Breton Traditions and Design Cabanes on the Peninsula
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Even the drive in gives you a sense that something here is different: the Isthmus de Penthièvre, the narrow strip of sand connecting Quiberon to the mainland, has sea on both sides. Then Quiberon appears, the peninsula that fights against black rocks on its western edge and shimmers turquoise to the east.
And right in the middle of this landscape of wind, water and pine forests: Sauvage. The boldest property in Collection Rivages, named after the coastline that surrounds it, and designed for families who don’t see a holiday as a break from themselves, but as the best version of it.
Location
Quiberon is not a picture-postcard Breton coastal idyll. The peninsula is rawer, more honest, exposed to the wind. Just 14 kilometres long, framed by nature on both sides, and anyone who explores it on foot or by bike will come away with a better understanding of the Breton soul than any travel guide could offer.
Sauvage sits at the heart of the peninsula, surrounded by cypresses and pines, just a few minutes’ walk from the legendary Côte Sauvage. The grounds cover five hectares: compact enough that you can reach everything without a car, and green enough to feel a world away from it all. The drive from Munich takes around nine hours; by train you travel via Paris to Auray and from there take the TER directly onto the peninsula, one of the more scenic rail stretches in France, with a glimpse of the sea just before you arrive.
Accommodation
The Cabanes de Quiberon have pointed rooftops in true Breton tradition. Inside: natural materials, bedrooms sleeping up to six, and two bathrooms in the largest configuration. The Beach Houses are quiet and tucked away, with generous terraces opening onto a small orchard. In the mornings, apples and plums hang from the branches, and it feels completely natural to just help yourself. All accommodation comes with air conditioning, bed linen, and the hallmark of good design: the sense that someone really thought it through.
Kids
The Club House is the heart of Sauvage. High ceilings, guitars on the wall, a record player, cosy nooks, an atmosphere that makes connections happen without forcing them. Teenagers play chess here. Parents who didn’t know each other in the morning are sharing wine by evening. The Maison Mer hires out surfboards, kayaks and bikes, offers surf lessons for all levels, and the coastline right outside does the rest. Kids Club and Teens Club run in July and August. The Plage Sauvage Festival, every Thursday in July with open-air rock right on the wild Atlantic coast, is the experience you book the whole week for.
Food & Drink
Restaurant Sablé and Bar Tonnerre interpret Breton cuisine exactly as you’d expect from a place with its own distinct character: fresh, regional, unpretentious. A great excursion: the cannery La Quiberonnaise in Quiberon town is one of the last traditional sardine producers in Brittany, offering guided tours and a small shop where you can pick up tinned fish that bears no resemblance to anything you’d find in a supermarket.
Pool & Wellness
Sauvage has an outdoor pool and a heated indoor pool housed in a timber building that radiates its own warmth even on grey Breton days. Yoga and Pilates take place daily, and the Mojo Mojo Festival in June adds further mindfulness programming that fits perfectly with the raw, unpolished energy of the place. But the most honest spa of all is the sea itself: on the eastern side of the peninsula, sheltered coves invite families with young children for a swim, while the western Côte Sauvage delivers Atlantic waves for anyone looking for more of a challenge. The two worlds are just a short walk apart, and you can experience both in a single day.
Day Trips
Belle-Île-en-Mer, reachable by ferry from Quiberon in 45 minutes, is a day trip that works beautifully for children from age four and captivates adults just as much: calanques, lighthouses, beaches without the crowds. Carnac, 30 minutes away, is home to the largest megalithic site in the world, with over 3,000 standing stones stretching across the moorland. How fascinated the kids will be depends on their age, but the sense of something immense is there for everyone.
You can find our full overview of all five Collection Rivages locations and our guide to choosing the right one here. If you love island stays, check out our favourite place feature on Le Phare on the Île de Ré.
