First post.
Bonjour tout le monde.
We are going to stay 5 days at Belle île mid-May. What do people do there?. Lots of walking and biking I guess. Any one has been there?
Merci beaucoup
Jeannette
Posted by
France Southwest
2340 posts
Hello Jeannette,
Belle-île en mer is, as its name suggests, a superb island that has remained very authentic.
Access to Belle Ile is of course by boat from Quiberon.
If you have a rental car you can bring your car on the boat
The crossing takes about 50 minutes
In summer it welcomes a lot of tourists but in May it should be quieter, and all the vegetation will be in bloom.
If you want to find accommodation for mid-May I advise you to do it as soon as possible
There is a wide choice. A few hotels, bed & breakfasts, lodges, and certainly Airbnbs.
There are also quite a few other holiday accommodations, but which are rented for at least 1 week.
If you are looking for traditional hosting you can try this link:
https://www.gites-de-france-morbihan.com/cap-sur-belle-ile-en-mer.html
Or the Belle-île website
https://www.belleileenmer.co.uk/accommodations
One of the most beautiful hotels on the island is "Le Grand Large"
https://www.hotelgrandlarge.com/en/
The most luxurious is the "Castel Clara" which is one of those chic and expensive hotels with Spa, Thalasso and fitness room that you will find all over the world.
Sarah Bernhardt had a house in Belle-île (there is a Sarah Bernhardt museum). I went on vacation to Belle-île for about 20 years, but I don't have a museum there :)
The main town which is also the port of arrival for the boats that connect Belle-île to Quiberon is "Le Palais". It is also an old fort fortified by Vauban which can be visited.
There is also the village of Sauzon, a charming little fishing port to the north
with a small traditional hotel next to the lighthouse
https://www.hotelduphare-belle-ile.fr/
The island is not very big (about 10mi long) and you can explore it by bike, there are several bike (and car & scooter) rental companies in Le Palais. You can also hike along the coasts
and enjoy the beaches. In May I'm not sure you'll have the courage to swim if you like warm waters. The beaches are mainly on the north side. South side they are very impressive cliffs. There are some small (or very small) typical Breton villages inland, and of course some good restaurants.
For example in Sauzon: "L'Abri Côtier"
https://abri-cotier-sauzon.fr/