Cancale (France)

Cancale Bay. The port at high tide

Cancale Bay. The port at low tide

Cancale Bay. A Breton boat balanced on its keel in the harbor at low tide

Cancale Bay at low tide

The seafront of the town of Cancale at low tide

The seafront of the town of Cancale at low tide

Cancale lighthouse and the start of the pier at low tide

Restaurants on the seafront in the town of Cancale

Restaurants on the seafront in the town of Cancale

Low tide reveals the rows and oyster beds. Mont Saint-Michel is on the horizon

Cancale Bay. Oyster catchers begin their work at low tide

Cancale Bay. At low tide, the oyster beds remain dry

Cancale Bay. At low tide, oyster farmers move to the seabed to reach more distant oyster farms

Cancale Bay. At low tide, oyster farmers descend to the seabed to reach the oyster beds

Cancale Bay. At low tide, oyster farmers descend to work on the seabed

Cancale Bay. At low tide, oyster farmers descend to work on the seabed

Cancale Bay. At low tide, you can see the oyster fields and farms

Cancale Bay. At low tide, you can see the oyster fields and farms

Cancale Bay. At low tide, oyster farmers can work on their mussel and oyster farms

Cancale Bay. At low tide, oyster farmers can work on their mussel and oyster farms

Cancale Bay. At low tide, oyster farmers can work on their mussel and oyster farms

Cancale Bay. When the tide rises, the oyster farmers return to land, bringing their boats loaded with equipment and oysters

Cancale Bay. When the tide rises, the oyster farmers return to land, bringing their boats loaded with equipment and oysters

Someone is walking back from the oyster fields through a sea of mud

At the port of Cancale, oyster farmers sell freshly harvested oysters directly to tourists

At the port of Cancale, oyster farmers sell freshly harvested oysters directly to tourists, also preparing tasting dishes

At the port of Cancale, oyster farmers sell freshly harvested oysters directly to tourists, also preparing tasting dishes

Oyster farmers sell freshly harvested oysters also displaying various information on how to cook oysters

Cancale port, tastings of freshly harvested oysters

At high tide, Cancale port covers the farms with over 10 meters of water

Where is Cancale

By: Carlo Piccinelli

Cancale on Google Maps.
The Breton town of Cancale, overlooking the bay of the same name, is one of the largest producers of mussels and oysters in France. Thanks to its remarkable tidal range, nearly 12 meters, and its sandy seabed that remains exposed at low tide, Cancale is an ideal location for oyster farming. At high tide, Cancale is a typical Breton town with a waterfront lined with shops and restaurants, a port, and a small beach. But at low tide, Cancale is transformed: the beach stretches hundreds of meters, the port remains dry, and hundreds of rows laden with oysters appear in the bay. In this moment that the oyster farmers descend with their tractors from the port ramps to the seabed and reach their production fields, where they monitor the growth of the oysters, plant new ones, or harvest those that have reached their final stage of development. A must-see for anyone visiting this part of France, as is a visit to the stalls near the harbor where you can buy freshly harvested oysters from the producers and enjoy them with a glass of wine while sitting on the harbor walls, throwing the empty shells directly onto the beach below. Within a few hours, the tide will rise again and wash away the empty shells, which will eventually disappear, forming more sand. A trip to Cancale is a unique experience for tourists who love not only discovering places, curiosities, and traditions, but also sampling the local products, such as, in this case, the delicious Breton oysters.
Links for more informations:
Info Cancale: https://www.saint-malo-tourisme.co.uk/explore-our-destination/gastronomic-gems-of-brittany/oysters-from-cancale/.