E L T I P S V R T
I’m not saying we eat, sleep and breathe sand in our family, but we managed a dozen of them in a week – from beauties fringed with palm trees to a secluded paradise.
I’d always wanted to relax on my own private beach, but never dreamed I’d find one so close. But our bay was on a quiet, tiny island off the coast of Roscoff, one of Brittany’s most northern towns.
Ile de Batz, with its soft, white beaches and shallow water, feels almost tropical. And it does have its own microclimate.
The south of the island is home to the remarkable Jardin Georges Delaselle, where you can see exotic plants from across the world.
Batz is also a delight due to an almost complete absence of cars. That’s because it’s so manageable by foot, even with kids in tow – which I had.
It’s just two miles across and a mile from north to south.
Plenty of trails lead to the 20 or so beaches there. But it’s wise to take your own food and drink as facilities away from the harbour town are not so great.
Fifteen minutes from Roscoff in the other direction takes you to the Carantec Peninsula, with a beach for every day of the week. Busy coves, sheltered shores, shell-filled bays… whatever you fancy.
Lively Plage du Kelenn even has a diveboard for the brave and is bordered by restaurants.
Carantec itself has plenty of places to eat and drink plus the obligatory patisserie where you can stock up on delicious fresh bread and macarons.
We ate a lot of these in our week at the nearby Les Mouettes, a Eurocamp holiday parc where families can enjoy a sunshine break without trekking miles to get there.
The pool complex, with three flumes, was reason enough to go, according to my seven-year-old.
There was even a lazy river and amazing aqua garden.
An area for children under ten
LONG, flat roads make it easy to explore Brittany by bike.
THE Eurocamp site has a restaurant, takeaway and excellent shop, selling heavenly pain au chocolat. Many lodges have covered areas that are ideal for barbecues.
PARENTS – make the most of kids’ clubs to grab some peace. The park runs one for five to 12-year-olds, with a playroom for younger ones and there’s sports fields, mini golf, table tennis and a
video game room. included a large, shallow pool and smaller slides not to mention jets, geysers and cannons to target unsuspecting bathers.
Or head inside to another pool, and more fun for the kids with a slide and squirters.
Children are definitely at the heart of this place. But that said, there’s also a small adults-only area with sauna, hot tub and plunge pool.
“I’m bored” are certainly not words you will hear, though.
Adventures
We had a three-bedroom holiday home with an open-plan living area, ideal for reminiscing on the day’s adventures. And adventures we had with our two small sand junkies, without sitting in the car for hours.
We loved Kerfissien Beach, near Cleder. Sand as far as the eye can see, shallow waters and rock pools made it a dream family beach.
The port of Roscoff, seen by most as just the place where they get off the ferry, is a destination in itself, with cobbled streets, granite houses and an old-fashioned harbour where you can pick up the catch of the day.
Just outside town is a modern marina, where we hopped aboard a sailboat with Reves de Mer and set off to explore Morlaix Bay.
Thanks to our skipper, Martin Vernier, we discovered the secrets of the bay in a breathtaking way.
With my husband learning the ropes, the kids and I looked on in wonder, ducking every time the sailboat changed direction.
The road back to our holiday home passed more of the region’s famed beaches, including Plage du Clouet, with its sweeping coastline and a seawater swimming pool.
To think we got to these beaches within 20 minutes of arriving in France is mind-blowing.
But keep it a secret. We don’t want everyone joining us on that private beach. FACTFILE: Rates vary according to season at Eurocamp’s Les Mouettes in Carantec, see eurocamp.co.uk. Brittany Ferries sails from Plymouth to Roscoff daily, with daytime or overnight crossings. See brittany-ferries.co.uk. To take a trip on a sailboat, see revesdemer.com.