One of the best things about Brittany is the beaches.

There are golden, sandy beaches all along the south coast. 45 minutes from Pont Neo, near Névez, Tahiti beach is a great place to spend the day with it's gentle slope, fine sand and rock pools. In neighbouring Rospico cove there is the Café de la Plage for a light lunch with a fantastic view. Round the headland, past the quaint Port de Trévignon, there is an etang and miles and miles of empty, sandy beach and crumbling wartime defences to explore. And for when you've had enough sea and sand, Pont Aven sophistication is just a stone's throw away.

From Guidel to Quiberon stretches the west-facing côte sauvage, popular with surfers, and on the other side of the narrow Quiberon peninsula, the more sheltered Carnac beaches are a mecca for kite-surfers. If you're not an expert, all along this coast you'll find a combination of good beaches, surf schools and just a few miles inland more tranquil places like Port-Louis and picturesque Saint Cado to visit.

The closest beaches, about 30 minutes from the house, are at Le Pouldu, a place made famous by the painter Gaugin. The beaches here are spotless, the water crystal clear and the bathing safe for children. During the height of the season some of these sandy beaches get busier, but for most of the year they're all your's. Anyway, you're never very far from somewhere remote in Brittany - just try round the next corner!