throw from the town centre, boasts watersports, seafront bars, live bands and the blue-and-white-striped Victorian beach huts that have barely changed in centuries.
The quieter Plage Prieure, located a 10-minute walk from the town centre, comes complete with saltwater pools and plenty of shade and is a great place to escape the weekend crowds. The isolated Plage de St Enogat, located just out of Dinard, will also appeal to those who like a slice of the quiet life.
For more details…
Try the tourist information office (2 boulevard Féart, 0033 2 99 88 21 07, www.ot-dinard.com)
