LOCAL KNOWLEDGE

Distance: 89km/55 miles Grade: Moderate. Don’t expect flat roads, but neither is this particularly testing climbing. Download: www.mapmyride.com/ routes/view/2031034627

GETTING THERE

We travelled to Saint Malo from Poole, via Jersey, with Condor Ferries. It operates a year-round service to the Channel Islands from Poole with its fast ferry, Condor Liberation, alongside a conventional service from Portsmouth. Passengers walking on with bikes are welcome. To book and check current prices, visit condorferries.com or call 0345 609 1024.

WHERE TO STAY

Home for a couple of nights was the B&B Domaine de Kozhker-Boulou ( kozhkerboulou.fr), near Mellionnec. We paid £50 per night for a twin room (2 double beds), which included breakfast, and opted for the additional £20 per head for a fourcourse evening meal (wine included). For camping/ hotel-based cycle tours, Breton Bikes ( bretonbikes. com) has been in the business for three decades, supplying all the kit you need for touring, should you need it.

FOOD AND DRINK

The food cooked by Didier and Michèle was fabulous, using ingredients from the local farm where possible. Seafood is popular in Brittany and the cassoulet went down well, as did the guinea fowl. There are good options for lunch in both Mûr-deBretagne (Boulangerie Patisserie Fayer Philippe) and the much larger town of Pontivy. Look out for Brittany’s favourite dish of crêpes, popular in both sweet and savoury form.

TOURIST INFO

brittanytourism.com