Sports events
Every year the Open 35 of Saint-Malo takes place. It is an opportunity to attend quality women's tennis matches and to share a great moment of conviviality.
Every year in May during the Passagère, thousands of runners, experienced or neophytes, gather to run the 14 km that separate Saint-Malo from Dinard. Every summer in Dinard, you will also find the Jumping International taking place at the equestrian center of Val Porée, recognized for its quality and technicality by riders from around the world. It is an unmissable event where the great names of show jumping meet in a real green setting, a stone's throw from the sea. The half-marathon of Cancale and Saint-Malo, which runs along the Emerald Coast, is the perfect opportunity to do sport in an exceptional environment. The new Dinard Off Course is a great success.
Traditional Breton sports
The Breton ball is particularly appreciated on the coast. You will see the shooters and the pointers near the ramparts at the gateway to Dinan or at Rochebonne at the bouliste club. In Dinan and Saint-Suliac, water jousts are organised during the summer. The aim is to knock down your opponent with a pole from your boat, similar to the medieval jousts on horseback. For some years now, the younger generation has been fascinated by the Breton palet: a soft wooden board and metal palets.
For children
Many playgrounds have been created to allow children to have fun in safe environments. On the Saint-Malo side, you can find the one located at the place des Frères Lamennais in the city center, the one at the rue de la Vallée Verte in Saint-Méloir-des-Ondes (with a city stadium and ramps for skateboards), the one at the Grève d'Hirel (with a view of the sailboats) and the one at the Prés-Bosgers housing estate in Cancale. On the Dinard side, you can find the one of the Port Breton park in Dinard with its wooden motricity course, the one of the rue des Elfes in Dinard with a citystade ideal for balloon addicts and the skatepark of Dinard.
In Pleurtuit, discover the Westerwald garden accessible by the rue Saint-Guillaume and the rue Saint Exupéry (on a lawn and with a giant slide).
In the city center of Saint-Cast-Le-Guildo, you will find the square Pellion and the garden of the Petits Diables in Dinan. Visit the "Petits lutins" playground on rue des Tendières in Dol de Bretagne, and a playground reminiscent of the traditional fishing huts in La Vicomté-sur-Rance.
The carousel in Saint-Malo is located in front of the Saint-Vincent gate in front of the ramparts and is open during weekends and school vacations. On the Rochaïd esplanade in Dinard, you will find a merry-go-round from the 1940s. The park of Port-Breton in Dinard has a small merry-go-round, very nice to finish your walk while having fun. On the dike of the beach of l'Écluse in Dinard, a merry-go-round will welcome you back from the beach and you will also find inflatable structures and a climbing wall.
We can also mention the merry-go-round in the square Pellion in Saint-Cast-Le-Guildo.
On the Dinan side, the carousel at Place Duclos, in the center of town, will be a fun stop for the children before walking the medieval streets.
Golf courses on the Emerald Coast
The Emerald Coast is a splendid golfing destination. Whether you are a beginner or an experienced golfer, you will spend a lot of time perfecting your swing and your approach. There is something for everyone, by the sea, in the countryside, links, pitch & putt, 9 or 18 holes... We have to admit that we had a crush on the one of Lancieux: accessible, family friendly and with a splendid view on the sea. The golf courses will ask you to show your 2022 license that you can buy on the spot or on the website of the French Golf Federation. An activity from 7 to 77 years old that allows the whole family to share a pleasant moment in the open air.
The Saint-Malo le Tronchet Golf Club offers 27 holes, the 18-hole "Surcouf" for passionate players and the 9-hole "Old Course" for beginners. Every year, a professional tournament is organized, a unique show. Since 2018, a new academy has been set up: training courses, individual lessons, swing analysis are offered. The Golf des Ormes in Dol-de-Bretagne offers a technical and varied 18-hole course, laid out in the park of the castle, wooded and flowery, and accessible to all. It offers a breathtaking view of the castle and a nice club-house. Wooded holes, water obstacles, flowerbeds...: discover all the charm and elegance of this golf course in the heart of Brittany. The Saint-Cast golf course offers an 18-hole course. It also offers individual or group lessons and training courses. It has a club-house, a pro shop and a restaurant.
Golf Emeraude in Saint-Jouan-des-Guérets is a golf specialist, from beginners to advanced players. It offers the sale of golf equipment, grip and shaft changes, golf club repairs, fitting center and the sale of golf carts and golf clothing. Created in 1887, the Golf de Dinard is one of the oldest golf courses in France. Its club-house is the only one registered as a historical monument. Its 18-hole course offers a breathtaking view of the sea. It also has a driving range, a pitching green and a proshop. The Golf de Lancieux offers a magnificent sea view on the peninsula of Saint-Jacut-de-la-Mer and the Ebihens archipelago. It offers a large 9-hole course as well as a 9-hole pitch and putt course which is more family oriented and ideal for beginners. The Golf des Sables-d'Or et de Penthièvre offers an 18-hole course in Fréhel. The Golf de Tréméreuc offers a very nice course between Dinan and Saint-Malo.
In the open air
The Emerald Coast is ideal for hiking. From Cancale to Fréhel, the famous GR34, the customs path, is one of the most beautiful in France! Built at the end of the 18th century to fight against smuggling, it allows today to admire magnificent views on the emerald sea and the coastline. Since 1976, the communes have been opening or redeveloping the old paths to allow hikers to pass through. Private properties bordering the public maritime domain must leave a 3-metre wide path. Discover the Pointe du Grouin, the fine sandy beaches of Saint-Coulomb, the Sillon, the Pointe de la Malouine in Dinard, the creeks of Lancieux, the Saint-Jacut peninsula, the majestic Fort Lalatte and finish in beauty with Cape Fréhel. The banks of the Rance have also opened many accessible paths. If you go through Saint-Briac, a new path has finally been made accessible in 2019, after 37 years of legal battles with the owners of the villas who refused to allow the passage of easement.
For horseback riding, if you are a seasoned rider, you can run your mount on the great beach of Lancieux or in the bay of Mont Saint-Michel. The others will be able to enjoy healthy walks in the countryside and on the paths close to the coast between land and sea.
For those who love cycling, the department has some very beautiful routes, improvised or suggested thanks to Véloroute (signposting), Voies Vertes or Voies Départementales. The V2, which links Saint-Malo to Rennes via the canal route and towpaths, takes you to Dinard via the banks of the Rance. The 17 kilometers green way between Dinard and Saint-Samson-sur-Rance is very nice to do with the family. By mountain bike, let yourself be told about Cancale by the numerous paths or go and explore the Mesnil forest from Le Tronchet.
River tourism
Is the Rance sweet or salty? Be sure that your children will ask you this question! You will answer them "both my captain"! The river has a maritime part and a fluvial part. The Châtelier lock in Saint-Samson marks the border between the two. In its maritime part, the sea water and the river water mix to form a water called brackish. We seriously invite you to explore the valley of the Rance as much as the coast. The paths along the river are splendid. Even better, you can also rent small boats without a license from the port of Dinan or Plouër-sur-Rance and sail on this gently salty water! Nice family outings are waiting for you here.
Scuba diving
You will find aquatic clubs for this activity, which requires training and supervision, all along the Emerald Coast and especially in Saint-Malo which will offer you an infrastructure allowing baptisms of diving and courses of all levels. Some very experienced divers will be able to discover the wrecks in the bay of Saint-Malo.
Hunting, fishing and nature
Ille-et-Vilaine is ideal for all these outdoor activities, game is plentiful, sea and freshwater fish are also abundant thanks to the Rance, Ille and Vilaine estuaries. Fishing enthusiasts will appreciate the presence of bream and roach. The luckiest ones will try the pike on stable and well arranged towpaths between the old port of Dinan and the Châtelier lock. Carp fishermen will not be outdone as the Ille et Rance canal is home to a good population of the species, especially around the locks.
Thermalism
Saint-Malo, with its Thermes Marins, offers a quality infrastructure for lovers of cures, in an enchanting setting at the foot of the corsair city and set on the large fine sandy beach of the Sillon. Dinard, a seaside resort located on the other side of the Rance river, also offers another approach of thermalism in association with other disciplines of alternative medicine.
