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Summaries of
the locations that the ports
reside:
Portsmouth is an
historic port on the south
coast of England, that has
been home to the British
Royal Navy for more than 500
years. Not only is it a
great departure point for
France, but it is also
steeped in maritime history,
and any trip to the city
should include a visit to
its many naval attractions.
The renaissance of
Portsmouth Harbour has now
transformed the waterfront
bringing restaurants, bars
and shopping areas, and
adding six kilometres of
promenades around the
harbour. At night, there is
plenty of entertainment on
offer, including
restaurants, bars, theatres,
and concert venues.
Poole has a stunning
natural harbour, the world's
second largest after Sydney,
and is famed for its
magnificent beaches. Its
three miles of golden sands
from Sandbanks to Canford
Cliffs are some of the
finest in Britain. They have
held blue flags since 1989,
and are pristine, leading to
its nickname as the St.
Tropez of the South coast.
The town of Poole centres
round the bustling old Quay,
where you can find lovely
restaurants and stylish
bars, with fantastic views
over the harbour. From the
harbour, you can take a
cruise boat around the port
or a ferry to the National
Trust's Brownsea Island,
with its peaceful walks and
wide variety of wildlife.
Plymouth, the largest
city in the South West, has
beautiful scenery, a wealth
of attractions and a
fascinating maritime
history. In 1577 Francis
Drake launched his
circumnavigation of the
globe from Plymouth and
repelled the Armada a few
years later, the Pilgrim
Fathers set sail from here
in 1620, and in 1831 Charles
Darwin departed for his
pioneering trip to the
Galapagos Islands.
The city overlooks the
English Channel and is
flanked by the river Plym to
the east and the river Tamar
to the west. It is broken up
into three main sections:
the Barbican with its narrow
streets and Tudor and
Victorian buildings, the
Hoe, with its famous
promenade overlooking the
Plymouth Sound, and the
modern central section,
flattened during the war and
then rebuilt.
Cherbourg - Located
at the tip of the Cotentin
Peninsula, the busy town of
Cherbourg has been an
important naval base since
Napoleonic times, and is a
popular gateway to the
magnificent region of
Normandy. It is a military,
fishing and commercial port,
with a yachting marina, and
boasts the largest
artificial harbour in the
world. Normandy has a
spectacular coastline and
plenty of sandy beaches,
with dramatic cliffs rising
up near Cherbourg.
The old part of Cherbourg is
centered around the old
fishing port, and from the
fortress Fort du Roule,
there is a panoramic view
over the city. Cherbourg
itself is not the prettiest
of Norman towns, but it has
a number of attractions,
including an impressive new
aquarium, and peace
memorials commemorating the
Second World War.
During the summer, festivals
are held in the Plage Verte
park, the entrance of which
is marked by the Napoleon
Monument.
Caen, the capital of
lower Normandy is a bustling
industrial and cultural
centre, with a wealth of
medieval abbeys and a
magnificent castle. William
the Conqueror founded the
city in the 11th century,
and was laid to rest here,
although after the
plundering of his coffin in
the 16th century only one of
his thighbones remained in
the city, and this was then
stolen during the French
Revolution. Fortunately
William’s legacy still
remains in nearby Bayeux,
and its fabulous tapestry.
Caen was heavily bombed
during the Second World War,
and the war is commemorated
in the moving Caen Memorial
museum. The city’s beautiful
11th century abbeys and the
castle’s art collection,
which includes Rubens and
Monet, escaped the bombing
and are a must-see for any
visitor. After the
devastation of the war, the
local limestone was used to
restore much of the town to
its former glory. Stroll
through the streets and
squares, such as the rue
Ecuyère, rue Froide and rue
Saint Martin, to explore
hidden courtyards and
medieval, narrow streets.
Most of the main historical
buildings are located on the
left bank of the River Orne,
which passes through the
city centre.
back to top
Roscoff is a charming,
small Breton fishing village
that provides the perfect
gateway to the delights of
Brittany. The seaside town
is clustered around a small
bay, with 16th-century
granite houses, little
shops, and bars and
restaurants, hugging the
shoreline. The old harbour
is the best place to while
away the hours while
enjoying a drink with sea
views, or alternatively you
can take a boat trip from
here to the Ile de Batz
(pronounced Ba).
The town’s tourist
attractions include its
tropical gardens, an
aquarium, a beautiful
church, and a stunning
coastline. Brittany’s sea is
also renowned for its
healing properties, and one
of the region’s oldest
thalassotherapy centres was
opened in Roscoff in 1899
and is definitely worth
visiting for a pampering
treat.
The deep-water port at
Roscoff was opened in 1973,
but its harbour has been an
important arrival point
through the ages. Mary Queen
of Scots landed here in 1548
on her way to Paris to be
engaged to François, the son
and heir of Henri II, and
Bonnie Prince Charlie,
arrived here in 1746 after
his defeat at Culloden.
Thanks to the Gulf Stream
the town benefits from a
mild climate, and it is also
shielded by the Ile de Batz,
making it a perfect holiday
destination all year round.
St Malo, built on a
granite island on the
Emerald Coast of Brittany,
the beautiful city of St
Malo rises up from the rock
and curves around a natural
harbour. Its ancient
citadel, the Cathédrale St
Vincent, dominates the
skyline, and sailing into
the port early in the
morning best captures the
romance of the town.
Founded in the 6th century
by Welsh monks, in the 12th
century, Bishop Jean de
Chatillon also transferred
his bishopric to the town.
But the town’s murkier past
is illustrated by its
nickname as the City of
Corsairs, so-called after
its pirates, who routinely
preyed upon English ships
crossing the channel in the
18th and 19th centuries.
St Malo’s heart is the old
walled town, known as Intra-Muros
or ‘within these walls’.
Visitors can walk round the
ramparts of the city’s
20-foot thick walls for one
mile to get splendid views
of the town and the harbour.
Lower down, the city’s
winding streets, reminds one
of a medieval maze, where
you can stumble upon quaint
shops, bars and restaurants.
There are sandy beaches near
the town, which stretch
along the Northern Brittany
Coast.
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Cantabria’s capital
Santander is an elegant
city stretched over a wide
bay. Its streets rise up the
hill on which the city is
built, so views of the
Cantabrian Sea can be
spotted from much of the
town. Highlights include the
city’s old quarter,
including the historic
buildings set against a
beautiful backdrop of sea
and mountains.
The city is built around a
natural port, which was in
use before Roman times. The
surrounding countryside is
stunning, with wide-open
verdant areas. The sandy
beaches are unspoilt,
particularly Mataleñas, El
Sardinero and La Magdalena,
where Alfonso XIII had his
summer residence.
The Pilgrim's Road passes
through the city to Santiago
de Compostela and the
neighbouring Altamira Caves,
both of which have been
designated World Heritage
sites. Santander also
provides a gateway to the
Natural Parks of Oyambre,
Peña Cabarga and Saja-Besaya,
and the beautiful Picos de
Europa National Park. |
