Located in dramatic circumstances on the Côte d’Émeraude at the spur of a peninsula that protects a long beach to the west and with a view to the north across the English Channel towards the nearby Channel Islands and west towards Mont-St-Michel, the small but perfectly-formed town of Cancale is an important Breton and French centre for oyster production.
The oyster market has a couple of unique features about it that make it a very special place to visit. First of all, it’s always open, so if you’re staying nearby in St Malo to the east or in one of the many camp sites along the Emerald Coast, you don’t have to try and remember which days it’s on.
Secondly, it’s located overlooking the vast oyster beds themselves so that the journey from the Atlantic to your mouth could hardly be more direct and more fresh.
The atmosphere here is truly salty, wild, fun and everything that we’ve come to associate with the Bretons. You can eat your oysters on the spot or else take a seafood platter around the corner and sit at the Old Port, looking across the enchanting Baie de Mont-St-Michel.
The Marché aux Huîtres de Cancale is open all day, every day of the year.
Where Exactly?
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(Related articles: Arcachon, Oyster Haven; Other Market Guides)