Saint-Malo is a city on the coast of Ille-et-Vilaine, the eastern part of Brittany, with a population of 47,000 in 2022. It's a ferry port but is best known for its walled inner town or intramuros.
Understand
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Saint Malo (520-621) was a hermit and preacher from Wales who became the town's first bishop. That settlement was at Aleth 3 km south of the present town, which grew up on an island in the Middle Ages. It was a port on a rocky coastline, made extra hazardous by its tidal range of up to 14 m. It grew with the Atlantic trade - Cartier sailed from here to explore Canada, and Bougainville conferred the town's name on the Malvinas or Falkland Islands. But piracy paid better than legitimate trade or exploration and Saint-Malo was a notorious nest of corsairs through the 16th to 18th centuries, when they became outgunned by national navies.
The town was ringed by stout ramparts, the historic intramuros district, and became fused to the mainland, where the districts of Rocabey, Marville, Courtoisville, Découverte and the railway station grew up. It was heavily bombed in the Second World War but the old town was carefully restored. In 1967 the towns of Paramé to the east and Saint-Servan to the south were incorporated into Saint-Malo city.
1 Office de Tourisme is on Esplanade Saint-Vincent next to the castle, open daily 09:30-13:00, 14:00-18:30.
Get in
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By plane
[edit]Rennes-Saint-Jacques (RNS IATA) is the closest airport, 75 km south, with a range of domestic and short-haul European flights.
Paris CDG has a wealth of European and long-haul flights, and facilities including car hire. By public transport you need to travel via city centre.
Dinard–Pleurtuit–Saint-Malo (DNR IATA) nowadays only has private aviation.
By train
[edit]Trains from Paris Montparnasse run every couple of hours, with the fastest taking under 90 min and continuing to Brest.
Most other journeys involve changing in Rennes, which has an hourly service to Saint-Malo, taking an hour.
1 Saint-Malo station is on Av Anita Conti, 1.5 km east of the intramuros area.
By boat
[edit]Brittany Ferries sail here from Poole four days a week (7 hours) and Portsmouth six days a week (12 hours).
They also sail from St Peter Port on Guernsey four days a week, two hours.
DFDS sail daily from St Helier on Jersey, 70 min.
In summer a day-trip to or from Jersey or Guernsey may be possible.
Condor Ferries in 2025 were taken over by Brittany Ferries, along with most of their routes, but the Jersey routes went to DFDS.
2 Gare Maritime is the ferry port, 500 m south of intramuros area.
By bus
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Flixbus runs once a day from Nantes and Rennes, but the usual inter-city transport is the car pool system Blablacar. From Rennes rides are frequent and take 40 min.
Keolis Armor run day trips to Mont Saint Michel Apr-Oct, setting out from the railway station. They also run from Rennes year round.
By road
[edit]Saint-Malo is 70 km northwest of Rennes, follow D137 expressway. From Caen (170 km) take A84 southwest to Avranches, then N175 / N176 to join D137. From Paris (400 km) take either A13 to Caen or A11 / A81 via Le Mans to Rennes then as above. From Saint-Brieuc (92 km), Brest (234 km) and other points west, take N12 onto N176.
3 Parking Feval is a Park & Ride on Rue Paul Féval near the Hippodrome. In 2025 this was €3.30 for a car or €7.50 for a camper, which buys you 24 hours parking and a return ticket for a driver and three passengers on Bus 2 to Intramuros. You only pay when you leave.
Get around
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Walking is the best way to explore the old town. A dinky "Tourist Train" also chunters around.
MAT bus lines run to outlying districts and neighbouring towns.
Taxis wait at the railway station and entrance to old town.
See
[edit]- Ramparts form a "D" around the old town, studded with defensive towers. You can walk free along them 24 hours.
- 1 Cathédrale Saint-Vincent-de-Saragosse, Place Jean de Châtillon, ☏ +33 299 408231. Daily 09:30-18:30. The focus of intramuros, this was built in the 1150s / 60s in a mix of Romanesque and Gothic, replacing the cathedral at Aleth.
- Demeure de Corsaire, 5 Rue d'Asfeld, ☏ +33 299 560940. Tour Tu-Su at 15:00. Ship-owner's mansion of 1725. The guided tour is only in French, and you only see 3 of the 56 rooms. Adult €8.50, conc or child €6.
- Château de Saint-Malo is at the north end of intramuros, near the start of the causeway to Fort National. The oldest part, the Keep or Grand Donjon, was completed in 1424, and other towers were added during that century. The museum within closed in 2019 so you can only see the exterior.
- 2 Fort National, l'Îlette, ☏ +33 672 466626. Jun-mid Sep. Fortress on a tidal island, built by Garangeau in the 1690s to a design by Vauban. It's accessible only when the tide is out and the French tricolor is flying. Adult €5, child €3, cash only.
- 3 Grand Bé is a tidal islet reached from Bon-Secours beach. It has the remains of an old fort, and at its north end is the grave of François-René de Chateaubriand (1768-1848). This gloomy writer, diplomat and politician was one of the leading figures of the early 19th century Romantic movement and Roman Catholic revival, but he's now best commemorated in Chateaubriand steak.
- Petit Bé is reached by a continuation of the tidal causeway beyond Grand Bé. Its fort was built from 1689 and has been partly restored.
- 4 Fort de la Conchée on an islet further out was built in the 1690s and abandoned in 1901. It's seldom open.
- 5 Sainte-Croix is a neo-classical church of 1715-43, with the tower added in the 1830s. It's at 2 Rue Jeanne Jugan near the foot of Aleth peninsula (Bus 8), open Sunday afternoons.
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- Ar Zenith is a historic restored boat on the waterfront near Sainte-Croix. It was built in 1939 as a yawl or "dundee", a small vessel for long-line fishing. On 18 June 1940 when France was occupied by Germany, General Charles de Gaulle broadcast an appeal from London for able Frenchmen to rally to his forces in exile. Ar Zenith was the first vessel to respond to this call, slipping away to Plymouth where it was converted to a sloop and assigned to transport runs. It was disused after 1978 but restored in the 1990s. It's open July and August Tu & W 10:00-13:00, 15:00-19:00.
- Cathédrale Saint-Pierre d'Aleth is a scrappy ruin on Aleth peninsula near the campsite. It was built in 920 AD, lost its cathedral status to Saint-Vincent in 1144 and was destroyed in 1255.
- 6 Grand Aquarium, Rue du Général Patton, ☏ +33 299 211900. Daily 10:00-18:00. Large walk-through aquarium with a dozen habitats. Adult €18.90, child €13.90.
- 7 Rance Tidal Power Station (Usine marémotrice de la Rance), D168, ☏ +33 299 163714. The world's first large-scale tidal power station, completed in 1966. The Rance estuary has a large tidal range, driving turbines generating 240 MW. A canal lock in the west end of the dam permits the passage of vessels from the English Channel. Guided tours available, must be pre-booked.
- Château de la Briantais is a grand mansion built 1850-64 on the west bank of the Rance by the D168 road crossing. It's not open for visits but the park is accessible free in daylight hours.
- 8 Saint-Ideuc is a picturesque little 18th century church, east edge of town in what was then a separate village.
- 9 Musée Jacques Cartier, Rue David Macdonald Stewart, ☏ +33 299 409773. M-Sa guided tour at 10:00 & 14:30. Jacques Cartier or Jakez Karter (1491 – 1557) was born and lived in Saint-Malo. He made three expeditions to Canada (mistaking the Iroquois word kanata, "the village"), mapping the lower St Lawrence river and claiming the area for France. Initially convinced that he'd almost reached China (since his sponsor the king also needed convincing), by his last voyage he realised Canada was on a separate continent. He brought back a fabulous treasure of diamonds that turned out to be worthless pyrites, and the trading colonies he established all withered away. The museum exhibits his life and travels. Adult €6.80, child €3.40.
Do
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- Beaches: the main beach stretches 12 km along the north coast. Plage de Bon-Secours is west side of old town.
- Théâtre Chateaubriand is 100 m west of the cathedral.
- Cinema: Le Vauban 2-La Grande Passerelle is on Rue Théodore Monod facing the railway station.
- Football: US Saint-Malo play soccer in Championnat National 2, the fourth tier. Their Stade Marville is 300 m south of the railway station.
- Horse racing and trotting races are at the Hippodrome 500 m south of the railway station.
- Saint-Malo Golf is 26 km south at Le Tronchet, with several nearby hotels.
- Festival des Folklores du Monde is a week of folk-dance and music in early July.
- Festival de Musique Sacrée is in the cathedral and other churches in July / August.
- La Route du Rock is a music festival in August.
- Route du Rhum is a single-handed yacht race from Saint-Malo to Pointe-à-Pitre in Guadeloupe. It's every four years, with the next in Nov 2026.
Buy
[edit]Carrefour City supermarket is northeast of the cathedral at 10 Bis Rue Sainte-Barbe, open M-Sa 07:00-21:00, Su 09:00-13:00.
Eat
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- Breton specialties include:
- - Pancakes, either as sweet crêpes or savoury galettes.
- - Kouing Aman a cake made with butter and sugar. Best eaten piping hot, especially those with apple.
- - Mussels (moules) are locally harvested.
- - Oysters (huitres): the best are from nearby Cancale.
- Cafe de Saint-Malo is at 4 Place Guy la Chambre, just inside Grande Porte. It's open daily 09:00-22:30 and also sells fresh seafood to go.
- Petit Crêpier, 6 Rue Sainte Barbe, ☏ +33 299 409319. Daily 12:00-15:00, 19:00-21:30. Their daily selection of seafood galettes is a cut above the pack.
- Ty'papo (formerly Captain Ice) is at 2 Rue Jacques Cartier, a gelateria open Tu-Su 13:30-19:00.
- Crêperie le Tournesol, 4 Rue des Marins, ☏ +33 299 403623. Daily 11:30-15:00. Speciality galettes with a huge variety of fillings.
- Pizzerias: half a dozen in intramuros.
Drink
[edit]Local drinks include Breton beer, cider, Calvados and Chouchen mead. Brittany is not a wine-growing region, but there's plenty from the Loire region to the south.
There's 20 pubs in intramuros, serving food.
Sleep
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Intramuros
[edit]- San Pedro, 1 Rue Sainte Anne, ☏ +33 299 408857. Comfortable small nautical-themed hotel within the walled city. B&B double €100.
- Hôtel de l'Univers, 12 Place Chateaubriand, ☏ +33 299 408952. Good location within the walls, mixed reviews for quality. B&B double €100.
- Hôtel France et Chateaubriand, 12 Place Chateaubriand (next to Hôtel de l'Univers), ☏ +33 299 566652. Venerable hotel, showing its age. B&B double €100.
Elsewhere
[edit]- 1 Centre Patrick Varangot, 37 Av du RP Umbricht, ☏ +33 299 402980. Basic hostel 1 km east of intramuros.
- Mercure Saint Malo Balmoral, 24 Rue Théodore Monod (facing railway station), ☏ +33 299 561673. Clean efficient Accor-chain hotel. B&B double €100.
- 2 Manoir de Cunningham, 9 Place Mgr Duchesne, ☏ +33 299 213333. Charming half-timbered hotel, interior authentically cramped. B&B double €100.
- Hotel d'Aleth is a simple place 50 m west of Manoir de Cunningham at 2 Rue des Hauts Sablons.
- 3 Camping de la Cité d'Aleth, Allee Gaston Buy, ☏ +33 290 630213. Campsite on Aleth peninsula open April-Sep. Great views, shame about the loos.
Connect
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As of Sep 2025, Saint-Malo and its approach roads have 5G from all French carriers.
Go next
[edit]- Mont Saint Michel is a monastery and village on a tidal islet - the permanent causeway has been removed to restore its island character. It's mobbed in summer.
- Dinard has sandy beaches, high cliffs and 19th century "witches hat" houses. In October it hosts the English Film Festival.
- Côte d'Emeraude (Emerald Coast) further west has even better beaches, little towns such as St-Lunaire and St-Cast, and the lonely, craggy Cap Fréhel.