Bay Mont Saint Michel-Cancale-Emerald Coast-Saint Malo-Rance-Dol 124 km

Varied and beautiful cycling trip with among others the Bay of Mont Saint-Michel, the Emerald Coast, Saint-Malo, the valley of the Rance River and Mont-Dol. Trip suited for the road bike, however at the Pointe du Grouin and at Mont-Dol there are semi-paved or non-paved sections to get to a viewpoint. Also, the Digue de Rochebonne and other places in and near Saint-Malo are mainly for pedestrians, requiring you to go slow, and enjoy the views. Finally, the dual carriageway D168 across the Barrage de la Rance is a busy road and not made for bicycle traffic, but it is a short stretch and the only way to pass the Barrage de la Rance. Actually, the bridge in the Barrage was open during my trip, halting the traffic to a full stop. The route is partly flat and partly hilly, with a few short steep sections, particularly the Mont-Dol. You can find places to eat and drink something mainly in Cancale, Pointe du Grouin, Rothéneuf, Saint-Malo, Saint-Suliac, Dol de Bretagne, and Mont-Dol. At the start is a parking lot.
From the start you ride to the road along the Bay of Mont Saint-Michel. The tidal difference here is more than 10 meters altitude, and along the road there are mainly salt marshes that are only inundated at very high tides. At Le Vevier-sur-Mer is a small harbor where you can see deep gullies (depending on the tide) without water. You continue along the bay, pass another harbor at Saint-Benoît-des-Ondes and slowly ascend towards Cancale. You descend into Cancale along a road giving you great views. Cancale is known for its oyster farming. From the harbor you climb to the center of the village, and then go to a dead-end viewing point overlooking the harbor and the bay. You turn back and continue to the Pointe de Grouin. Beyond the parking lot was a semi-paved path I followed a bit to get a better view. After returning, I rode the D201 along the Emerald Coast with occasional views of beaches, bays, and castles. The road undulates all the way to Saint-Malo. Here you ride on the Digue de Rochebonne for a while, a promenade along the beach with great views of Saint-Malo. You can cycle slowly here. At the end you follow the main road along the sea to the fortified old town of Saint-Malo. You make a touristic tour through the old town, with gates, cobblestones, fortified walls, views of the sea and the Rance bay, a sea swimming pool, the Fort National and the Bés islands. There can be a lot of tourists, so watch out, or give the old town a miss. You then cross the locks between the sea and the Bassin Vauban and continue to Bas-Sablons. Here, you also take a look on the Digue on the bay, then continue to Port-Solidor. Via the Plage du Rosais you continue to the D168, the access road to the Barrage de la Rance, a tidal power station in the Rance River. The road is busy but if you keep to the right it should not be a problem. There are viewpoints of the power station where you can view the water going in or out at a fast pace. After passing the dam you take the first exit, and then go south along the Rance valley all the way to the Pont Saint-Hubert. You pass by the Moulin Neuf, Le Minihic-Sur-Rance, Langrolay-Sur-Rance and Plouër-Sur-Rance on the way. The Pont Saint-Hubert is a bridge across the Rance close to the highway bridge and offers great views of the Rance. You then ride north along the Rance valley to Saint-Suliac on the Rance, after having climbed one of the longer hills of the day. From here you follow roads along the Rance and salt marshes and tidal mills to the town Saint-Jouan-Des-Guérets. Here you leave the Rance and follow roads partly on cycling routes inland through quiet countryside for 24 km all the way to Dol-de Bretagne, a touristic town with a cathedral and plenty of restaurants. Here, you ride north through flat countryside to the Mont-Dol, a granite lump in flat surroundings, a bit like the Mont Saint-Michel. The Mont-Dol offers the steepest climb of the day to the mill on top. There is also a restaurant there, and a path (no cycling) to the highest point with great views, a chapel and a statue of the virgin. You descend the same route, and then follow minor roads to the flat countryside towards the coast at Le-Vivier-sur-Mer. From here you make a loop inland and then return to the starting point of your tour.