Camping in Brittany

Why we love holidays in Brittany

This ruggedly beautiful region in the far northwestern corner of France (so close to the UK, too) really has it all when it comes to family holidays where the outdoor fun just keeps on coming! Brittany’s captivating mixture of ancient forests, sunkissed coves and lovely seaside towns is ideal for family days of exploration and safe bathing. This ancient Celtic land is closely linked with Ireland, Wales and Cornwall, creating a landscape that abounds in mystery and legend, yet feels strangely similar to home too!

Stretching back thousands of years into prehistory, mysterious megaliths, menhirs and dolmen punctuate the landscape, with Carnac featuring around 3,000 aligned stones dating back to 4000BC as the world's largest megalithic site. From the fortified fishing port of Concarneau to the Gothic splendour of Quimper Cathedral, the land is full of wonder and beauty. We love the perfectly preserved villages of Locronan and Dinan, the Celtic festivals that bring local culture alive, and those stunning coastlines. Brittany offers the perfect family holiday package, just a few hours’ travel time from home.

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Essence of Brittany

Celtic heritage alive

Brittany's Celtic roots run deep, with close links to Ireland, Wales and Cornwall evident in traditional festivals featuring delicious made-in-Brittany food (try the Breton cake!), Breton lace headdresses, and haunting music.

Prehistoric wonders

The mysterious megalithic monuments scattered across the landscape, including Carnac's 3,000 aligned stones from 4000BC, create the world's most spectacular prehistoric sites.

Coastal perfection

From the sheltered sandy beaches of Carnac to the dramatic ramparts of Saint-Malo, Brittany's diverse coastline offers everything from family-friendly swimming to rugged clifftop walks.

Our favourite beaches in Brittany

Grande Plage, near Carnac is a 2km-long supervised beach that will be a hit with your family. Framed by picturesque 19th-century villas and pine groves, its soft sands and inviting waters are hard to resist. The sheltered sandy beach offers safe bathing with nearby prehistoric megalithic sites thrown in for good measure.

Sables Blancs, near Concarneau is another of our favourites. This fabulous family-friendly beach offers plenty of activities for kids throughout July and August, with beach clubs and supervised games.

Plage de l'Ecluse, in handsome Dinard is a great option too. This elegant Belle Époque resort town's main beach offers beautiful sand, safe swimming, and stunning views across to Saint-Malo. We also recommend the beaches of the Crozon peninsula: all 37 of them! Take your pick…

Our favourite things to do in Brittany

Fun days out

Pont Scorff Zoo features more than 600 animals of 120 species from across the globe set in tropical paradise, with hippos, giraffes, panthers, wolves, lemurs, otters, and the stars of the show - two beautiful white lions.

L'Aquarium Audierne is another favourite attraction: it’s a large aquarium with excellent marine life and daily shows including birds of prey, plus on-site shop and restaurant facilities. Les Balneides’ indoor heated pools and outdoor pools, slides and water chutes - including Brittany's longest chute at 75 metres - will be a hit with your kids. It’s at Fouesnant. Odet Loisirs outdoor play park in Elliant features pedaloes, trampolines, rope bridges and rides that kids absolutely love too.

Walk through the pink granite coast at Ploumanac'h

Getting active

Brittany is made for outdoor family fun. Coastal walking along Brittany's spectacular shoreline is wonderful. The rugged headlands offer everything from gentle family strolls to challenging clifftop hikes, with the most popular routes including Concarneau's coastal path past grand villas and Sables Blancs beach, which glints at you down below (you can always wander down for a cooling swim).

Cycling tours through the countryside reveal medieval towns, ancient forests linked to King Arthur and Merlin, and riverside paths, with guided tours available from tourist offices throughout the region. Water sports along the extensive coastline include kayaking in sheltered harbours, sailing from numerous ports, and wind-surfing at beaches like Saint-Colomban-Plage near Carnac.

Cultural hotspots

Carnac's prehistoric aligned stones and megalithic tombs at Menec, Kermario and Kerlescan are unmissable. These huge granite structures have stood for six thousand years, with the Maison des Megalithes offering English films and guided tours. Quimper's Gothic Cathedral and medieval Bishop's Palace showcase Brittany's architectural heritage, with the Quimper Faience factory offering guided workshop tours of traditional earthenware production (great souvenirs too!).

Locronan, one of France's most beautiful medieval villages is unlike anywhere else in France. The Festival of Cornouaille in Quimper and Lorient's massive Celtic Festival bring together dancers, musicians, and food from Celtic nations including Ireland, Wales, Cornwall, and Spain.

Our favourite things to see in Brittany

Historic sites

Saint-Malo's imposing ramparts and fortified old town is one of France's most dramatic coastal cities, with its massive stone walls protecting narrow streets filled with corsair history, great restaurants and maritime heritage. Vannes' perfectly preserved medieval walled town (Vieux Vannes) features narrow pedestrianized streets, half-timbered houses, and fascinating carvings, all enclosed by gardens and streams with the Cathedral at its heart.

Concarneau's ‘Ville Close’, or walled town, offers more of those atmospheric narrow streets adorned with trailing geraniums, filled with shops and restaurants, plus spectacular rampart walks with panoramic views and the Musée de la Peche maritime museum aboard an old trawler.

Cities and towns worth seeing

Quimperlé, at the confluence of Rivers Elle and Isole, is a real Breton gem. its narrow medieval alleyways, ancient merchant’s houses and beautiful buildings date to the Middle Ages, and the circular 11th-century Sainte-Croix Abbey is home to Brittany's most beautiful Romanesque crypt.

Lorient is an important fishing and industrial port with fascinating wartime history museums, plus access to beautiful beaches at Ploemeur and Larmor Plage and the lovely Ile de Groix island 14km offshore. Dinan's cobbled streets and half-timbered houses create one of Brittany's most perfectly preserved medieval towns, with dramatic ramparts overlooking the Rance River and excellent markets showcasing local produce. Wander down the main street to the riverside for lunch (if you’ve the energy to wander back up again, that is!).

Natural wonders

The Morbihan Gulf's scattered islands feature Neolithic ruins and standing stones, many becoming submerged by rising seas, accessible through boat trips from Vannes port offering unique archaeological and natural experiences.

The Crozon Peninsula is one of our favourite of Brittany’s many dog-toothed headlands. Here you’ll enjoy dramatic coastal scenery with towering cliffs, hidden coves, and some of Brittany's most spectacular beaches including the famous Morgat with its sea caves. Jardins de Rospico near Concarneau showcases 4 hectares of English-inspired botanical gardens with 2,000 plant varieties from hydrangeas to palms, creating peaceful escapes from coastal adventures.