Hiking in Belle-île-en-mer with your dog
How to prepare for a trek with your dog? How to organize a tour of Belle-île-en-mer with your dogs? Find the answers to all these questions thanks to the testimony of Justine and her partner Chloé.
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Belle-île is a rocky French island located in the Atlantic Ocean, off the coast of Brittany. This pretty island of about 85 km2 in area belongs to the department of Morbihan.
Justine and her partner Chloé went hiking together around Belle-île-en-mer with their three dogs! It was a very enriching experience for them and for their dogs. Justine tells us about this great adventure and you will quickly understand why it is so nice to discover Belle-île with your dog!
A 100% dog friendly family adventure
Before telling you about our adventure in Belle-île, I will introduce you to my hiking partners. I left with my partner, Chloé and our three dogs. We are both veterinarians, Chloé for large animals, and I for dogs, cats and other small animals.
Big animal and nature lovers, we get into our motorhome with our dogs, a pair of trainers and a backpack and we leave for a change of scenery as soon as possible. We share our free time between hiking and canicross. Lately, we wanted to extend the distances and discover more wild and remote places, and so we started the trekking.
Our dogs, Angus, Naïs and Peeta follow us absolutely everywhere and have a place in each of our activities! Angus, 5 years old, has been with us since he was 2 months old. He's the Shepherd of the troop, always on his toes, he understands everything we say and loves to learn tricks… to get treats!
Naïs is 3 years old, she comes from an association, we adopted her when she was 1 year old. She's a “hound hound” type crossbreed, she's the most cuddly female dog I know, but also the craziest on the go! She has unlimited stamina, we still haven't been able to wear her down!
Peeta is the youngest! A small Braque 2 year old who joined us a few months ago after a short stay at the SPA. She probably landed there because she doesn't hunt, but then not at all: she would be quite capable of sleeping among the hens! She found her place in our hearts in less time than it takes to say.
How to prepare for a trek with your dog?
We chose to go to Belle-île-en-mer because we were looking for a 4-day loop trek in Brittany, and it is the tour of this island that comes up the most on blogs. The island is wild, well marked, wild camping is tolerated there, it was neither too hot nor too cold: full board, provided that the weather does not spoil the party!
The turn of Beautiful island, it's the GR340 in full, about 85 km for 1600 meters of elevation gain in 4 days. Classically, it is done counter-clockwise, that's what we did.
This trek was our third, and the second for our dog Peeta. We have already left 2 days in the gorges of the Tarn and 3 days in Jura.
We walk and run regularly, so we didn't need to do any specific training for this adventure, other than getting the dogs used to the dog backpack! Indeed, Naïs and Angus wear Ruffwear Approach Pack pack bags, and carry some of the kibble (in waterproof bags), their travel mats, their foldable bowls and other odds and ends.
The 3 dogs eat about 1,3 kg of kibble per day, it's just impossible for us to add all this weight in our own backpacks. The panniers are not heavy but quite bulky, which is necessary to stabilize the bag on the dogs back.
After the first few minutes of acclimatization, the dogs go about their life quite as usual with the packsacks. Naïs has conscientiously tested the resistance of the bag using an ultra-complete protocol: going through brambles, rolling on your back in the sand, jumping in the waves... Result: no scratches, bag validated!
Musher and Sophie : “I also use the Ruffwear Approach Pack Bag for Musher during our hikes and I confirm that it is very resistant and super practical! Besides, if you don't know which pack bag to choose for your dog. I made a comparison to help you: Discover the comparison of pack bags for dogs. "
As for Chloé and I, we carry 30 and 50L backpacks. We carry all camping gear, extra clothes, food, and safety gear (first aid kit, cordura boots for dogs, mobile phone and battery, headlamps, survival blankets, etc.).
We sleep in a Naturehike cloud up 3 tent (3 places), perfect for 2 people and 2 or 3 dogs; Gus prefers to sleep outside but he would fit perfectly in the tent.
Our two dogs sleep with fleece coats and have babies tapis, but that wasn't enough despite the mild weather… We had to cover them with our duvets, which isn't easy with a 25kg dog and more than 60cm at the withers. Next time we will make sure to have sleeping bags for themselves.
En trekking with your dog or not everything is a matter of weight and size, we limit our load as much as possible so that the hike remains pleasant. For our human sizes, our bags do not exceed 10kg, water included (about 20% of our weight) and that's already a lot.
To keep dogs on a leash if needed, we have our harnesses et elastic lanyards de canicross.
Flash DOG : To form a shock team with your dog and you too can go hiking or trekking in complete safety, it must be well educated. If this is not the case, it is impossible to share moments of happiness on a hike, because you will spend your time reminding him when he goes too far without being attached... The solution for educating your dog through play and in good humor is online training from Canidélite on the reminder! Follow the online training and get to know your dog and how to train him simply. You will finally be able to go on great hikes or walks with him without getting upset!
The GR340, go around Belle-île with the dogs
I will now tell you about the progress of this trek around Belle-île with our dogs:
Day 1 – Arrival on the island, Le Palais –> Pointe des Poulains. Distance: 19km.
To get to the island, we left from Port Navalo with “La Compagnie de Golfe”, which accepts dogs on its ships without supplement and without condition. Very nice, but cram 3 dogs and 4 bags on a shuttle is not so easy! Fortunately our neighbors are very curious about our little troop and fall in love with the girls who constantly ask for hugs. With their Braque look, no one can resist them!
On boarding, we are given a tourist map of the island. We don't have the IGN map and this one will be more than enough for us: the GR is very well marked and it's the only coastal path, impossible to get lost!
The shuttle drops us off at port of the palace. The capital of the island is crowded even in September. We have to fill up with water before leaving and find a tap in the middle of town, indicated on our map. We planned the same water load as during our last adventure in the Jura: 2L each… that was a mistake: there is almost no fresh water on the coastal path; no river, no fountain, no tap, no public WC. We'll talk about that later, but we had to adapt to compensate for our lack of reserves.
Let's go ! So we cross the city, Fort Vauban, we make some small adjustments to balance the loading of our bags and those of the dogs, and off we go on the GR340! After a few hundred meters with the dogs on a leash, we can let go of everyone, the path is not too busy and the reception of people rather friendly and curious about the backpacks of Naïs and Angus.
We immediately get to the heart of the matter: we were told that this GR was sporty, we understand why! The trail winds up the cliffs BUT it goes down – and up! – in all the many small coves of fine sand that dot the coast. The landscape is magnificent, you quickly feel far from civilization. The coastal path overlooks the ocean from the steep coast, it passes through small woods and the small beaches are completely deserted. The dogs are released and organize themselves among themselves: Peeta as a scout, Angus as a bodyguard, and Naïs explores the surroundings.
We complete two-thirds of the route then enjoy a short break at Sauzon to admire the port while eating a pancake. New refill of our water bags on the port then we leave.
We reach the northern tip of the island, the Pointe des Foals, where we will spend the first night. After some research, we find a corner sheltered from the wind and outside the protected areas (almost the entire point is protected and it is forbidden to leave the trail). No postcard view to fall asleep tonight but we are safe, that's the most important!
This first day was more difficult than what we expected… It is in fact the portion of the tour of the island with the most elevation gain. The dogs enjoyed running in the pampas and in the waves during the stops on the beaches. In the evening, they still have enough energy to go in search of the rabbits who live in large numbers in the brush!
Day 2: The Pointe des Poulains –> the Aiguilles de Port Coton. Distance: about 25 km.
That night, Angus wanted to sleep outside, while the girls slept in the tent, their fleeces on their backs, and they almost got cold… After a coffee, a compote and a cereal bar, we head towards the Sarah Bernhardt space in the hope of filling up with water. Unfortunately, all the buildings are closed, even abandoned… So we join the coastal path. The landscape today is very different from that of yesterday: the coast is even steeper and we are walking on top of the cliffs which fall steeply into the ocean. No more small beaches, and almost no more elevation, but a plateau covered with heather – in bloom this season – absolutely stunning. This view is by far my best memory of this trek. We advance very quickly, but find no water point and our reserves are scarce. Finally, we leave the coastal path around 13 p.m. at Donnant beach to find water. We reach the village of
Kervilahouen around 13:45 p.m., too late to be served at the Crêperie Coton… Finally, it is at Le Kervi bar that we end up for a fish and chips and a beer, a large bowl of water for the dogs, and a real coffee . We don't regret our freeze-dried meal! Stomachs and water bags full, we set off again towards the Needles of Port-Coton. We find the coastal path fairly quickly and decide to move forward to lighten the next day (28 km planned). We advance another 5km before setting up camp. We would have loved to put the tent in front of the ocean at the top of the cliff but it is way too windy. So we move away a little to put us in the shelter.
Day 3: the Aiguilles de Port Coton –> Port Andro. Distance: about 22 km.
Today, a big day of walking awaits us. Conventionally, the planned stage only goes up to Locmaria, but we want to get ahead on the last day to make sure we don't miss the boat! Today, we find a more hilly profile: it's the return of small beaches and climbs! We are making good progress as far as Locmaria where we fill up with water before cutting through the road to reach Port Andro and the municipal campsite where we will spend the night. The campsite, very inexpensive and clean, is located just in front of a pretty beach (prohibited to dogs… but deserted late in the day and in the early morning). We go to bed very tired after a good meal and a local beer at the Mabalulu bar-restaurant.
Day 4 – Port Andro –> The Palace. Distance traveled: approximately 17 km.
Last day of trek! We leave motivated to take full advantage of this stage, the more we advance, the more the desire to arrive at the palace is felt… We advance a good part of the day. We prefer to be well in advance so as not to miss our ferry! We stop just for a small snack and plan a good sandwich at the Palace when we arrive… be patient! The dogs' backpacks are almost empty, I take Naïs's to give her a little more freedom of movement. We cross the Grands Sables beach along its entire length: a magical moment! Go, despite the fatigue, we complete this last stage, and the tour of the island! Arrived at the Palace, we have a few hours before us before boarding. A good sandwich and a coffee on the port watching the comings and goings of the boats, some shopping to bring back souvenirs, and we embark on the ferry for the return! The dogs have understood that the adventure is over, they have completely let go and begin a well-deserved recuperation nap when the ferry is barely leaving the port. And we will soon do the same!
We end this adventure with several certainties: 1) Belle-île en Mer certainly lives up to its name, 2) We found here the calm, the solitude, and the adventure that we had come to seek, 3) Our dogs are really made for that: to trudge freely all day long!
This mini trek is distinguished from the others by its splendid landscapes, its very well marked route and no stretch of road. It is also a hike well balanced between number of kilometers and elevation. Provided you are able to know how to walk between 15 and 20km a day, it is accessible to everyone with a little practice! The warm welcome towards the dogs was a very pleasant surprise. We have never stopped so much to discuss trekking and packsacks for dogs.
Their superb Breton adventure is already over! I hope it will have made you want to pack your backpack and go discover Belle ile en mer with your dog. Do you want to discover these superb landscapes in photos before leaving? Check out Justine's instagram account @not.a.legs to see photos of all their family getaways 