On Saint-Malo - Salt & Sea Travels

Saint-Malo is a town shaped by tide and conflict. A fortified city whose walls hold stories of corsairs, explorers and fire. Not only is it pretty with sandy beaches and a fortified old town, but Saint-Malo also tells many stories. Rich in history because of its location, in this article I’m going to delve into some of those tales of exploration, discovery, destruction and renovation.

The Corsaires of Saint-Malo

You may be surprised to learn that Saint-Malo was once a city of pirates. Though the locals prefer the term corsairs. These were not lawless marauders but privateers, authorised by the king to attack enemy ships in times of war.

From the Middle Ages onwards, France was rarely at peace and privateering became both profitable and prestigious. In Brittany, the trade passed through generations of proud seafaring families, bringing considerable wealth to Saint-Malo.

In 1144, the bishop Jean de Châtillon granted the town the right of asylum. A move that drew merchants, adventurers and, inevitably, a few less savoury characters.

By the 17th and 18th centuries, Malouin corsairs sailed as far as the East Indies and South America. Walk the ramparts today and you’ll find statues of two of their most famous sons: René Duguay-Trouin and Robert Surcouf.

René Duguay-Trouin (1673 – 1736)

Born into a family of shipowners, René Duguay-Trouin was meant for the priesthood. Instead, after being expelled from school in Rennes for chasing girls, he was sent to sea at sixteen. A decision that shaped Saint-Malo’s fortunes.
By his twenties he commanded his own ship, and over the years captured hundreds of enemy vessels, earning the favour of Louis XIV and a reputation that still lingers along the ramparts. In 1711 he led a daring raid on Rio de Janeiro, returning to France with a vast ransom and cementing the city’s corsair legend.
Incredibly, he achieved all this while suffering from chronic seasickness.

Robert Surcouf (1773 – 1827)

A generation later came Robert Surcouf, the so-called “King of the Corsairs.” Operating largely in the Indian Ocean, he became known for bold tactics and nerves of steel. Once approaching a British ship under false colours before launching a surprise attack.
When told by a captured English captain that British officers fought for honour rather than money, Surcouf reportedly replied, “One fights for what one does not possess.”
Yet like many maritime fortunes of the era, his wealth was tied to the slave trade, a reminder that Saint-Malo’s glory carried a darker current.

Walk the ramparts today and you’ll see their statues watching the sea. Reminders that this town once fought, traded and gambled its fortune on the horizon.

Departing Saint-Malo for Canada

Jacques Cartier

Saint-Malo was also the birthplace and departure point of Jacques Cartier, who sailed west in 1534 in search of a route to Asia. Instead, he charted the Gulf of St Lawrence and laid the foundations of France’s presence in Canada.

He left the harbour with two ships and sixty-one men, crossing the Atlantic to Newfoundland in twenty days. Looking for a passage to Asia they continued around the west coast of Newfoundland and the Gaspé Peninsula. Although they didn’t find a passage to india, they did bump into Mi’kmaq communities trading furs.

On his second Atlantic voyage, Cartier discovered what is now Quebec. The word “Kanata,” used by indigenous guides to describe a settlement, would later give Canada its name.

Yet Cartier was not the first Breton to cross the sea. Fishermen rom the north coast of Brittany had likely reached Newfoundland decades before Cartier, drawn by rich cod stocks. Some settled seasonally, forming early francophone communities long before colonisation was formalised.

World War II

Saint-Malo played a large part in the second world war. A well defended port town that sits right on the English Channel. The German occupiers settled in Saint-Malo for four years and built many bunkers all along the coast. Many of which you can still see to this day.

The Allies crossed into France via the Normandy beaches on D-Day, 6 June 1944. By August, they had pushed into Brittany with the goal of capturing Saint-Malo and turning its port into a supply hub. Designated as a fortress under the German Atlantic Wall program, this was not going to be an easy battle for the allies.

Bombing began on the 6^th of August and one of the first casualties was the cathedral’s spire. By the time the battle ended, 80% of the intra-muros lay in ruins.

380 men from Saint-Malo were imprisoned by the Germans in the Fort National for the duration of the battle. The Fort sits across from the walled city and is accessible at low tide.

An eye witness account:

“The sky was dark because of the smoke, and pieces of burnt paper flew from the city and towards the Fort National. St Malo became a raging inferno; we stayed there to look at the fire burning the walls of one of the most charming cities of the world. In only few days, the fire destroyed the work of several generations under our stunned eyes.”
Joseph Baladre, held at Fort National during the battle.

Despite the devastation, the people of Saint-Malo chose restoration over reinvention. Rather than flatten the ruins and build anew, they painstakingly reconstructed the city stone by stone. Between 1947 and 1972, the walled town rose again, faithful in appearance, yet entirely rebuilt.

Today, as tides sweep dramatically in and out beyond the walls, it is hard to imagine the inferno that once consumed the city. Yet Saint-Malo has always lived between destruction and renewal. Its walls are not just stone; they are memory, resilience, and a reminder that this corner of Brittany has never been passive in the face of history.

Explore Saint-Malo on Foot

Planning a visit? Follow my suggested walking route through the ramparts, beaches and the neighbourhood of Saint-Servan with this downloadable guide.

View the Saint-Malo Walking Guide