The Tides of St Malo

When talking about Saint Malo, there are two things that come to mind. The first would be the wartime history of the famous Citadel of St Malo, the second one would be the enormous tidal variations.
There are few regions on earth that can lay claim to having daily tidal fluctuations as extreme as those which are witnessed at St Malo. These fluctuations are an amazing 10 metres or more from low to high tide. Once a month the high tide is so enormous that the coast is battered by huge waves that people come from all over the world to witness. Without massive coastal defenses, the damage caused by these tides would be enormous. Over 200 years ago around 3000 oak trunks were set deep into the sand to dissipate the destructive force of the waves. In the early 20th century a very impressive stone seawall almost 2 km long was erected along the most vulnerable parft of the coast.
At the highest tides, the waves come crashing onto the seawall, often sending giant plumes of sea spray into the air and over the walking path. It is a dramatic sight, but just as dramatic is the transformation that takes place at low tides, when the water recedes hundreds of metres, exposing a vast sandy playground that the locals use for a variety of (usually wind based) activities. Our hotel is ideally situated to get a front row view of both of these extremes.Read more