British archipelagos and Celtic shores
From the coast of Brittany to the shores of Ireland, PONANT invites you to spend unique moments where the English Channel meets the Celtic Sea. This 9-day interlude between Saint-Malo and Dublin aboard Le Lyrial will take you to the heart of landscapes of wild and melancholic beauty. Between lush meadows, craggy cliffs, small colourful villages, peat bogs and moors, succumb to the charms of these lands steeped in mystery.
You will set sail from Saint-Malo, a town famous for the legendary Route du Rhum yacht race. The city of privateers, the diversity of its heritage and its rampart walks will not fail to delight you.
Le Lyrial will then make its way north-west to reach the Channel Islands. Here, nature reigns and offers the perfect getaway. In Guernsey, fall in love with this island that is as captivating as it is mystical. Numerous dolmens and menhirs dot the island, bearing witness to its long history and rich heritage. Next, edged with verdant plains and rocky cliffs, Herm, the smallest of the Channel Islands, will surprise you with its wild, unexplored and untouched quality.
Next, you will sail to legendary Cornwall. In Fowey, you will marvel at Mother Nature’s masterpieces. There, you will discover a spellbinding environment of majestic cliffs and vast natural spaces, conducive to escape and tranquillity.
Your ship will then sail towards the Isles of Scilly, a strange little archipelago whose landscapes seem to have come straight out of Enid Blyton's famous story, The Rockingdown Mystery. Here, long sandy beaches lie alongside green fields, while ruins of old castles stand proud on hilltops.
Your ship will head for the shores of Wales and you will sail around the island of Skomer in a zodiac dinghy. This national nature reserve surrounded by spectacular cliffs is one of the country’s most beautiful sites. An ornithological paradise, it is teeming with many species, for example, Manx shearwaters, razorbills, gannets and fulmars. The waters surrounding the island are some of the British Isles’ richest in terms of fauna and flora.
Then, Le Lyrial will reach the charming port of Kinsale, lying at the mouth of the Bandon estuary. With its narrow streets of colourful façades, its cafés, pubs, galleries and boutiques, Kinsale is one of Ireland’s most popular towns and enjoys a reputation as the country’s gastronomic capital.
You will then head for the medieval town of Youghal. From the port, you can easily get to the historical Raleigh Quarter, home to St Mary's Collegiate Church and the Clock Gate Tower. Walking along the old ramparts, which are among the best preserved in Ireland, you will be able to admire the views over the bay. An exploration of River Blackwater will reveal splendid country houses, including that of the Jameson sisters, direct descendents of John Jameson whose name is synonymous with Irish Whiskey.
Finally, you will head for Warrenpoint, a seaside resort in Northern Ireland set in an exceptional natural environment, which promises beautiful walks in the Silent Valley Mountain Park, before arriving in Dublin, where your cruise will come to an end.