France / Belle Isle

Your Cup of Sand

It's tricky giving a rave review about a beach.

Our "cup of sand" might not be yours. But Donnant Beach on Belle Isle has more than soft, golden sand to recommend it. The setting is straight off a painter's canvas. Like Monet's. Who lived on the island for a time in 1886.

It's such a great spot that we rate it as one of our favorite island beaches. And here's why: Start with the approach. A gentle walk up through protected dunes with sea grass & wildflowers. A lovely prelude to what awaits you. At the top, you'll be greeted with a drop-dead view!

Huge black rock formations enclose the cove, with waves rhythmically crashing into them. The color of the water ranges from blue-black to royal blue. From aquamarine to emerald green. And always the foamy white top of the waves. The beach is made up of soft, fine sand & is a beautiful golden color. There's nothing commercial & no houses around to interrupt its pristine beauty.

The shoreline waves are fairly gentle (although there can be a strong undertow at times). And wading into the water is comfortable because of the sandy bottom. While you're there, climb over & around the rock formations. There are nooks & crannies to explore, with mussels & snails in little pools of collected water. Or climb up, find yourself a perch & take in all the natural beauty.

The one drawback to Donnant is the water temperature. Cold by anyone's standards, swimming here is a real refreshing jolt to the system, except in late summer. Monet seemed to have overlooked the cold water (or didn't swim) when he wrote in a letter "I am in a superbly wild place amongst a heap of terrible rocks and an unbelievably coloured sea." The beauty of it was all that mattered to him. And to us, too. At least for this island beach.