Why you should visit St Malo in Brittany

From Corsairs to antiques – Why St Malo is well worthy of a visit! One of the many ferry routes from France to the UK leaves from the port of St Malo in Brittany and this can give the traveller some time to investigate this exquisite little French town, and it’s worth investigating as well!

Here’s why you should visit St Malo in Brittany:

Famed as the port of choice for the French pirates of yesteryear, the “Corsairs” liked nothing better than to attack and plunder British vessels laden with bounty as they sailed into the channel on their homeward journey.

St Malo has a wonderful old walled town, where it is possible to walk the entire length of the ramparts and watch the holidaymakers strolling on the golden sands of the beach down below. There are shops selling all manner of Corsair clothing and Breton shirts as well as atmospheric bars and restaurants in the narrow streets of the old town.

Outside of the old town one can still find many interesting shops, in particular antique shops, where you could find something very French and unique. The wood-burning stoves here for example have a very French style and are not to easy to come by in the UK.

Long established as a sea port of great importance, St Malo was once an island in the middle of the River Rance estuary but years of silting up has led to its fusion to the mainland. One of the more famous Corsairs from St Malo, Jacques Cartier has been accredited with the discovery of Canada.

Also it was from here that the first sailors set off to colonise the Falkland Islands. In 1758 the British fleet, tired of so much Breton pilfering, led a raid on St Malo but instead opted for the temporary occupation of nearby St. Servan, where they destroyed 30 Corsair ships before departing.

So if you are ever planning to start and finish your Breton holiday at St Malo, try and make time for at least a walk around the old walled town’s ramparts, as this charismatic old town is well worth a visit.