This 12-day itinerary encompasses much of the best of Brittany. It includes more hotels than I might otherwise recommend for a single vacation, but the pace is leisurely and the drives are scenic. (For an extended routing, the Sofitel Quiberon Thalassa Sea & Spa on the Quiberon Peninsula and Castel Clara on the unspoiled island of Belle-Ile-en-Mer can be combined with the Château de Locguénolé.)

Friendly Brittany has long ranked among my favorite regions in France. Its craggy coastline is breathtakingly beautiful, its seafood is some of the best in the world and the culture is unique. Many inhabitants still speak the Celtic Breton language, and on high days and holidays, women still wear their traditional long dresses adorned with lace.

May through July is the most pleasant time for a visit. August is too crowded, and some restaurants close for the season as early as the middle of September.