Saint-Malo to Arzal - Cycle route 2 in Brittany

From the salty corsair city of St-Malo, a sea bus takes you across to the resort of Dinard. Then a greenway leads you south past villas, on to Dinan, a mighty medieval hilltop town. Next, follow the towpath beside the Canal d’Ille-et-Rance as far as Evran, with its charming port at the junction of various waterways. This stage takes you mostly along greenways suitable for all cyclists.

Leave Evran along the north bank of the Canal d’Ille et Rance. Two authentic, historic stops are Tinténiac, with its museum dedicated to old crafts and tools, and Hédé, with its remarkable 11 locks in a row. This stage is entirely along greenways, so it’s ideal for family outings.

This stage meanders along the Ille’s east bank up to St-Grégoire. The canalized river is ideal for waterways tourism, fishing and jogging. Arrival in Rennes, Brittany’s capital, is easy – the cycle track along the canal towpath takes you right into the centre to discover Rennes’s rich heritage and culture (hence its designation as a Métropole d’Art et d’Histoire). This stage is suitable for all cyclists.

After enjoying a tour of Rennes, the lively Breton capital, head out of town to follow the route along the Vilaine River. The way out of Rennes is gentle, taking you close to Apigné’s recreational lakes. Then, passing through Pont-Réan and Le Boël you can fully appreciate the charms of the Vilaine Valley, with its former mills, its locks and its attractive villages. The route is still being completed at time of writing, but is easy to follow.

At Guipry-Messac, historically a significant port for transporting salt (once a precious commodity) inland, admire the imposing central mill on its island before continuing along the former towpath by the Vilaine. One highlight is Les Corbinières, a remarkable natural site with steep wooded sides. There are several river ports at which to enjoy a break along the Vilaine. The stage ends at Redon, an historic town at the confluence of the Vilaine and the Canal de Nantes à Brest.

The route leaves Redon via the Nantes de Brest Canal to the Bellion site and its belvedere, before returning to the waters of the Vilaine and its marshes. Between towpaths and back roads, the stroll to Nivillac is punctuated by numerous unobstructed views of the meandering river. Further on, La Roche-Bernard invites you to rest and contemplate. A few more pedal strokes from the old port of this Petite Cité de Caractère de Bretagne will take you to Férel and the Arzal estuary dam, Europe's largest and Morbihan's 3rd-largest marina with 1,550 berths afloat. You're free to continue on the Vélocéan to Saint-Nazaire or take the V45 cycle route along the Breton coastline.