There are several sandy beaches 20-30 minutes by car from La Garenne ranging from the vast sweeping sands of Guidel in the west (see photo gallery) to Lamour Plage, Port Louis, Etel, Erderven and a little further, the famous and popular Carnac beach to the south (see photo gallery)
There are wonderful walks and cycle rides along the scenic towpath beside the River Blavet with the occasional little bar, café or restaurant dotted every few kilometres in each direction to stop at for refreshments. When in France why not do as the French do and have your main meal at lunchtime and simply enjoy experiencing the delights of the region as the locals do!
Towns and villages
Languidic is the nearest town, about a 5 minute drive away. It has two fabulous patisseries, a supermarket, market day, central square with huge church and lots of shops all around the square.
Hennebont is a larger town with a great market held on Thursday mornings and is around 10 minutes' drive. There are also some interesting old battlements to explore and another magnificent church. Every town, small or large, has a different market day so there is one every day of the week. We have a list of all the days and towns in the housebook at La Garenne
Restaurants
Brittany is famous for its seafood and crepes and there are many good restaurants in the region, details of our favourites ranging from a simple pizzeria to the Michelin star Chateau de Locguenole can be found in the cottage housebooks
Things to do and see
The River Blavet has lots to offer in terms of water activities, including wild swimming, kayaking, fishing, a fantastic water park, read more about water activities on the River Blavet including historical information.
West Wake Aquatic Park is 3 minutes' drive from La Garenne and is a fnastasic day out for all the family! There are some great waterslides and fun obstacle courses at this recently opened facility and there is also a restaurant / cafe serving food and all day snacks situated on one side of the lake, and a bar situated on the other side, plus they have fast and free WiFi should you wish to use it while there.
Poul Fetan is a magnificently restored medieval village "museum" just 10 to 15 minutes' drive from La Garenne. In summer they dress in period costume and there are demonstrations of arts and crafts from a bygone era
Cycling The towpath beside the river is fabulous for cycling. No hills, no cars and just the occasional other cyclist or walker and an ever changing landscape as the river meanders through glorious countryside. Take your own bikes or hire them from the bike shop at nearby Lochrist. Their bikes are superb, reasonably priced and they even deliver to and collect from La Garenne. Helmets, children's bikes, baby chairs etc are all supplied. Read more about cycling in Brittany.
Kayaking Have a fun filled couple of hours hiring kayaks at the French National Kayaking Centre just a few minutes downstream from La Garenne. It's well priced, well organised, has a great slalom course and is safe for both adults and children. There are both a Pizzeria and Creperie opposite
Fishing The River Blavet teems with fish and we even have several families of otters who live on the riverbanks and can sometimes be seen early in the mornings on this stretch of the river
Rambling, Tennis and Horse Riding are all available close by. Walk the Blavet valley, play tennis in Languidic or even have a go at Western Riding at Hennebont! All the details are in the cottages.