The Port of Le Crouesty is a great place to use before timing the entrance to the Morbihan
It's a busy , bustling sort of a place but great for topping up water and supplies from the large supermarket - plus plenty of restaurants.
Posts
Very few cars - so people improvise !
It's a nice feature of the islands that there are very few cars , so people use their legs, bicycles or occasionally improvise with small scooters. As with most of these islands our Brompton's have proved to be invaluable to use for exploring.
Our first Morbihan Island stop was at a quiet anchorage at Ile d'Arz
I can't take credit for this photo (sadly) but it does give a great perspective on the island. We were anchored in the bay on the left hand side of the island. The islands in the Morbihan are quite different to soem of the windswept islands which face directly onto the Atlantic ocean. These islands are safely protected within the Gulf of Morbihan and whilst only accessible by boat they can be accessed throughout the year regardless of weather. They are not as glitzy as we might expect trendy costal resorts in the UK to be and retain much of the traditional charm.
Our first overnight at the top of the River Auray at Le Bono
We moored on a convenient buoy and took the dinghy up to the centre of Le Bono. It's a really pretty spot and well worth the visit. One of it's claims to fame is that it is the final resting place of the legendary French sailor Bernard Moitessier (who sailed in his boat Joshua in the original Golden Globe alongside Robin Know Johnston in 1969. For French people their sailing heroes are like rock stars - rather unlike the UK !
We finally made it to the Morbihan
We finally made it through the notoriously challenging entrance and into the Morbihan. It is a truly special place. Imagine a combination of Chichester harbour meeting the upper reaches of the rives Dart and Fal in the West Country and then multiply that by 2 or 3 times, add a few islands .... et voila you have the Morbihan. The city of vannes lies at the top of the Morbihan but there are many places to visit within the area.
What a beautiful sunset over Houat
We sat on deck and watched one of the most beautiful sunsets we have ever seen .
Ile de Houat has some of the best beaches in the area and a great place for a swim
Access is only by either your own boat or ferry so there aren't too many people on the beach even in August
Back to beautiful Brittany - the mussel harvest is in full swing
Out for another days cycling exploring the area around the Vilaine. The river estuary has many mussel beds and the mussels seem to be being harvested on an industrial scale. Continual incoming barges laden with mussel crates line up at the quayside. Well moules frites is on the menu in most restaurants around here and they have to come from somewhere !