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Aven, this efficiently run hotel, renovated in 2006 by new owners Valérie and Alain Bodolec, has simple, clean rooms with 18th- and 19th-century-style furnishings. You can choose from three locations: the 16th-century enchanting thatched “chaumière” house, the modern annex, or the maison bourgeoise with a river or garden view. There’s no restaurant, but there’s a tearoom and the bar serves tapas and snacks. Pros: families welcome; rooms tastefully modernized. Cons: rooms small; mattresses can be lumpy; rooms in annex lack character. | 11 quai Théodore-Botrel | 29930 | 02–98–06–13–06 | www.hotelpontaven.com | 14 rooms | In-room: no a/c, Wi-Fi. In-hotel: bar | AE, MC, V | Closed Jan. and Feb. | MAP.

Fodor’s Choice | Le Moulin de Rosmadec.

$ | You’ll want to set up your easel in a second once you spot this pretty-as-a-picture, 15th-century stone water mill. Set at the end of a quiet street, the Sébilleaus’s beloved hostelry sits in the middle of the rushing, rocky Aven River. Inside, atmospheric beam ceilings, Breton stone fireplaces, and water views (you can hear the sound of water gently splashing over the stones beneath your window) cast their spell—but who can resist dining on the “island” terrace? Outside or inside, feast on the creations of a serious kitchen: the sauté de langoustines, duck in cassis, and lobster grillé Rosmadec are all winners. Reservations are essential; the restaurant does not serve dinner Sunday and is closed Thursday. Demand for one of the four gently priced guest rooms is high—book early. Pros: great setting; great value. Cons: distracted, unhelpful staff; attic rooms can be stuffy in midsummer. | Venelle de Rosmadec | 29930 | 02–98–06–00–22 | www.moulinderosmadec.com | 4 rooms, 1 suite | In-room: no a/c. In-hotel: restaurant, some pets allowed | AE, MC, V.

BELLE-ILE-EN-MER

45 mins by boat from Quiberon, 78 km (52 mi) southeast of Pont-Aven.

At 18 km (11 mi) long, Belle-Ile is the largest of Brittany’s islands. It also lives up to its name: it’s indeed beautiful, and less commercialized than its mainland harbor town, Quiberon. Monet created several famous paintings here, and you’ll also be tempted to set up your easel and canvases yourself.

Getting Here and Around

Take the 45-minute ferry trip (hourly July–August) to Belle-Ile’s Le Palais from Quiberon’s Gare Maritime, which can be reached in one hour by bus from Auray train station (on the Quimper–Vannes line) that runs several times daily in summer (€7).

Visitor Information

Belle-Ile-en-Mer Tourist Office.

| Quai Bonnelle, Le Palais | 56360 | 02–97–31–81–93 | www.belle-ile.com.

EXPLORING BELLE-ILE-EN-MER

Because of the cost and inconvenience of reserving car berths on the ferry, cross over to Belle-Ile as a pedestrian and rent a car—or, if you don’t mind the hilly terrain, a bicycle. Departing from Quiberon—a spa town with pearl-like beaches on the eastern side of the 16-km-long (10-mi-long) Presqu’île de Quiberon (Quiberon Peninsula), a stretch of coastal cliffs and beaches whose dramatic western coast, the Côte Sauvage (Wild Coast), is a mix of crevices and coves lashed by the sea—the ferry lands at Le Palais, crushed beneath a monumental Vauban citadel built in the 1680s.

From Le Palais head northwest to Sauzon, the prettiest fishing harbor on the island; from here you can see across to the Quiberon Peninsula and the Gulf of Morbihan.

Continue on to the Grotte de l’Apothicairerie, which derives its name from the local cormorants’ nests, said to resemble apothecary bottles.

At Port Goulphar is the Grand Phare (Great Lighthouse). Built in 1835, it rises 275 feet above sea level and has one of the most powerful beacons in Europe, visible from 120 km (75 mi) across the Atlantic. If the keeper is available and you are feeling well rested, you may be able to climb to the top.

WHERE TO STAY IN BELLE-ILE-EN-MER

Castel Clara.

$$$$ | Perched on a cliff overlooking the surf and the narrow Anse de Goulphar Bay, this ‘70s-era hotel was François Mitterrand’s address when he vacationed on Belle-Ile. The hotel still retains its presidential