Unusual ways to Discover the Baie du Mont Saint Michel

5 unusual outing ideas in Mont St Michel Bay

Mont Saint Michel is a great  visit in Normandy. However, if you want to discover the Bay like local people, here are some ideas to discover the Mont and Bay in an original way.

1- Visit of Mont Saint Michel at night

 The Mont Saint Michel visit during the day is  to have an extraordinary view of its millenary architecture and on the Bay as far as the eye can see. The night visit is necessary if you want to see it without the two million annual tourists, find it in the evening in its calm and original atmosphere. In the privacy of a night visit, past the main street to the many restaurants and hotels, you will hear the wind rush into the narrow streets. The top of the ramparts, you will see the twinkle of the lights of the coast. On the nights of the full moon, you will see the reflection of the Mont in the waters of the Bay and the arrow of the Archangel St Michel cut out on the sky.

Mont St Michel is a village not quite like the others. Its night access is limited to pedestrians from 1:00 am in the morning (shuttles stop). Off-season, bicycles can make the last kilometers on the Bridge that leads to Mountain. From 19:00 the car parks are free, so do not miss this original visit that will leave you a memory magnificent. Around 22:00, it is very dark, and you will have plenty of time to go for a nice walk in the heart of the Mont.

2- Crossing the Bay of Mt St Michel at dusk or dawn

 Crossing the Bay of Mont St Michel in the day is a beautiful experience. Approach the Mount, by the sea, at dawn or at twilight gives this experience a mystical flavor reminiscent of middle-aged pilgrimages to one of the lighthouses of Western Christianity.

For this crossing, take a guide to the Bay for safety. Between water releases from the dam
Couesnon, the rising tide and quicksand (which is not a legend), it is always better to be well
accompanied. At night, the landmarks change, it becomes difficult to be sure of the right direction and hikers are rare. It is an unusual outing on specific dates by the guides. It will leave you a little taste of salt water in the mouth and will be a wonderful memory, which in addition, can be completed with a visit of the Mount at night.

3- Surf or sail on the Bay Tide towards Pontaubault

 Several times a year, a high tide causes a phenomenon known as the tidal bore. This wave is quite fast and is powerful enough to go up rivers like Sélune. If you have a boat like a canoe,
a surfboard or a simple boat, just wait for the tide in the right place and then let yourself be carried away, pointing you to the mouth of the River Sélune. You will then run on the river for a few kilometers. This experience also requires some precautions, a lifejacket and some enthusiasts will tell you the best spots to take the wave well. Several nautical clubs in the Bay are waiting for the tidal bore to enjoy this amazing phenomenon.

If surfing the wave is a little too sporty for you. It is always possible to watch all the
boats pass from the banks of the Sélune at Pontaubault near the railway bridge.

4- The "private" visits of the Abbey, the hidden treasures

 Several times a year, the National Monuments organize special visits that will allow you to discover
the inaccessible places not open to the public for the rest of the year. We can mention the magnificent lace staircase of the Abbey or still accessed through backdoors.

Always accompanied by a guide, these special visits are done in small groups. You will discover "treasures “of architecture and many secret stories of Mont Saint Michel.

5- Approach the Mount by the sky

 Finally, what's more unusual than approaching the Mount by flying over the Bay. The aerodrome (semi-submersible) of Marcey organizes, with experienced pilots, first flights on private plane or microlight microlight flights of the Bay. You will be able to discover the immensity of the Bay and the drawings that make the sand and the water before being dazzled by the Mount, passing near the Archangel St Michel who watches over Normandy.

For any further information, it is best to inquire at the Aeroclub Avranches - Le Mont
Saint Michel.

Photo Credit: Wikipedia, FC