The Lac au Duc at Ploermel

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About 15 minutes away towards Ploermel is the Lac au Duc, a large lake with a beach, tennis courts (free), picnic area, table tennis (also free), water sports facilities (water ski-ing, sailing, windsurfing, kayaking) to be hired by the hour, a cafe and water slides.  There is also a 9 hole golf course.

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Hiring sailing dinghies, kayaks, wind-surf boards or trying your hand at water ski-ing is excellent value and all of the equipment is supplied. The beach is supervised. Facilities at and around the site include  tennis, table-tennis, volley-ball, golf, angling, walking, a fitness trail, horse riding, swimming and water slides. There is a children's playground, picnic areas and a cafe. The Lac au Duc is a great leisure activity centre and a must on any visit especially if you want to try some of the water sports available.

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The "Hortensia" Trail is a walk which runs along the edge of the lake through an arboretum full of hydrangea, the flower of Brittany. There are about 2,000 hydrangeas of 220 different species planted along this walk flowering between May and October. The outer walk is 3km (90 mins) and the inner walk 0.8km (30 mins). Both start from the King Arthur Hotel parking area

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Walking

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Brittany has more way marked paths than any other region of France and there are many beautiful walks and footpaths in the area – from strolls along the river bank to country, forest or coastal hikes.  Brittany has a total of 1,700 kilometres of coastal footpaths running along capes, headlands, dunes and beaches. These footpaths are extremely accessible and follow the entire length of the coastline, passing through superb scenery.  In France there is a national network of walking paths. Apart from the Coastal Path (the GR34) many other Grandes Randonnees, as they are called, go through Brittany. They are marked with white and red signs. Smaller walking paths (known as GRPs) are marked with yellow and red signs. PRs are even smaller and are marked in yellow (or sometimes with a thematic "walking" symbol) and are meant to last from an hour to a whole day.  The signposts along these routes give you the time, rather than the distance, which might take a little getting used to. The times are calculated on a steady walking speed of 4km an hour without any stops. There are maps and books in the house. Feel free to use them and let us have some comments on any walks you do.

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Cycling

 

Very close to the house at St Gobrien you can join the well maintained towpath of the Nantes-Brest Canal. The level footpaths of the canal are a great way to discover the area and a trip into Josselin is well worth doing.

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Almost passing the house, through Tregranteur, there are two cycle rides which are illustrated in a leaflet which you can access on line (although it is in French). These are marked as moderate (blue – route 10) and more difficult (red – route 11). The roads are a lot emptier than in the UK and cycling is a great way to explore the local villages (depending on the abilities of your group!). The area immediately around the house is deceptively undulating which means that you need to be reasonably fit.  

In addition you can pick up the Voie Verte (green route) near Roc St Andre or in Ploermel. This follows the path of the old railway line from Mauron to Questembert on a 53 km surfaced trail. This is an excellent, safe, traffic free route through some beautiful countryside, which is perfect for both walking and cycling. The track is split into manageable portions between the main towns and villages. 

There is a bike hire shop in Josselin and, we believe in Ploermel (not sure about this), or you can bring your own but will need to let the ferry company know you have a bike rack. 

About 20 miles west of Guegon is the Blavet Valley which is apparently popular with cyclists and which is officially recognised for its newly formed tracks and circuits. There are 100 kms of way-marked routes over 9 trails. If you are a cycling nutter, try out the Velopark near Pontivy. It’s a 100 acre park set in the heart of the forest with a bike museum, plenty of cycle routes to follow, a shop and a bar.

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Swimming

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There is a very large open air pool at Pontivy which is open in the summer months from 11 am to 7:30 pm daily. The nearest indoor pool is at Ploermel and there is also another at Baud. The nearest outdoor pools are at Plumelec and Serent - we have used the one at Plumelec and it is excellent although the opening hours are a bit erratic and you have to wear “speedo” type trunks not shorts – seriously! This is the case at all French pools and some will amke you wear a swimming hat as well to complete the humiliation. 

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For off-season breaks, the indoor swimming centre Les Aquatides at Loudeac is said to be worth a trip. As well as the 25m swimming pool, there is a 70m water slide, fountains, lagoons and rivers, jacuzzi and spa bath. There is also a cafeteria for lunch. The Lac au Duc provides supervised lake swimming with a man made sandy beach, or you can always take a dip in the sea - the water of the Southern Brittany coast is a bit warmer than the north and west coasts. 

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Karting

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There is an outdoor go-karting track for children and adults located at Circuit de la Pyramide, Guillac, just a few miles away.  They have a 620 metres outdoor track. Adult karts are 2 and 4 stroke, children use 100cc karts from age 7, and full safety equipment (helmets and gloves) are provided. They cater for both teams and individuals. The track was re-launched in 2007 after a period of closure. It is  alittle less formal than you will find in the UK and worth a go.

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A little further afield is the Karting Du Pays D'Auray at Ploemel (not Ploermel!), with 10 karts for children, 50 for adults. The circuit is 800m and they open from 10am to 8pm during school holiday periods.

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Tennis

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The nearest town, Guegon, has its own tennis courts and is about 5 minutes away in the car. Tennis is also available free of charge at the Lac au Duc in Ploermel. Many other towns and villages also have tennis facilities e.g. there is an indoor tennis court at St Barthelemy. There is a minimal charge. Tuition is available if required. At Baud's sports centre, there are 2 outdoor courts and another four courts at Camors.

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Other attractions/places to visit

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• Parc de Branfere - this chateau and animal park can be found at Le Guerno to the south east from the house.

• The Aquarium at Vannes is worth a visit on a wet day perhaps combined with the adjacent Butterfly House.

• The Ferme du Monde is also worth a visit for younger children. It is not far away at Carentoir.

• At Lizio (only a few kilometres away) there is an Insectarium which we have not been to but was not recommended by at least one discerning visitor to the area. Also in this charming little village is the bizarre "scrap iron poet" - a world of animated, musical and aquatic sculptures made from scrap metal which the visitor can bring to life.

• Velo-rail - at Medereac (45 kms north-west of Rennes on the D220) is the velo-rail. There are two circuits for you to cycle along on old railway tracks. Your bikes are two bikes welded together side by side. Under 8's can ride in a hammock between the parents' bikes and older children have their own mini-bikes. Take a picnic. 

• Parc de Prehistoire de Bretagne - life size models of dinosaurs, animals and early humans. Large grounds for walking and a picnic area.  

• There is also the local Lancelot brewery on the road towards Roc St Andre. This brewery produces a number of different and often very strong beers which you can buy in the local supermarkets. Worth a taste although more expensive than some of the other beers.

• Tree Climbing - the closest is Roc Aventure at Roc St Andre. There is a large tree-climbing venue at Foret d’Adrenelin on the way to and close to Erdeven. It is best to book. There is an  interesting adventure site to the north near Iffendic which offers tree climbing for all ages, sailing, a beach, horse riding, tennis and a bar/restaurant. Admission is free and you pay for what you use.

• Paint balling - there are a number of paint balling sites. It is best to go as a group. The one we went to in 2009 was about 30 minutes away towards Vannes. This needs to be booked. When we went, we were there as a group of 10 and we were the only one there that afternoon. It is lower key and less high tech than in England. Health and Safety seemed to be optional.

• Horse racing - there is horse racing quite often in the area in the summer. The closest is at Josselin but others include Questembert.  This is a good afternoon out for the family and is on a much smaller scale than in England. The races are a mixture of flat, jumps and trotting pulling a cart.