Horseback riding between Cancale and Mont Saint-Michel

After breakfast, we prepare the horses to set off with our backs to Mont Saint-Michel, heading towards Cancale. A visit to the "Balcony of the Bay" at Roz-sur-Couesnon allows us to enjoy a splendid panorama of the polders and the entire bay of Mont Saint-Michel. Near the "Hauts de Saint-Marcan," we cross a dense forest with steep paths. We then arrive at the Chappe Telegraph, an old means of communication. We continue our journey and ride along the Saint-Broladre ridge, taking sunken, tree-lined paths that will lead us to the polders, these arable lands reclaimed from the sea, and finally arrive at the fishpond on the sea for lunch.

The afternoon will allow us to discover the oyster farming side of the bay by walking along the beach.

Today, we're heading towards the beaches and cliffs of the Cancale coast. We'll pass near Beauregard Castle, then turn off towards Pointe du Nid where we can see Fort du Guesclin. We'll explore the Cancale peninsula, passing Verger Beach and Pointe de la Moulière before reaching Pointe du Grouin! This rocky promontory offers one of the most beautiful panoramic views of Mont-Saint-Michel Bay, the Chausey Islands, and the Normandy coast. We can also see Île des Landes, a bird sanctuary. After a picnic in this enchanting setting, we'll continue our journey along the Grande Rade de Cancale. Back to our bed and breakfast for a tasting of the famous Cancale oysters!

The Cancale area is renowned for its oyster farming. The native oyster of the Mont-Saint-Michel bay is the flat oyster or "Chevaliere".

Polders and salt marshes now cover more than 3,000 hectares, constituting a unique natural and landscape heritage. The polders are geometric and delimited by dikes. Many bird species can be observed there: harrier, peregrine falcon, sandpiper, plover…

We follow the coastline along the entire bay, stretching from Cancale to Mont-Saint-Michel. After some exhilarating gallops on the beaches, we arrive in Cherrueix for lunch at a seaside restaurant. We then set off again along the Duchess Anne seawall, heading towards the Sainte-Anne chapel, a place of pilgrimage. Next, we cross the salt marshes, the area between the seawall and the sea. During very high tides, this area is submerged, but at normal times, it is home to salt-meadow sheep, the name given to the famous sheep of the bay, as well as numerous birds. Overnight stay at the gîte and dinner at a nearby restaurant.

We'll take the greenway back to the dike that separates the polders from the salt marshes, allowing us to approach Mont Saint-Michel. An early start will let us enjoy the light effects on Mont Saint-Michel and explore the salt marshes. We'll then cross the dam, offering a unique view of the Mont! We'll follow the Couesnon River and arrive at our lunch break.

In the afternoon, we will explore the Moidrey cove, which was long used as the main salt marsh in the bay of Mont-Saint-Michel. Up to 300,000 m3 of salt marsh could be extracted there annually.

It is an old meander of the Couesnon river, filled in and dried out by the construction of the polders and the floodgates of the Caserne dam.

The Maurice-Jan racecourse is located on land reclaimed from this cove.

This morning is the big day! We take the greenway which leads us to the Couesnon river, from there we head towards the dam seen yesterday to meet our guide who is waiting for us in front of the fine sandy bay to guide us in the bay!
During the crossing, we experience intense moments. The exceptional light gives magical colors to this seemingly endless landscape. The island of Tombelaine, an immense rock in the middle of the bay and also a bird sanctuary, not to mention the imposing and majestic Mont Saint-Michel… Our guide tells us the history and legends of these mysterious places. Then we set off again at a gallop into the vastness of this landscape, where the only limits are the river crossings.

After this intense crossing we will put the horses in the field at Adevon so we can have lunch and then enjoy Mont Saint Michel.

We ride back in the evening to conclude our stay and enjoy the fading day.

Please note : the itinerary for this day is a guideline only. We sometimes modify the route depending on weather conditions and terrain. We cannot always access every area, and the tides significantly alter the landscape and possible routes from day to day. Therefore, we may need to adjust the day's program to accommodate the tides.

After breakfast, riders depart individually from 9:30 am. If you are returning by train, a transfer to Pontorson train station is available (please book a train departing from 10:00 am onwards). Lunch is not included.

Important

The Bay is not without danger; that is why, for its crossing, you are accompanied by two guides: the one who has been with you since the beginning of this adventure, and a specialist guide of the bay.

The above program is given as a guide and may be modified without notice, particularly depending on the tide and weather conditions.