Saint-Malo Intra Muros

What it is

Saint-Malo intra muros is the walled city of the privateers, about 18 km from Cancale, some 25 minutes by car. It can be covered on foot in half a day: the rampart walk, the granite streets, the cathedral and, if the tide allows, the Fort National, which you reach on foot over the sand. From Cancale it is the easiest excursion on the coast.

What you see

• The ramparts. About 1,754 m of walkway around the city, of medieval origin and extended between 1708 and 1744. They came through 1944 intact. They can be walked freely and give views over the beaches, the islets and the port.
• The castle. From the 15th century, with four corner towers and a 35 m keep; today it is the town hall. The Quic-en-Groigne tower was built on the orders of Duchess Anne against the opinion of the townspeople, and bears the inscription recalling it.
• Saint-Vincent cathedral. A cathedral since 1146 and built over some seven centuries, it was badly damaged in 1944 and restored. It holds the tombs of Jacques Cartier and Duguay-Trouin.
• The shipowners' houses. 18th-century merchants' mansions along the rampart, between the Saint-Philippe and Saint-Louis bastions. Most of the façades were rebuilt identically after 1944.
• The Maison de la Duchesse Anne and the Maison des Poètes et des Écrivains, on the rue du Pélicot, a 17th-century timber-framed house that survived the fire of 1661.
• The Saint-Sauveur chapel, a former 18th-century hospital chapel, which hosts major exhibitions in summer.

The Fort National and the tide

In front of the rampart, the Fort National is a fort on an islet that is crossed on foot from the plage de l'Éventail at low tide. It is visited with a guide through its two enclosures and its underground passages, in season: in 2026 it reopened on 1 June, with hours that depend on the tide. In November there are no visits. Prices and hours are on the fort's website. Before crossing, check the time of high water: the sea cuts off the way.

Beaches

At the foot of the rampart is Bon-Secours beach, with a seawater pool with a diving board and a sailing school, and views of the islets of the Grand Bé and the Petit Bé. In summer it is very lively.

Getting there from Cancale

• By car: about 18 km, some 25 minutes. Leave the car outside the intra muros and enter on foot through one of the gates.
• By bus: the MAT network links Cancale with Saint-Malo. Line 5 is regular; line 9, which runs on Saturdays, Sundays, public holidays, school holidays and in summer, goes along the Saint-Malo beaches to Cancale and reaches the intra muros. See the bus from Saint-Malo.
• On foot: the GR34 links Saint-Malo with Cancale along the coast and ends at the Pointe du Grouin.

How long

Half a day for the ramparts, the cathedral and the streets. With the Fort National and a while on the beach, a day.

When to go

At low tide you have the Fort National and the sand at your feet; at high tide and in a storm, the sea pounds against the walls. Check the tide table to plan the day.

With children, a pushchair and a dog

To get up on the rampart with a pushchair, ask the tourist office about the access points. Children like the walk across to the Fort National and the Bon-Secours seawater pool in summer. With a dog, on a lead in the city.

Back to Cancale

For dinner, go back to Cancale and sit on the quay at La Houle: Le Troquet cooks fresh produce at the port, and the oyster market is open until 17:30 in winter.