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

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