Saint-Gildas-De-Rhuys: Coast, Harbour and Heritage

Saint-Gildas-De-Rhuys offers several specific highlights to consider when choosing where to stay: coastal scenery, walking routes, water sports, golf and heritage. If you are looking for a hotel, it may help to decide which of these themes you would like to shape your stay. Local highlights include dune-backed beaches overlooking Quiberon Bay, a stretch of coastline at Grand Mont, water sports available year-round and an abbey church with a long building history.

Beaches and walking routes

Goh Velin Beach lies behind dunes and offers direct views of Quiberon Bay and its islands. Supervised swimming is listed as a seasonal offering at Goh Velin. Check before your visit whether it is available at that time. Kerver Beach is the largest beach in Saint-Gildas-De-Rhuys; beach conditions and access arrangements may vary seasonally. The two beaches therefore differ in their described features: Goh Velin is characterised by its dunes and views, while Kerver stands out as the largest beach in the municipality.

The GR®34 runs along the sea-facing side of the Grand Mont cliffs in Saint-Gildas-De-Rhuys. The Les Étangs circular walk includes a detour to the Musée des arts, métiers et commerces. For planning purposes, these offer two distinct types of route: the coastal stretch along the cliffs and the circular walk’s detour to the museum.

Water sports and harbour

The Club nautique du Rohu offers year-round equipment rental and private lessons in windsurfing, catamaran sailing, dinghy sailing, kayaking, stand-up paddleboarding and wingfoiling, as well as J80 day boats. The club is a French sailing school that welcomes children and adults, beginners and advanced sailors at Goh Velin Beach. As activities may change, check which options are currently available before your visit.

Today’s Port aux Moines has space for 117 boats; as capacity may change, it is advisable to check the latest information if you are planning a visit. The harbour also has a historical connection: Port aux Moines was once a natural shelter in a cleft in the rocks, used by the monks of the abbey. It continues to operate as a harbour today.

Abbey church and heritage

The Abbey Church of Saint-Gildas was built in the 6th century by the monk Gildas, who came from Scotland, at the request of the Count of Vannes. In the 11th century, monks from Fleury Abbey rebuilt the church several times; its choir is Romanesque. This distinguishes the original foundation from the later rebuilding.

Saint-Gildas-De-Rhuys’s small-scale heritage includes 60 fountains and 14 crosses. The Tour Prison is dated by many to the 16th century; its construction history is therefore not fully established. The Dolmen de Port-aux-Moine and the Menhir de Kercambre are listed as freely accessible on the municipal heritage website. Check the latest access information before your visit. Interpretive signs have been installed for the Dolmen de Port aux Moines to accompany visits to accessible megalithic sites.

The Bouquinerie de la Tour Prison lies between the abbey church and the Tour Prison. It opens onto a garden with old books, engravings and drawings, inviting visitors to read. As the shop’s availability should be checked before travelling, it is advisable to check the latest information before your visit.

Golf by the sea

Golf Rhuys Kerver has an 18-hole seaside course in the Bretagne Sud–Golfe du Morbihan ornithological reserve. Herons and egrets can be found on the course. This combines golf with a specific seaside setting and the bird species found there.

Discover more destinations: Beignon, Ménéac, Le Guerno, Josselin, Saint-Jacut-les-Pins, St Martin Sur Oust, Baden, Belz

For the broader travel overview: Morbihan.