Why you should take a daytrip to Belle-Ile-En-Mer
The incredibly picturesque island of Belle-Ile-En-Mer that is cloaked in mystery and surprise lies 15 kilometres off the French mainland at Brittany. Here we list why you should take a daytrip to Belle-Ile-En-Mer.
This popular French island has a total of 60 beaches and due to the ocean currents that sweep past the island, has a warmer climate than the waters that mainland coast. The beaches are tremendously beautiful on Belle-Ile-En-Mer, and, with their palm trees and white empty sands, are more reminiscent of the south Pacific, than of a northern European country.
The island is not particularly high and as a consequence the depressions sweeping in over the Atlantic ocean are not uplifted by the land mass which means it rains much less here than on mainland Brittany. Having less rain and more sunshine a microclimate is formed on Belle-Ile-En-Mer, where exotic plants thrive and the vegetation is reminiscent of the Mediterranean, augmenting the uniqueness and intense beauty of the island.
History
In the 18th century the British navy took control of Belle-Ile-En-Mer but ended up swapping the island for Menorca in a deal with the French .Former French president Francois Mitterand. Mitterand was a self-confessed lover of Belle-Ile-En-Mer and used to come here for his holidays to get away from the hubbub of city life and the pressures of his demanding job.
Claude Monet, Father of the impressionist painters
Monet came to Belle-Ile-En-Mer in the late 19th century and inspired by the exhilarating coastal surroundings, painted a series of seascapes, some of which are on display in the Musee D’Orsay in Paris. These powerful impressionist paintings create an almost claustrophobic effect as the viewer becomes drawn in to Monet’s three dimensional representations of the “wild coast”.
In fact so captivated was Monet by his subject that the artist stayed on Belle-Ile for ten weeks in 1886, lugging his easel around the island and painting in the open air. Some critics said that the series of paintings which Monet created on the island led to a great turning point in the artist’s style which altered his “oeuvre” forever more.
Daily boat service
Visitors can travel by boat to Belle-Ile-En-Mer from Quiberon, Vannes or Lorient but only Quiberon runs a year-round service. You can take your car on the ferry, alternatively you can hire a bicycle and discover the island at a pace which is more suited to island life – laidback and relaxed.
If you happen to be on the Quiberon peninsula than taking a boat to the stunning island of Belle-Ile-En-Mer to be captivated by the island’s charm the same way Monet was all those years ago, will certainly be a daytrip to Belle-Ile-En-Mer to remember.