Just over an hour’s drive from St Malo’s ferry terminal, La Ferme Bretonne is located in rural Brittany on the edge of the beautiful Loudéac Forest, yet within easy reach to historic towns and some fantastic beaches.
Just off a country lane, surrounded by three hectares of grounds where the neighbours’ horses graze, keep an eye out for hares, deer, maybe even wild boar and birds of prey as well as the resident owls nesting in the barn. With only a handful of farms and other houses dotted across the landscape, the lack of light pollution results in starry nights on clear evenings.
This is a great location for keen cyclists who can cycle to local villages or try off-road trails on their mountain bikes across the vast Loudéac Forest, also a wonderful place for horse-riding and walking across its 2500 hectares.
The nearest village is a 5-minute drive away (or follow country paths on foot) where there’s a little bar that also sells bread as well as a historic church and a small lake for fishing, walks and picnics. There is an excellent boulangerie around 4km away in Plessala, alongside a small supermarket, pharmacy, bar, Thursday morning market and an artisan food producer just outside the village that sells French specialities ready to cook at home. Plouguenast (6km) has restaurants, a petrol station, bank and further shops as well as canoeing opportunities in July and August.
Admire the hilltop views from the small medieval town of Moncontour (13km), the setting for many historic battles. Nowadays you can wander around the narrow lanes, discover the remains of its ramparts and head to the 16th century stained glass window in Saint-Mathurin church, followed perhaps by lunch on a pretty café terrace with vistas.
The gorgeous town of Lamballe (29km) is home to the 19th century National Stud – look out for live displays and exhibitions as well as the opportunity to visit some of the stables and the blacksmith’s forge. The town is also known for its Breton arts and crafts which you can appreciate as you come across artisan studios and workshops. The Museum Mathurin Méheut is especially worthy of a visit to view the artwork of this early 20th century painter.
For a brilliant day out, there is a great range of beaches from vast stretches of sand to rocky coves. Find some amazing coastal walks around Hillion and Plage de la Grandville, around 30 minutes by car, whilst Plage du Val André (45km) is a popular spot for families with its sandy shores, summer lifeguard, attractive promenade and nearby cafes and restaurants.
Away from the sea, spend the day at Lake Guerlédan (35km), Brittany’s largest lake with so many seasonal activities such as canoeing, kayaking, paddle-boarding, sailing, pedaloes, fishing, lakeside beach picnics and walking as well as mountain biking, horse-riding, hiking and more. Guerlédan Parc Aventure offers tree-top adventure courses for varying abilities.
The Region
Brittany is famed chiefly for its beaches, and with so much coastline to explore it’s certainly one of the best reasons to visit the region. But there’s more to Brittany than sun, sea and sand, and while a good chunk of our villas and chateaux in Brittany are found next to the coast the ones further inland are just as tempting.
