Dinard

Dinard was a fishing village until the 1850s, when British and American visitors began building holiday houses on the cliffs facing Saint-Malo across the estuary; more than four hundred villas survive from that period, in an eclectic mix of neo-Gothic, Anglo-Norman and Art Nouveau, many listed. Picasso painted here in the 1920s. The Promenade du Clair de Lune runs along the shore below the villas, lit and with music played on summer evenings, and three beaches face different directions. A British film festival has run since 1990, reflecting the town's long English connection, and a tidal power station spans the Rance estuary nearby.

What you actually see

• The Belle Epoque villas - over four hundred houses on the cliffs and slopes.
• The Promenade du Clair de Lune - a lit shore walk with summer music.
• The three beaches - Ecluse, Prieure and Saint-Enogat facing different ways.
• The Saint-Malo view - the walled city across the estuary.

When to go

May to September; the British film festival falls in autumn. The Channel is cold and swimming brief. Out of season much of the town closes.

Honest expectations

Most villas are private and seen only from outside. Prices are high. The water is cold and the weather changeable even in summer.

Nearby

Saint-Malo lies across the estuary; Dinan is south.