Again updating this old post from 2015 showing the wonderful peninsula of Rhuys or Presqu’île de Rhuys. A rather vast territory of many towns and most coastal ones with beautiful scenary. I have many posts on the towns of it in my blog but this was a bit of a tour around several. Hope you enjoy it as I do!
Well my regular rounds in my department 56 Morbihan, took me to the peninsula of rhuys or Prequ’île de Rhuys. Indeed a peninsula full of boats, megaliths stones, and especially beaches;great in summer, peacefully nice in winter season.
We set out by car, of course, as it is only about 60 km (about 37 miles) from me all the way to the tip of the peninsula. The road N165 runs Nantes to Brest and take it past Vannes to the exit with the name Presqu’île de Rhuys and Sarzeau the biggest town there. You will be on the road D780 and as we took some side steps we went on the D198 as well.
We stop at the village of Le Hézo to load up on cider! A case mix of brut, doux, and fruité or semi sec. There is a museum here too, musée de la cidre, and they show you how it is made ; and a great boutique with a lot more than cider, such as honey, jams, house deco items, whiskies, eau de vie de cidre, etc. webpage: https://www.museeducidre.com/en
We continue on to arrive on the D780 to Sarzeau, before we made a quick look at a castle always planning but never done it, opens in July 1, Chateau de Kervelenan, (see post)wonderful property, the gardens are open more time.
And then into Sarzeau center ,there was market day of course, all Saturdays we load up on goodies and baguettes, saw the wonderful Church Saint-Saturnin dating from the 17C where the square the market is held all around it. Plenty of parking by the cinema le Richmont area on the place des Trinitaires for free. see posts
We wondered about town city center with the great ambiance of market day, but continue our journey for lunch. We took the road D198 and headed for Saint Gildas de Rhuys a great peaceful community surrounded by great beaches and a nice quaint city center where we had our lunch. Pizzeria Restaurant Le Casier. Here the service was very friendly and very attentive to detail as well as prompt. The resto has a nice garden terrace and then go inside with two dining sections we took the back by the wine cellar, very nice decoration and the food was great from moules/mussels( curry and white wine) to pizzas (rustique and mexicaine)and ice creams in two and three scoops,diabolo menthe, and a bottle of Spanish Rioja wine Arjona 2014 joven young red wine nice. all for 21.50€ per person. webpage: https://www.lecasier.com/
Fully loaded we took turn on the local church just a few meters away, this is the Abbaye Saint-Gildas-de-Rhuys (see post) founded by one of the monks that left Great Britain for old Armoric (today Bretagne) when the migration leaving the Saxons invasions; today it is one of the most beautiful roman style churches in Bretagne/Brittany.
Just behind the abbey there is a circuit going to the beach or plage de l’appel du 8 juin 1940, and the port aux moines boat pleasure marina, nice lovely place to relax too.
We continue our journey into deeper in the peninsula of Rhuys and came upon Arzon, a smaller town just across from marvelous harbor of Port de Crousty, and the Church of Arzon, (see posts) completely done in the 19C even if the town is one of the oldest here on record mentioned since 836.
We continue our journey into the corniche du phare and walk along the waterfront into the great lighthouse while getting a great look at the island in the harbor tip such as île de Meaban, Cromlec’h, Er Lannic,île longue, île de Gavrinis, and île de la jument. All wonderful view along the harbor high ground walkways. Beautiful peaceful boat and sea magic. Love it. We went around on the other side and into the pointe de Bilgroix to get more views of the harbor and the wonderful stone statue of the Madonna, near the entrance to a megalith dating 2500-3000 BC.
As this was the end of the road, we headed back home first on the D198 then the D780 and finally the N165 direction Vannes to the D768 and home. In all ,another wonderful day out in beautiful Morbihan, which as many of my readers know is petite mer in French or actually small sea in Breton. Mor=Sea, Bihan=small.
The tourist office of the Morbihan dept 56 on the presqu’île de Rhuys in English: http://www.morbihan-tourism.co.uk/home/discover/morbihan/the-main-destinations/the-rhuys-peninsula
And there you go a nice ride into a wonderful peninsula of Rhuys or Presqu’île de Rhuys, we love to come and have plenty; see my many posts on it again. You will love it if into beaches, boatings, nautical activities, and of course heritage, architecture, and history as I love it too.
And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all!!!