You can embrace the view of the Emerald Coast as you walk closer to the granite islet of St. Malo. Connected to the mainland by an ancient path, St. Malo extends out on the English Channel where it is the heart of connection among England, Ireland, and the Channel Islands.

A Parlay Amongst Corsairs

This port destination received its unique name after St. Maclou, a Welsh monk who immigrated to Brittany and became the first bishop of Aleth, now modern Saint-Servan. Located in northwestern France in the Brittany region, St. Malo became France’s leading port for both merchant ships and government-sanctioned privateers during the 17th and 18th centuries. Nonetheless, the city’s early prosperity came from the work of the swashbuckling corsairs – pirates who sailed the vast seas to their sanctuary, St. Malo.

Just northeast of the port city is the Rotheneuf District along the Emerald Coast. In the 19th century, local priest Abbe Foure spent 25 years carving and sculpting the rocks. Legend has it, the rocks represent a family of fishermen from the 16th and 17th centuries. This family adapted to pirate ways to establish their monopoly over the coast. Like any other pirate during that time, they were attracted to the treasures and fortunes that the port had to offer.

An Islet Revived

The skyline remained unscathed in style as the great heritage restoration project aimed to rebuild the city as close to the original as possible. You can notice the Gothic and Romanesque architecture throughout the streets of the Intra-Muros. A classic example of the combination of the Roman and Gothic style in St. Malo would have to be the Cathedral of St. Vincent. Its towers of weathered stone and illuminous glass stained windows overlook the town. As the waves crash against the surrounding walls of the islet, a significant part of Brittany’s history can be uncovered with a walk along the city’s beautiful ramparts.