Saint Malo's unique Brittany countryside is an excellent place to participate in outdoor activities. Walks along the beach, the rocky coastline or even the city ramparts are popular, as are water sports and swimming during the summer. Children will particularly enjoy the shark ring in the Grand Aquarium.

Boating
Travel agencies in town can help you book a tour of the bay and surrounding coastline. Boating tours typically last 1 hour, 30 minutes and devote a great deal of time to the region’s privateer heritage. Boats can also be chartered to outlying islands, particularly Jersey.

Exploring the Aquarium
The Grand Aquarium is a great way for families with children to spend an hour or two. A total of eight large tanks cradle a myriad of fascinating aquatic species. The most popular attraction, the shark ring, is built in such a way that spectators can stand in the midst of a pack of sharks in a hollowed-out cylinder running through the tank that seemingly immerses them in the underwater environment. Phone: +33 2 99 21 19 00.

Golfing
There are several golf courses located throughout the Brittany countryside, and a number of these are situated close to Saint Malo. The Saint Malo Golf Club (phone: +33 2 99 58 96 69) is the most accessible. The Golf Club du Chateau des Ormes (phone: +33 2 99 73 54 44) and the GAEA Gold de Lancieux (phone: +33 2 99 73 54 44) courses are also nearby.

Visiting the Beach
Brittany’s seaside cliffs and rocky outcroppings are interspersed with miles of sandy beaches that are ideal for sunbathing. While the water is chilly year-round, this doesn’t deter visitors to the resort. In fact, the cool waters can be quite refreshing in the heat of the summer months. Children should be closely supervised, as the undertow is formidable in certain areas. Two beaches, La Grande Plage du Sillon and Plage de Bon Secours, are situated close to the old city.

Water Sports
With the many resorts that line the coastline, it’s no surprise that water sports are a popular pursuit among visitors. Windsurfing and other less-intense beachside activities are easily arranged through numerous rental agencies. The best place to charter a yacht is in nearby Dinard, which is only eight miles (12kms) west of Saint Malo.

As one of Brittany’s premier destinations, Saint Malo boasts both impressive tourist infrastructure and a rich cultural legacy. Most of the architectural attractions can be found in the old quarter, crowned by the ancient chateau and the historical museum it holds. The cathedral’s history spans several centuries, and the cultural ebb and flow in the weekly outdoor market moves now much as it did many centuries ago.

History Museum
Housed in the Great Keep of Saint Malo’s chateau, this museum houses multiple exhibits pertaining to the region’s maritime history. The collection of artefacts begins with the foundation of the city and continues on through the massive reconstruction projects following WWII. Some of the most interesting exhibits explore the legacy of the pirates Surcouf and Duguay-Trouin. Phone: +33 2 99 40 71 57.

Intra-Muros
Saint Malo’s most alluring attraction is its old city (Intra-Muros). Built on a marvellous granite jetty, the old city perches over the channel at the northernmost edge of France. Intra-Muros is hemmed in by ancient, defensive walls that are 20ft thick. During peak holiday season, the narrow medieval streets within bustle with visitors admiring the city’s impressively restored architecture.

Outdoor Market
Saint Malo’s lively market convenes every Tuesday and Friday on the streets of the old city. Not only is this an excellent opportunity to pick up a few souvenirs of your time in Brittany, it’s also a great opportunity to watch locals carrying on with their daily activities.

Privateer’s House
The mansion of François-Auguste Magon offers excellent insight into lives of the government-funded pirates that patrolled the English Channel in the 18^th century. The house is listed on the French roster of historic places and holds several historical exhibits as well as a collection of ancient weaponry and model ships. Phone: +33 2 99 56 09 40

St Vincent Cathedral
Located on Rue St-Benoît, this cathedral houses the remains of French explorer Jacques Cartier, credited with discovering Quebec and other portions of Canada. The cathedral’s most impressive asset is its vault with 1,160 naves. The choir dates to the 1300s and is topped by a triforium and arches, while the cathedral’s tower dates to the 1400s. Phone: +33 2 99 40 82 31.

Saint Malo’s Intra-Muros area is overflowing with traditional French restaurants, street-side cafés and crệperies. Breton cuisine headlines almost every menu, and in this seaside province tourists have access to Europe’s greatest concentration of seafood restaurants.

An interesting culinary tangent, the salt air blowing in from the sea influences even the land-based livestock. Grass-fed lamb (ragout de mouton) is essentially marinated in the sea salts that coat the meadows where the animals graze.

Dining establishments cater for a variety of budgets, and with such a strong showing of tourists, chefs are in constant competition to procure the freshest ingredients and infuse new vision into favourite traditional dishes. Be sure to sample the local lobster in cream (homard à l’armoricaine), the Breton fish soup (cotriade) and the scallops (coquilles St-Jacques). Those with a sweet tooth will appreciate this region’s reputation for crệpes.

Visitors to Saint Malo haven’t really shopped in the city until they visit the twice-weekly (Tuesday and Friday) open-air markets held in the old city and the market at Saint Servant (two miles away), held concurrently. Two additional market days are held in Paramé on Wednesday and Saturday. These are excellent venues to peruse antiques, Breton food products and souvenirs.

Beyond these scheduled shopping events, there are numerous shops in the Intra-Muros area. A walking tour of the city presents the perfect opportunity for browsing boutiques or window shopping. For a more pragmatic shopping experience, a Carrefour shopping centre is located south of town near the aquarium.