Pléneuf-Val-André

Fifteen minutes to the west, Pléneuf-Val-André lines up 2.5 kilometres of fine sand along a pedestrian-only seafront promenade — one of the loveliest beaches on the north coast. At the far end, the Pointe de la Guette looks out over the whole bay of Saint-Brieuc, and the Verdelet islet shelters a seabird reserve. The bow-windowed seaside villas, built from the 1880s onwards, give the resort its old-world charm.

Don't leave without a stroll around the harbour of Dahouët, at the mouth of the Flora: it was from here that the first sailors set out for Newfoundland, as early as 1509.

On the way, stop at the château de Bienassis and its crenellated walls of Erquy pink sandstone: its origins go back to the 15th century, like our own house.