Self catering holiday homes

After managing other Estate Agencies and holiday rental agencies within the Dinard area for many years, Yves De Sagazan and his wife, Marielle, decided to create their own agency and took posession of offices ajoining the market square in the middle of town.

Now, well over 20 years later the estate agency is one of the most respected within the area, and the holiday rental side of the business is just as successful. Our business philosophy remains the same today as it did the day we opened our doors for the first time and every customer can expect the best possible service delivered in a polite, friendly and effecient manner.

While Yves concentrates primarily on the Estate Agency (property sales) side of the business, Marielle manages all aspects of the holiday accommodation / holiday rental side of things.

The estate agency primarily deals with properties within Dinard and its immediate surrounding area including St Enogat. We also propose properties from local towns such as St Malo and Saint-Briac-sur-Mer, as well as properties located along the Rance estuary as far as the town of Dinan. Most properties, however, are within central Dinard and its suburbs.

Our holiday rental agency offer a large range of holiday accommodation from large mansions, family friendly properties to studio apartments. The majority of properties are located in Dinard and its suburbs with many of the properties being within easy walking distance of the center of town, then main beaches and Dinard's busy market square with its thrice weekly markets. All of our accommodation is shown in detail on our website. Each holiday home is shown with a full description, a location map and lots of photos so you can be sure that property you select is right for you. All weekly rental prices are shown along with up to date availability.

Both Yves and Marielle speak English and will be happy to talk or write to to you in French or English to answer any questions you may have.

Located on the other side of the Rance Estuary opposite the famous port of St malo, Dinard sits full square on the coast based around a sandy beach enclosed by headlands. From these you can look out across the water to see St Malo, its harbour and its city walls. Dinard is a popular beach resort in the department of Ille-et-vilaine in the north west of the region of Brittany.

A long standing favourite of the British, Brittany is closely linked with Britain so much so that Brittany is known to the french as Bretagne, while Britain is Grande Bretagne ! Dinard's history is very closely linked to the British and the town is regarded as 'tres british' by the french.

Originally a small fishing village in the small parish of Saint-Énogat, Dinard is sheltered by imposing promontories giving rise to not only a safe harbour but also to a very pleasant sandy beach (Plage de l'Ecluse) around which the small village developed. The imposing promontories around the bay were the reason behind Dinard's initial development as an 'upmarket location'. Wealthy ship owners from the nearby town of St Malo commissioned imposing residences upon the clif tops from which they could both escape the noise and smells of the port of St Malo ... while still, literally, keeping an eye on their business interests across the bay.

Later on, towards the end of the 19th century, Dinard underwent another metamorphosis from fishing village to wealthy upmarket suburb of Saint Malo to a popular holiday destination for British aristocrats, celebrities and noveau riche who arrived in numbers and began the building of remarkable 'belle epoque' villas within the town, hundreds of which remain to this day. This influx went on for many years and gave the town a very strong British identity - an identity which continues to this day in the eyes of the french ! For the British, Dinard remains quintessentially French, with the local food (seafood is a speciality) ensuring that there is no doubt whatsoever that Dinard is very definitely French.

As the Plage de l'Ecluse and its surrounding area became more prominent part of the wider conurbation, in 1879 the name of the settlement was formally altered from Saint-Énogat to Dinard-Saint-Énogat to reflect the rise in importance of this part of the parish. With the development of the area around the beach and headlands continuing apace, in 1921 the town was formally renamed to Dinard with the original area of Saint-Énogat becoming the name for the western suburb of the new town. Saint-Énogat remains the name of this area to this day and is regarded by many of the locals as a village in its own right.

Dinard is renowned for its quiet, relaxed atmosphere and does not seek to compete with some more 'modern' beech resorts where all night discos and extreme sports are frequently on offer. Dinard has deliberately set out to focus on a very traditional holiday market and will suite the many people seeking a relaxing, low pace holiday rather than those seeking adrenalin filled activities and parties until the sun comes up. It is particularly popular with families with young children and very often we find that grand parents and extended family holiday together.

Whilst Dinard offers many attraction from the sandy beaches to the famous coastal walkways, many other attractions are close by :

Dinard Golf Course 7km :

Despite the name, the golf course is acutally located in Saint-Briac-sur-Mer some 7km west along the coast from the center of Dinard. The Golf Club was founded at the end of the 19th Centuary by a small colony of British residents who had made their home in the area, and the "links" course is proported to be one of the oldest courses in France.

Many of the local British residents responsible for the creation of the Golf club were army offers who retired to the area after returning from serving in the military in India and Egypt. These retired officers and their families having settled on the Emerald Coast, wanted to maintain their passion for the game of golf and so set about creating the now world famous club. At around this time a lot of social changes were happening especially in relation to leisure time and with the arrival of the railway came an influx of people to enjoy sea bathing (which became very popular) as did a general wish for the well off to embrace a new outdoor lifestyle. They also created the tennis club in Dinard (saidf to be one of, oif not the first, tennis club in France) and greatly developed the sport of sailing and the development of the sailing club in the town.

While Dinard itself would have been the location of choice for the golf club, the lack of available space meant that an area to the west where cows and sheep grazed on an area of some 50 hectares of seaside broom / gorse / covered heath and dunes overlooking the sea, became the most logical compromise location. Following the purchase of the land the Scottish architect Tom Dunn was engaged to design and build the new golf course which was duly completed in 1887.

Very soon after its opening the Dinard Golf Club at Saint-Briac became famous throughout france and was soon hosting a large number of golfing tournaments. As early as 1890, only 3 years after it opened, influential magazines lauded the course as a great success. One review stated that “Its sandy soil makes it the best course in France today” !

Over the years the course has attracted many famous visitors and it remains very popular with the locals. Many children learn to play at the club in organised lessons with mini tournaments organised as well as those for adults..

Located along a long stretch of sandy coast line, the local coastline and the course was mined during the Second World War to stop it being used as a landing beach. When all o fthe mines were cleared after the end of the war the course reopened in 1949. Since that time, the course has once again played host to many championships and other competitions. To this day the course maintains a committed following amongst the golfing fraternity with many people from the UK and the channel islands amongst many visitors from around the world.

Saint-Briac-sur-Mer 7km

Apart from the golf course on the outskirts of the town, Saint-Briac-sur-Mer is worth a visit.

The name of the town actually derives from from the name "Saint Briag". Briag was an irishman who arrived with Saint Tugdual from Ireland in around 548 AD.

The town has a interesting history. During the french revolution in the late 18th century the then "port Briac" saw its 12 century castle (Le Chateau du Nessay) used as a prison for political prisoners.

40 years earlier (in September 1758) A british Fleet of some 110 ships under the command of Admiral Richard Howe landed in Saint Briac. With a force of around 12,000 soldiers they established a camp in the nearby coastal town of St Lunaire and proceeded to burn and pillage much of the area. In just two days over half of Saint Briac was burned to the ground.

Mont-Saint-Michel 40km

One of the most visited tourist sites in the world the Mont-Saint-Michel is located on the Normady / Brittany border. The Abbey was build over many years between the 11th and 16th century and is one the most recognisable sites in france. If you are holidaying in Dinard then a visit to the Bay of St Michel and the famous abbey is well worth a visit. If you take the coastal road for the return journey you will also pass Concale (see later) which is also well worth a visit.

Saint-Malo 4km

Either a short drive from Dinard across the 'barage de la Rance' or a ferry ride across the bay (a very popular alternative which delivers you straight to the 'old' city walls) Saint Malo is a very popular tourise destination and spending a day wandering around the reconstructed old city, the 'intra muros', is well worth doing. Largely destroyed in 1944 the old town has been reconstructed with many shops and restaurants lining the 'old city'.

Dinan 20km

A short drive along the Rance from Dinard, Dinan is an historic walled town overlooking the river flowing to the Rance Estuary.

Arguably Dinans port is most attractive part of the city, and it is where we would suggest you begin your visit, especially if you take one of the regular ferries to the town from either Dinard or St Malo. The river side quay is lined with period stone houses, many of which have now been converted to restaurants and shops. If you walk along the river a little way, you can discover more about life on the river in olden times by visiting the Maison de la Rance discovery centre. From anywhere along the river, the view that dominates is the 131ft (40m)-high viaduct.

When leaving the port, you will climb the Rue du Petit-Fort, which was Dinan’s main road until the 18th century. This cobbled hill boasts half-timbered houses and is a popular photo oportunity. Dinan has been designated a Ville d’Art et d’Histoire (A Town of Art and History) and the town boasts many arts and crafts including artists, sculptors, engravers, bookbinders, glassblowers and many more.

Dinan also boasts a 13th-century castle which has been converted so that it now contains the towns impressive museum. Take a tour of the magnificent ramparts around the old town which run for nearly a mile and a half and are the oldest in Brittany. Each July Dinan holds ta famous event, the Fête des Remparts to showcase its medieval heritage.

Cancale 17km

located on the far side of St malo, Cancel is the oyster capital of Brittany. The oysters from Cancale have been famous for at least 2000 years being eaten Julius Caesar's troops and delivered on a daily basis to the court of Louis XIV.

Throughout France Cancale is famed as one of the premiere regions for the cultivation of oysters. The area around Cancale has been growing and harvesting oysters for hundreds of years and is one of the most important areas of production in country. There are two types of the mollusc produced in France. The original "flat oyster" and more recently imported "hollow oyster", which has been brought in from other parts of the world. Most of the oysters now cultivated in and around Cancale are the hollow oyster variety. This is a frequent pattern throughout france mainly due to parasitic infections which have led to a rapid decline in the indiginous flat oyster since the 1970s. Cancale produces over 15,000 tonnes per year, and the extensive oyster beds are clearly visible at low tide.

If you want to discover more about the history of oyster farming in the area, visit La Ferme Marine which is a family run company where you can see the oysters being farmer and visit various exhibits concerning differrent types of shellfish from around the world.

If you are visiting for lunch or dinner, then Cancale boasts a variety of very good quality restaurants mostly focusing on seafood for which the port is famous. If you are a budding chef, then cookery classes can be book at the culinary school of Olivier Roellinger. Mr Roellinger is a retired former three-star Michelin chef, who will teach you how to turn even basic fish and seafood into gastronomic delights.

Cancale is a very old settlement and has a hostorical side apart from its association with seafood and molluscs. The Église St Méen is named for the Welsh saint who settled in the area in the 6th century. Inside the church can be found the "Musée des Arts et Traditions Populaires" which details the town’s history. Once a year in mid Augus, the town hosts a festival "Les Reposoirs" dedicated to the Virgin Mary who is locally known as the protector of sailors.

Lots of other local attractions are worthy of a visit including the fort at Cap Frehel 23km (famous for the film 'the vikings'), the Emerald Coast 4km, Dol-de-Bretagne 24km, Plancoet 18km, Combourg 34km and many, many more ....

This old postcard picture of Dinard, datring from the 1920's, shows how little Dinard has changed over the years.  The famous coastal path is clearly shown. The waves which crash over the sea wall at high tide are a year round attraction, with children of all ages escaping from the water as they walk along the coast. The beach with the famous beach huts are in background, although the blue and white colours can not be sen in this early black and white image. The large building on the front was originally the casino and hotel, although these have now moved a few hundred metres along the beach. The building has now been converted into appartments many of which benfit from one of the best views in town !

First created in 1990, The British Film Festival occurs anually on the first weekend in August. The fastival showcases Dinard as  real fan of all things British and over the last 30 or so years has helped launch numerous films into the European mainland market.  Many of the films which have won awards in Dinard have gone on to be successful throughout europe. Each year the 5 day festival utilises 5 different cinemas. During this time Dinard showcases 6 films competing for awards, somewhere in the region of ten premieres and around twenty short films,. These are judged and enjoyed by not only the formal Jury but also by around 30,000 festival-goers.