directions_bike by Chris Riches -

Cherbourg to Carteret

The departure from Dorset was a couple of days later than planned due to the bad weather, heavy seas and a cold. Had a mostly flat, sunny crossing from Poole and arrived in Cherbourg at 1345. Headed for Carteret on the western Normandy coast along some very pleasant cycle ways mostly free of traffic and through countryside. Stopped at Brix for a much needed ham and cheese grignette and strawberry macarons.

Located a nice campsite on the edge of Carteret where I was given a spot by the fishing pond, which the neighbours where later fishing in.

After putting up the tent I cycled the short distance down to the coast to take in the view of Jersey at sunset. In the street leading to the beach I was surprised to find a night market with food, art and gift stalls.

The new cycling computer has been really useful already!

Distance: 29 miles

Maximum temperature: 23 degrees C

Leaving Poole Harbour
Shipping forecast for the Channel
Stopping at Brix
Camping by the fishing pond
Beach at Carteret
Dusk at Carteret
directions_bike by Chris Riches -

Carteret to Donville-les-Bains

Left Carteret early in the morning and headed down the west coast of the Cotentin Peninsula towards Granville. The sea wasn’t visible for much of the route but stopped at Anneville-sur-Mer for lunch and swan in the sea there at a fairly empty beach which stretched right along the horizon.

Later in the day much of the the area had an estuary type landscape and I cycled over several bridges on the journey south, most notably one running adjacent to the partially destroyed Pont de la Roque. Later discovered that the old bridge was bombed during the Second World War by British bombers in an attempt to prevent German forces from moving south towards Brittany. It has been left as a memorial and served as a visible reminder of the history of the area, and hasn’t been rebuilt since the bombing.

Arrived in the early evening at low tide at a campsite adjacent to the beach, just outside the former cod fishing port of Granville, which was just in sight further along the coastline.

Distance: 51 miles

Maximum temperature: 22 degrees C

Beach at Anneville-sur-Mer
directions_bike by Chris Riches -

Donville-les-Bains to Feins

Departed southwards through the outskirts of Granville, aided by a small tailwind. The unmistakable outline of Mont St Michel came in to view in the far distance when going along a riverside path near Avranches. It would remain occasionally visible on the horizon whilst approaching Brittany.

It was nice to reach the sign marking the border between Manche in Normandy and Ille-et-Vilaine in Brittany. Stopped for late lunch in the small town of Antrain, and then passed through several small villages before I reached the lakeside campsite near Feins. Had a swim in the lake there in the evening.

Distance: 53 miles

Maximum temperature: 30 degrees C

Looking towards Granville

First sighting en-route of Mont St Michel

Brittany / Normandy border

directions_bike by Chris Riches -

Feins to Guipry

The journey from Feins to Guipry was very flat and scenic alongside the Canal d’Ille-et-Rance and the Vilaine river, with a vertical ascent of only 370ft, mostly on an off-road path without any traffic. The route went through Rennes which turned out to be a good place to stop for a galette for lunch. There were many people out on various rivercraft but fewer and fewer cyclists as I got further away from Rennes.

Checked in for €8 to the municipal campsite at Guipry in the evening.

Distance: 54 miles

Maximum temperature: 33 degrees C

Canal d’Ille et Rance

Chevaigné

Le Pont Réan

Bruz

directions_bike by Chris Riches -

Guipry to Nantes

Decided to get up early before sunrise in order to pack the tent and then get on the bike whilst the air temperature was still cool. Was pleased to find that the 10mph wind was coming from the north and this helped with progress towards Nantes and it also had a cooling effect.

I stopped in a nice patisserie in the small town of Blain, after that the route was mostly along the early nineteenth century Nantes-Brest canal. Generally it was very quiet along the canal but as the first signage for Eurovelo 1 became visible I noticed an increasing amount of other cycle tourists. Tall trees provided quite a lot of shade on the canal path, and elsewhere there were some small sections of pine forest, open farmland and some nice long straight descents.

Upon reaching the outskirts of Nantes I found excellent cycleways alongside the road and these extended right in to the city centre. Thus far I have been fortunate to find that campsites had a place available without booking, however the Nantes campsite that I was hoping to stay in was full. Decided to stay in a hotel in the old town of Nantes which upon first impressions looks like a beautiful city.

Distance: 63 miles

Maximum temperature: 32 degrees C

Nantes-Brest canal

Signage for Eurovelo 1 started appearing on the canal path

directions_bike by Chris Riches -

Nantes to Les Moitiers-en-Retz

Nantes is the 6th largest city in France and was once it’s largest port. I spent the first part of the morning viewing the Chateau des ducs de Bretagne, Cathedral of St Peter and St Paul, and the Botanical garden in Nantes, and having a quick look at the quirky shops, bars and restaurants of the old town area, enjoyed the 18th century facades, and then departed towards the Atlantic coast.

Outside of Nantes, and now on the sunnier side of the Loire, there was a change in the architectural style of the housing compared to Brittany, most obviously in the roof style which was now terracotta coloured rather than the dark grey roofs I saw in Brittany.

Although now in the Pays de La Loire region there were still signs of Breton heritage around, with Nantes previously being Brittany’s old capital.

The cycling infrastructure getting out of Nantes was as good as the way in, but later on relying on the sat nav took me along a busy main road with what seemed to be traffic heading to the coast, ie campervans with bikes mounted on the back and cars piled with things. This queue later became fast moving and the segregated cycle lane had already disappeared. I diverted to much quieter roads, some of which were simply unpaved / gravel tracks, and there were many slowly rotating wind turbines dotted amongst the fields.

Seeing the coastline when I reached the Atlantic coast was exciting as it meant the route from now on would follow the Eurovelo 1 down the west coast.

During the evening I visited a restaurant in the main village, rehydrated and then watched the tide come in and the sun set over the Atlantic – to my surprise it was quite far out when I had arrived earlier in the day.

Distance: 30 miles

Maximum temperature: 33 degrees C

Nantes Botanical Gardens

Slightly unusual garden centre between Nantes and the coast

Nantes street

Chateau des ducs de Bretagne

Chateau des ducs de Bretagne

Beach adjacent to campsite at Les Moitiers-en-Retz

Sunset over the Atlantic Coast

directions_bike by Chris Riches -

Les Moitiers-en-Retz to Saint-Hilaire-de-Riez

Decided to set off from the campsite at sunrise and headed straight down the coast. The scenery was quite varied, ranging from the small fishing ports and coastal inlets found near Les Moitiers-en-Retz, cycling along the top section of what appeared to be man-made levees built to prevent coastal flooding, through pine forests, and in the latter part of the day, going through built up beach resorts. Some seemed to stretch for miles along the beach.

Initially I had planned to take the cycle route over to Île de Noirmoutier and then continue further south back to the mainland along the other bridge. It wasn’t until I reached the most northerly crossing point that I discovered that this causeway flooded at high tide, and was actually impassable at the point I arrived, as it was fully submerged. Warning signs were present just before the causeway. This presented a good opportunity to have a crepe and consider what type of detour would be needed. The area was quite low lying and flat at this point, but later in the day, through the pine forests, the terrain had more hills.

Considering I hadn’t made a booking and some of the campsite receptions seemed to close fairly early, I started seeing what accommodation was available and there was a good selection on the route that I was on. Eventually after making some enquiries I found a campsite near the beach, on the outskirts of the town of Saint-Hilaire-de-Riez. After locating exactly where to pitch the tent, which turned out to be in a pine forest, and pitching it, had a very refreshing swim in the sea.

Distance: 45 miles

Maximum temperature: 32 degrees C

The beach at Les Moitiers-en-Retz at sunrise

Coastal wind turbines

Beach at Saint-Hilaire-de-Riez

Sign at the Passage du Gois causeway to Île de Noirmoutier