47.59° N · 3.04° W
In Carnac thousands of standing stones are lined up in the fields, raised more than six thousand years ago. Half an hour away, the Gulf of Morbihan is an enclosed sea with dozens of islands reached by boat in minutes.
Part of Customs Officers' Path (GR 34)Brittany Coast
What to do
Each plan says how long it takes, who it's for and whether you can book.
About 3,000 standing stones in three fields: free path all year, guided visit from €13 and independent entry in winter.
The gulf's largest island, five minutes by boat from Port-Blanc for €6.80: car-free paths, a cromlech and a dolmen.
The visitor centre for the Carnac menhirs, opposite Ménec: free exhibition and video, ticket office for the €13 guided visit.
Plan the trip
Each choice narrows the next: the season shapes how best to travel, and how you travel decides where you stay and where you eat.
When to go
May, June and September for the gulf and the beaches. From October to March the alignments can be walked freely and without crowds, although many crêperies and hotels in Carnac-Plage close. In July and August everything fills up and the menhirs can only be seen on a guided visit.
Who you're with
A trip with a toddler is not the same as one with a teenager. Pick yours to see what works and what to bear in mind.
Carnac works very well with children of different ages: the menhirs can be seen from the path, the island is five minutes away by boat and the beach has no big waves.
In Carnac the dog can walk on a lead along the path that skirts the alignments, and in winter enter the open fields. On the gulf, Izenah Croisières boats admit it on a lead, including on the launch to the Île aux Moines. Two places to stay accept it: a campsite next to the standing stones and a hotel facing the sea.
Where to stay
Why we like it: A four-star campsite on the Kerlescan road, at the entrance to the alignments. You walk out to the menhirs.
Why we like it: Forty rooms on the boulevard de la Plage, with a spa and restaurant. Open from April to October.
Where to eat
From set lunch menus to Michelin stars. We mark the price level and what to order at each place.
What to order: a buckwheat galette, a wheat crêpe and a bolée of cider.
Nearby
The closest places, whichever country they are in.
Tips
It is about two hours on foot from Ménec to Kerlescan. Park once and walk.
The currents in the gulf are strong; the scheduled boats adjust their timetable, but in a kayak or your own boat the tide rules.
With low light and the morning mist the menhirs are more impressive.
Rows of granite menhirs, raised in the Neolithic, stretching for kilometres between Carnac and La Trinité-sur-Mer in three fields: Ménec, Kermario and Kerlescan. It is one of the largest megalithic sites in the world. The Maison des Mégalithes, opposite Ménec, is the starting point.
It depends on the month. From October to March you can walk freely into the fields. From April to September, the interior can only be visited with a guide (book at the Maison des Mégalithes or online) and the rest of the year you see the menhirs from the path that surrounds them, which is always free.
From Nantes, the airport with the most flights from Spain, it is about an hour and a half by car on the free N165. The nearest railway station is Auray. From the border it is about 710 km, with tolls as far as Nantes.
Questions
The path around the fields is free all year. The guided visit to the interior, from April to September, is paid.
One for Carnac and the Île aux Moines. Two or three if you want the beach, the gulf by boat and Vannes.
By boat from Port-Blanc, in Baden: a five-minute crossing, every half hour and all year round.
Yes. Carnac-Plage faces Quiberon Bay, with sand and calm water for children.
Geocaliahttps://www.geocalia.com/en/france/brittany/carnac-and-morbihan-gulf
