Cézembre

Cézembre is an island in Brittany, in the Ille-et-Vilaine département of France, near Saint-Malo. The island is uninhabited, with a surface area of approximately 18 hectares (44 acres), a length of 750 metres (2,461 ft), and a maximum width of 250 metres (820 ft). The island features a fine sandy beach facing Saint-Malo on the south, and a steep and rocky coast around the rest of the island. As elsewhere in northern Brittany, the tidal range is among the highest in the world. Until the seventeenth century, the island could be reached on foot at low tide from Saint Malo. The island's beach is popular in summer with visitors arriving by yacht or motorboat and there are also regular shuttles from St-Malo, although landing is only possible at high tide. A small restaurant serves lunches and prebooking is essential. Cézembre was inhabited by a number of hermits over the centuries, and featured a monastery for a time.