Cancale has been the surprise of my bicycling trip in Northern France. Â I knew that the D-Day Beaches and historical sights would be amazing, and of course, there was no question about the beauty of Mont Saint Michel. But I didn’t really have any expectation of Cancale, other than I hoped to eat some great oysters there. Â Cancale was amazing in every way. Â Visually it was intoxicating from my first sight at the top of a long descent to the harbor.
Gastronomically it is a seafood lover’s paradise. Â I was happy to have had such a physically demanding week of cycling because I had no guilt whatsoever eating whatever I wanted there.
My room above La Table de Breizh Cafe, one of the most famous restaurants in town was a complete delight and overlooked the entire Cancale Harbor. Â New and perfectly decorated with Japanese practicality, the B&B was only a small splurge at 108 Euro including a terrific breakfast.
The views from the room were incredible. Â Certainly this is a bit of heaven in Brittany.
Cancale has a huge 15 meter tide so the appearance of the town at the change of tides is amazing. Â We were lucky enough to arrive at low tide when it’s possible to see all the oyster beds.
Watching the harvesting equipment at work was amazing. Â Sitting and eating an oyster appetizer on the sea wall was even more amazing!
My time here was much too short. Â Cancale is a town where you can easily spend 2 or 3 days exploring the area by bike and becoming an expert on the areas oyster varieties. Â There is a lot to explore in the town also. Â This is definitely an area that I will return to.
Amazingly, on a clear day, you can even see Mont Saint Michel from Cancale, even though it’s almost 50 km away!
For now, I will savor the memories of this charming town and the great experiences I had on my short visit.
