Cancale has been the surprise of my bicycling trip in Northern France. 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. Cancale was amazing in every way. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. Sitting and eating an oyster appetizer on the sea wall was even more amazing!
My time here was much too short. 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. There is a lot to explore in the town also. 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.
