Quai des Indes

The seafront of Dinard, on the Emerald Coast of Brittany, faces the walled city of Saint-Malo across the mouth of the river Rance. The town grew from a small fishing village into a fashionable resort in the second half of the nineteenth century, when wealthy British and American families began to spend the summer here, and it has kept the elegant character of that time. It carries the title of City of Art and History, and its seafront promenades, grand hotels and Belle Époque villas are the main sights.

The promenades are the focus of the visit. The best known is the Promenade du Clair de Lune, a walkway that runs along the water from the Plage de l'Écluse, the main town beach, toward the headland, lit at night by lamps and paved with attractive stones. It passes in front of villas with turrets, balconies and decorated roofs, as well as small hidden gardens, and gives views across the bay to the ramparts of Saint-Malo, particularly lovely at sunset. Other stretches of path continue around the headlands, from the beach of the Prieuré, past the Pointe du Moulinet, to the Bec de la Vallée, which offers views of the open sea. The coastal path can be followed for kilometres, with benches and small coves along the way, and in summer evenings there are sometimes concerts along the front.

Dinard has several hundred listed villas, built in the eclectic styles of the nineteenth century, many of them named after their first owners, and a walk through the streets behind the promenade reveals the variety of designs. The English colony shaped the town's culture, and every autumn Dinard hosts a festival of British cinema, a tradition that continues today. The Dinard Casino, the Place du Maréchal Foch and the Église Saint-Sauveur are among the other sights, and the town's beaches, including the Plage du Pâquis, are popular for swimming, though the tides on this coast are among the largest in Europe, so check the times.

Offshore, the island of Cézembre can be reached by boat in summer, and passenger boats cross the estuary to Saint-Malo in a few minutes, which makes it easy to combine the two towns.

The promenade is free and open at all times. It suits walkers, photographers and anyone who enjoys seaside architecture. Go at sunset for the best light.