Should you visit Brittany or Normandy?

You can’t go wrong wherever you go in France, understandably the most visited country in the world. Yet if you’re homing in on the northwest part of this magical land, you might have a tough call to make.

Both with millennia of history, extraordinary culture and hundreds of miles of shore, Brittany and Normandy tempt in equal measure. But which region should get the nod? After reading these two extremely partisan takes, you decide.

Brittany? Bien sûr

Daphné Leprince-Ringuet is a writer and journalist based in France. She grew up between Paris and Brittany and considers herself Bretonne at heart – much to the despair of her truly born-and-raised Breton friends.

Let’s be honest: for most people planning a visit to France, Brittany is not an obvious go-to. Even the French usually need a bit of convincing before setting foot in the country’s westernmost region, often put off by the flawed assumption that summer days will be spent watching cold rain fall from a perpetually gray sky. Mostly seen as a bleaker version of Normandy – only without the high life and further from Paris – Brittany has a bad rep that stubbornly lives on. 

But this is also potentially what gives the region one of its greatest strengths. Forget about Deauville’s and Trouville’s overcrowded beaches and extortionate deck-chair-rental fees. Imagine a summer that doesn’t require packing for fancy social occasions. At the risk of divulging a closely kept secret, let me reveal that Brittany is one of the last regions in France where you can sit on a sandy beach in the middle of July, facing a plastic-free, Caribbean-like sea with no other soul in sight. And guess what? The weather can actually be pretty good, too.

A craggy, unspoiled coast 

You won’t have to work hard to find your perfect spot, either; a quick search for images of the “Brittany coast” will convince you that there is no shortage of natural beauty here. From the Côtes d’Armor to the shores of Belle-Île en Mer through the Pointe du Raz, Crozon and the Quiberon peninsula, you will find yourself continually marveling at the quintessentially Breton contrast of quiet, inviting beaches suddenly giving way to weathered cliffs that dramatically tumble into the ocean. Even…