Port of St Malo is one of the most important ports in France, receiving over one million passengers every year heading either to or from Great Britain, Jersey or Guernsey. Condor Ferries, operating services via the Channel Islands to Poole, and Brittany Ferries, operating services to Portsmouth, make St Malo the first port of call en route to Western France. The port has three marina areas with 2,000 berths and full supporting facilities. There’s also a commercial port handling cargoes including granite, wood, fertilizers, salt and animal feed and a fishing port which, together with neighbouring Cancale, receives 4,000 tonnes of fish a year.
Port of St Malo is one of the most important ports in France, receiving over one million passengers every year heading either to or from Great Britain, Jersey or Guernsey. Condor Ferries, operating services via the Channel Islands to Poole, and Brittany Ferries, operating services to Portsmouth, make St Malo the first port of call en route to Western France. The port has three marina areas with 2,000 berths and full supporting facilities. There’s also a commercial port handling cargoes including granite, wood, fertilizers, salt and animal feed and a fishing port which, together with neighbouring Cancale, receives 4,000 tonnes of fish a year.
St Malo Attractions. The heart of St Malo is the old walled town, known as Intra-Muros or ‘within these walls’, which is best viewed when sailing into port early in the morning. You can climb up the 20-foot thick city walls and walk around them for a full mile. Large parts of it were rebuilt only 50 years ago, after the devastation of World War Two. The beaches near St Malo stretch all along the Northern Brittany Coast and are easily accessible. In the city, you can visit citadel and, to the south, the Grand Aquarium (£9 entry), which uses impressively-lit tanks full of aquatic life to give a fun and family-friendly explanation of the "Mysteries of the Sea”. Visitors can also ride underwater past a lost city and wrecks on the ’Nautibus’ .
St Malo has several museums reflecting the distinctive history and culture of Brittany. The spectacular monastery, Le Mont St Michel, is built on a semi-island and is often cut off at high tide. The nearby mussel and oyster farms welcome visitors. St. Malo is full of examples of beautiful buildings and attractions that depict a rich historical tapestry, including the magnificent Cathedral, the City History Wax Museums, the Old Market Hall, St Sauveur Chapel, the House of the Duchess Anne and the ancient street of Pelicot, with its timber houses. At low tide it is possible to access the isle of Grand Bé, where the romantic French writer Chateaubriand is buried. The Alet peninsula offers an overhanging panoramic view on the Bay of St Malo, which is also the perfect gateway to explore further the delights of Western France.
St Malo Shopping and Dining. Amble along the tiny cobbled ancient streets, enjoy the fascinating shops full of local crafts, browse the open markets or try some of the great seafood restaurants, bars and boutiques. St Malo offers a host of delicious recipes, from the traditional meal of pancakes and cider to prestigious gourmet feasts. There is also a huge supermarket, just outside the city.
St Malo History. Founded in the 6th century by the Welsh monks Mac Low, Saint Malo was first established on the Alet Peninsula. St Malo is also called the City of Corsairs, because the corsairs, or privateers, preyed at will on the English ships crossing the channel in the 18th and the 19th centuries. The city walls were originally built in the 14th century, although the military architect Vauban designed most of what still stands in the 18th century. The Second World War left a huge mark on St Malo. The 1944 liberation battles devastated the town and destroyed 80 per cent of the walled city. But from those preserved and restored ruins, St Malo rose again to become one of Brittany's tourist highlights and the number one port on its Northern shores.
St Malo Access. Excellent, toll-free dual carriageway links St Malo to the N137 and the rest of the French road network.