Batz the way to do it
GOLDEN SANDS, PALM TREES, AZURE SEA... IT’S ALL JUST ACROSS THE CHANNEL,
I’VE ALWAYS wanted to lie back and relax on my own private beach, complete with pristine white sand and gentle lapping waves, but I didn’t think I’d find one just a few minutes across the English Channel!
Our uninterrupted bay, on a quiet tiny island, was just off the coast of Roscoff, one of Brittany’s most northern towns.
Ile de Batz, with its soft, sandy beaches and shallow waters is a tropical paradise (almost, it does have its own microclimate).
The south of the island even boasts the remarkable Jardin Exotique Georges-Delaselle, home to exotic plants from all over the world.
Batz is a delight due to the almost complete absence of cars. At just two miles by one mile, it’s manageable on foot, even with children in tow.
Plenty of trails lead to the 20 or so beaches – bear in mind that it’s wise to take your own food and drink as facilities away from the harbour town are limited. The lack of hustle and bustle feels as though you’ve stepped into another world.
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 – there’s something for everyone. The lively Plage du Kélenn even has a diveboard for the brave, and is bordered by a number of restaurants.
Carantec itself has restaurants, shops, bars and the obligatory pâtisserie where you can buy delicious fresh breads and macarons – we ate a lot of these during our week in Carantec as were staying at the nearby Les Mouettes, a Eurocamp holiday parc where families can enjoy a sunshine break without trekking miles and miles to get there.
The fantastic pool complex, complete with three flumes, was enough of a reason to go there on its own, according to my seven-year-old.
Bordered by ‘beaches’ with plenty of loungers for sunbathing, facilities at the family-friendly site included a lazy river and amazing ‘AquaGarden’.
This area, dedicated to children under 10, included a large very shallow pool, and then a number of smaller slides and a multitude of jets, geysers and cannons to target unsuspecting bathers. Or head inside to yet another pool, and a further younger children’s play area with shallow water, slide and squirters.
Children are definitely at the heart of this complex. That said, there’s also a small ‘adults only’ area with a sauna and hot-tub – and, for the brave, an icy plunge pool!
The park runs its own kids’ clubs, open to children aged five to 12, with a playroom for 0-five-year-olds.
For older children, the holiday parc has a play area, two multi-sports fields, mini golf and a room reserved for table tennis and video games – so you can almost guarantee no-one will get bored. And, as every mum or dad knows, a happy child equals a happy parent!
Other facilities include a bar, restaurant, takeaway and wellstocked shop, complete with its own pâtisserie selling the most heavenly pain au chocolat.
The chalets, lodges and camping pitches are all well spaced, many with a covered terrace for BBQ feasts and lazy days. Our three-bedroom holiday home had an airy feel, with a central open-plan living area ideal for reminiscing on the day’s adventures. And adventures we certainly had – without travelling far to have them.
Long flat roads make Brittany a perfect destination for two-wheeled escapades but with a couple of small sand junkies in tow, we stuck to four wheels, and headed to Kerfissien Beach, outside of the town of Cléder.
Sand as far as the eye can see, a plethora of shallow waters and rock pools make this the ideal family beach.
The port of Roscoff – seen by most as just the place where they get off the ferry – is a destination in itself. The small town is bursting with character: cobbled streets, opulent granite houses and an old-fashioned harbour that’s home to fishermen selling their ‘catch of the day’.
Just outside town is a modern marina, where we hopped aboard a sailboat with Rêves de Mer and set off to explore Morlaix Bay. Thanks to our skipper, Martin Vernier, we discovered the secrets of the bay in an utterly breathtaking way.
With my husband learning the ropes, the children and I looked on in awe, remembering to duck every time the sailboat changed direction.
The road back to our holiday home passed more of the region’s famed beaches, including Plage du Clouët, with its sweeping coastline and a seawater swimming pool.
I’m not saying we eat, sleep and breathe sand in our family, but by the end of our week I think we’d spent time on no less than 12 beaches, some fringed by palm trees with golden sand leading to an azure sea.
I’ve had to travel the world before to discover anything similar, so to think we got to them 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...