Saint-Malo

The roughly 2 km wall-top walkway along the granite ramparts makes a full loop of the walled intra-muros town, with views over the bay, the tidal islets and the Emerald Coast. Open year-round and free, it is Saint-Malo's signature dog walk, done on a leash.

This small rocky islet off Bon-Secours beach holds the austere tomb of the writer Chateaubriand, facing the open sea. It is reached on foot across the sand at low tide only, leashed dogs are allowed on the path, but watch the tide times closely so you are not cut off by the rising water.

Built by Vauban in 1689 on a rocky islet to defend the city, the Fort National is only reachable on foot at low tide. The exterior and the esplanade can be walked on a leash, the guided interior is not dog-friendly, but the islet gives one of the best views back over the ramparts.

This 27-hectare park around a 19th-century château overlooks the Rance estuary, with lawns, tree-lined paths and bay views. Leashed dogs are welcome, it is one of the town's finest green outings, away from the rampart crowds.

The old customs officers' path, now the GR34 long-distance trail, follows the whole Breton coast and runs through Saint-Malo, with miles of shoreline, headlands and coves. Ideal for long off-season walks on a leash, when the beaches are closed to dogs.

This sheltered beach at the foot of the ramparts, with its famous seawater tidal pool and diving board, is one of the city's family bathing spots. Like every Saint-Malo beach, it is closed to dogs from 1 April to 30 September, but open to them on a leash from 1 October to 31 March.