Having spent many winter and spring months meandering round virtual routes on Komoot, it was a land-train trip that gave us the idea for our first cycle ride on the Guerande peninsula.

We were staying at a beautiful campsite in La Turballe, equidistant between Piriac to the North and Le Croisic to the South and had anticipated heading out on extensive journeys but as the pace of life slowed our priorities changed. No longer was there a burning desire to travel extensive kilometres in a bid to ‘make the most of the area’; instead we wanted to feel as carefree as the local French holidaymakers rattling around on their old bikes, replete with baguettes and Breton-striped tees.

Old school cycling

Cycling in Brittany reminds me of how we cycled in the UK 30 years ago. So many people are cycling around for the sheer joy of simply going from A-,B popping to the shops or the beach. Bikes are not status symbols or coveted items, they’re as likely to be an ancient bikes handed down through the family, as a cheapo from Decathlon.

The Guerande peninsula is renowned for its sea salt production. An industry which has changed little since Roman times, it makes the most of the large tidal range and extensive marshland which lies inside the sandy beaches, to create ‘white gold’.

Heading out

We set out from the campsite and followed the shared cycle path along the road into town. Resisting the urge to stop at our favourite cafe for coffee, we pedalled on past the fishing and pleasure ports. Where it’s not as bouji as it’s neighbour, Piriac, La Turballe is quieter and easier to navigate as a tourist. The main bakeries are obvious from the queues each morning and the port-side cafes are numerous enough to offer a choice while not making you feel like you’re being rinsed of your tourist Euro.

Once through the town you turn right on to the ‘voie vert’ dedicated cycle path heading along the coast to Pen Bron. The largely flat route is wide and cyclists, walkers and runners happily share the space. The sound and feel of hard-packed sand under our wheels is so familiar from other adventures on the Northern and Western coasts of France.

Maritime forests and dunes

The path takes you through thick pine forests that typically populate the interior of Brittany and the Loire-Atlantique beaches, creating the maritime habitats which attract and shelter wild birds and flowers. For humans and wildlife alike, the trees offer shade and tranquility in the warm summer months and protection from the wild Atlantic storms in harsher weather.

Our plan was to meet my parents in Le Croisic for lunch, but this required a boat trip to cross the mouth of the lagoon from Pen Bron. We’d seen Pen Bron on our land-train excursion the day before and it had felt remote and slightly sinister.

Pen Bron

While the land at Pen Bron was first developed in the late 1700s and even boasted a sardine canning factory at one time, it’s the Sanatorium built in the 1800s which colours its past and present. Emerging from the anonymous pine forests your eyes are first drawn to the extensive marshes on your left where local fishermen can be seen at low tide digging for bait.

As we rode along the heavy cloud and monotone landscape added to the sense of entering a lost-world, a place where today’s tranquility hides yesterday’s bustle and sadness. Rising on the right of the path is a low-walled cemetery, closed with an ornate iron gateway. During the first half of the last century, the Sanatorium became a refuge for children suffering from Tuberculosis and later Polio. No longer a Sanatorium, some of the buildings now form a down-at-heel looking hotel.

Crossing to Le Croisic

We park our bikes and lock them to the wooden frames provided and wait for the Navette (ferry) to cross to Le Croisic. While you can take your bikes on the Navette and there’s a lovely cycle route round the town, we decided to leave them behind and explore on foot.

The ferry is so familiar to me - it’s sister vessels can be found in any of the UK’s small harbours and creeks. Open to the elements and with a shallow draft it’s able to navigate up the inlet to the quayside at Pen Bron at most states of the tide. As we head over to Le Croisic the tide is low and we’re sheltered from the wind by the shifting sand dune that curves round from La Turballe to form a narrow entrance where it meets Le Croisic.

L’air du temps

Le Croisic itself is a beautiful walled town which anchored its wealth in the 16th century as a trading post. A secure natural port it was the obvious place from which to ship the locally produced salt, and receive imports. Despite the overcast weather and rain, the town was heaving on the day we were there. We pottered through the narrow streets and vibrant weekly market before heading back to the harbour-side for lunch.

While the ferry runs most of the time there are a few hours each day where the tides make it tricky so it’s worth noting those. For us the tide-induced pause matched lunchtime so we took our time enjoying moules frites before heading back.

Homeward bound

Crossing back to Pen Bron, the tide and wind had risen and I was suddenly drawn back to my childhood cruising around the towns and harbours of Northern France. Leaving the solid, walled town the little boat was buffeted as we made our way out through the moorings I felt my stomach flutter. I remembered the feelings of anxiety and excitement of returning to a boat at anchor, knowing that regardless of the weather you had to leave to catch the tide and avoid getting harbour rot. While the town looks solid and inviting, the appeal of heading back out to sea is undeniable. Yet the sound of wind in the rigging and the slap, slap, slap of choppy waves on the hull makes you feel tense and agitated until you’re able to get underway.

Once back at the bikes, we joined the procession of cyclists and walkers making their way back to La Turballe from their days out. Although the total ride was only 14km it was a rich pocket of adventure.

Recipe for this pocket of adventure:

Style of ride: half shared cycle paths on roads and half traffic-free cycle route

Suitable for: all bikes and trikes

Climbing: negligable (40m over 14km return trip)

Distance: 7km each way: 14km return route (see the route in detail on Komoot)

Tips: remember bike lock and extension cable for securing bikes at Pen Bron

Le Croisic Navette: more information can be found here

Starting and stopping points: La Turballe and Le Croisic - plenty of cafes and stopping points in both towns. We ate at L’air du Temps, Le Croisic

Camping: Camping de la Failaise, La Turballe