Brittany Coast, granite, lighthouses and ten-metre tides.

What is the coast of Brittany?

The shoreline of the peninsula in north-west France, between the bay of Mont-Saint-Michel, to the north, and the Loire estuary, to the south. Counting capes, rias and islands, it exceeds two thousand kilometres. Three seas wash it in different ways: the English Channel to the north, the open Atlantic at the far west, Finistère, and a more sheltered coast to the south, facing the Bay of Biscay.

The common thread is granite, which depending on the area is grey, golden or pink, and the tides. On the north coast the difference between high and low tide exceeds ten metres on spring tides: the sea retreats hundreds of metres, reveals islands that can be reached on foot and then returns quickly. The tide decides when you walk, eat seafood or visit an islet, and it is wise to check it every morning.

How do you get there and tour it?

By train, the TGV links Paris Montparnasse with Rennes in about an hour and a half, and with Brest or Quimper in a little under four hours on the fastest trains. From Rennes, regional TER trains run towards Saint-Malo, Saint-Brieuc, Vannes or Quimper. By plane, there are airports at Rennes and Brest, and Nantes is at the southern entrance of the region. From Spain by car it is a long day of motorway from Irún, via Bordeaux and Nantes.

Once there, the car gives freedom to reach capes and beaches without regular service, of which there are many. The Breton expressways are free, unlike the motorways in the rest of France. Without a car you can make a trip through the cities by train and regional bus, and move by bike or on foot between nearby villages.

On foot, the customs officers' path, the GR 34, goes round the coast for about two thousand kilometres, from Mont-Saint-Michel to the south. Nobody does it all in a holiday: the usual thing is to walk stretches of two to four hours between one village and the next. The islands are reached by passenger ferry: to Belle-Île, in under an hour from Quiberon; to Bréhat, in a few minutes from the Pointe de l'Arcouest; to Ouessant and Sein, from Finistère.

What to see from east to west and north to south?

The Emerald Coast begins at Saint-Malo, the walled corsair city, with Cancale and its oysters in the bay and Mont-Saint-Michel, already in Normandy, in the background. Inland, Dinan can be seen in a day. Further west is Cap Fréhel and, past Saint-Brieuc, the Pink Granite Coast, between Perros-Guirec and Trégastel, where the rock takes curious shapes.

In Finistère the coast becomes wilder. The Crozon peninsula combines cliffs, coves and the harbours of Camaret and Morgat. The Pointe du Raz looks to the island of Sein and its currents, with Locronan a short distance away. On the south coast of Finistère are Concarneau, with its walled town on the harbour, and Quimper, the city of the cathedral and the faience.

In the south, Carnac and the Gulf of Morbihan combine thousands of menhirs in rows and an inland sea full of islands, with Vannes as the base city. Opposite, Belle-Île is the largest island in Brittany. If you have a day to spare, the Brocéliande forest, west of Rennes, swaps the coast for Arthurian legends. The Brittany page brings together all the region's destinations.

When to go and what changes in each season?

From May to September there are long days, with light until very late in June, and mild temperatures, rarely strong heat. June and September are the best months: stable weather, fewer people and all services open. In July and especially August the French holidays coincide: beaches, car parks and accommodation fill up, and prices rise. The water is cold all year, even in August.

In spring and autumn it rains more and the wind blows, but the coast is seen without crowds and the equinox spring tides are the most spectacular. In winter many guesthouses, campsites and boats to the islands stop or reduce services; storms over the cliffs are a good reason to go, with suitable clothing.

How many days and how to split them?

The whole coast needs two weeks or more. With a week, choose two stretches: the Emerald Coast and the Pink Granite, or Finistère and the south. A base of three or four nights per stretch allows there-and-back outings without changing hotel. With a long weekend, Saint-Malo with Cancale and Dinan is the simplest plan, especially if you arrive by train in Rennes.

What is worth knowing before going?

Check the tide tables before crossing on foot to any islet: the sea rises quickly and can leave you cut off. The weather changes within hours, so bring a waterproof and a warm layer even in summer. On the GR 34 stretches above cliffs do not go near the edge in strong wind. Book the ferry to the islands in advance in July and August, especially if you are taking a car to Belle-Île.