Grand Bé

Saint-Malo, France

Grand Bé is a tidal island located few hundred metres from the walls of Saint-Malo. At low tide the island can be reached on foot from the nearby Bon-Secours beach. Around 1360, hermits built a chapel dedicated to Our Lady of the Laurel, then to St Ouen. A redoubt was built in 1555, then replaced by other fortifications in 1652. François-René de Chateaubriand, a French writer native to Saint-Malo, is buried on the island, in a grave facing the sea. Twenty years before his death, he had expressed his desire to be buried on this piece of land facing the sea in order to continue his conversation with the sea.

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Founded: 1652
Category: Miscellaneous historic sites in France

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4.7/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

Marijke Decuir (7 years ago)
Well worth waiting for the tides to walk out to this sometimes island
Patrick von Känel (7 years ago)
Very nice walk to the Island. Island itself nothing special but rather the view from there to St.Malo is a must, especially with a nice evening.
Garry Phipps (7 years ago)
The area around (& within) the old walled city is a beautiful place to spend a day
Liza Xx (7 years ago)
It's a majical place to visit. Crystal clear water surrounding the area during high tide. You can walk out to the fort in low tide, although it's not open to the public. The walk itself is spectacular
Erich Schnoeckel (7 years ago)
There should be more beaches like this. We all should keep them clean and tidy. Not smoking will help a lot.
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