The Gulf of Morbihan with a private driver: the perfect day

The Gulf of Morbihan is a small inland sea scattered with some forty islands, opening onto the Atlantic through a narrow channel between Port-Navalo and Locmariaquer. Its indented shores are what make it so beautiful, and what make it tricky to explore: two villages facing each other across the water can be an hour apart by road. Here is how to plan a perfect day from Vannes.

Starting from Vannes

Vannes is the natural starting point. The old town, its ramparts and gardens are best enjoyed the evening before or on your return. For the day itself, leaving around nine gives you time to reach a ferry landing before the late-morning rush.

Your driver collects you from your hotel or villa, with everything you need for the day on board: luggage, a pushchair, beach or walking bags.

Morning: an island

The Île-aux-Moines is the best known. Boats leave from Port-Blanc, in Baden, and the crossing takes only a few minutes. On the island you walk or cycle between flower-filled cottages, sunken lanes and headlands overlooking the Gulf.

The Île d’Arz, quieter, is reached from Vannes or Séné. Flatter and calmer, it can be explored in a morning.

Either way, your driver drops you as close as possible to the landing, then meets you on your return, in time for the boat you have chosen. Crossings run all year round and are more frequent in summer.

Lunch: facing the Gulf

The Gulf is oyster country. Lunch on oysters and seafood by the water is part of the day; in high season, booking ahead is wise. Your driver can suggest a place depending on the route you choose for the afternoon.

Afternoon: Rhuys or Locmariaquer

Two directions are open to you, one on each side of the Gulf.

To the south, the Rhuys peninsula. The road leads to the château of Suscinio, once a residence of the Dukes of Brittany, set between the marshes and the ocean. It ends at Port-Navalo, at the tip of Arzon, where you watch boats pass through the mouth of the Gulf, and at the Crouesty marina.

To the west, Locmariaquer and Carnac. Locmariaquer holds one of the finest megalithic sites in Brittany, with the Great Broken Menhir and the Table des Marchand dolmen. Carnac and its rows of standing stones are close by, as is La Trinité-sur-Mer and its harbour of racing yachts.

It is tempting to see everything; it is better to choose. One island in the morning and one side of the Gulf in the afternoon leave time to enjoy each stop.

Why a private driver around the Gulf

• Distances. The shape of the Gulf lengthens every journey: from Vannes to Port-Navalo, allow about three quarters of an hour. A driver who knows the roads picks the right route for the time of day and the season.
• Parking. In summer, parking near the landings and harbours is often difficult. With a driver, you step out at the quayside and he takes care of the rest.
• Boat times. The route adapts to the crossings, not the other way round.
• The return. After dinner by the Gulf, nobody has to drive.

Planning your day

Your luxury private driver in Vannes prepares the route with you beforehand: islands, lunch, afternoon stops, time of return. For a full day, a chauffeur at your disposal is the most flexible option: the driver stays with you from morning to evening. For a stay of several days, our private tours link the Gulf, Carnac, Quiberon or Belle-Île with the same driver.

Simply describe the day you have in mind and you will receive a written proposal, in English or in French.

Further north, in the Côtes-d’Armor, you may also enjoy Bréhat and the Pink Granite Coast with a private driver.