dan_woodlief

I have been exploring options for walking on the tidal flats around Mont St Michel in early July. I know there are tours that last for hours, but I am more interested in shorter, less expensive options just to get out on the bay for an 1 to 1 1/2 hours for the experience and to do some photography. We are staying on the island, but the tide schedule seems best for doing a late afternoon/evening walk instead of an early morning walk, as the high tide is between 9 and 10 pm and around 9 am for our partial two days at the Mont (July 6/7). Given that timing, I certainly feel getting on the west side of the Mont will be very good for lighting in the late afternoon/evening. Has anyone done something like this who can give me some good tips or point me to resources regarding shorter walks? Can you sign up for walks anywhere on the Mont? Is it necessary to arrange something ahead of time? How do I find guides if I need to sign up ahead of time, and who provides good short walks of this type. I am pretty adventurous and would be perfectly willing to venture out without a guide, but a lot of resources say this is not advised..

nytraveler

No, given the speed of the tides and the amount of quicksand out there wandering around on the sands is not encourages.

I would not be going out for a walk at 6/7 pm if high tide is at 9pm. You can easily get cut off from the land since the tide comes in via channels and not just in a straight even line.

(There was even a mystery written in which a murder was committed by someone cutting a page out of a booklet of tide tables - someone who knew the sands well was drowned because the table was off by several hours.)

dan_woodlief

No, I meant we will be there on the 6th and 7th. We should be there by early afternoon, so I would go out on the flats well before the tide comes in. I would prefer to have a guide so I can venture farther if anyone knows good options.

FrenchMystiqueTours

The official MSM website has info about guides and walks in the bay:

http://www.ot-montsaintmichel.com/en/traverseesbaie.htm

Sarnia

Do not venture on the tidal flats by yourself at any time, and this is serious. The tide does not come in as a straight line. The bay is not fully flat and has a lot of "valley" and "islands". The sea can come around you without you even noticing and you can find yourself in a dangerous situation where you are on dry land but surrounded by the sea everywhere. Every year people need to be rescued by helicopter because they did not realise it can be a dangerous place. Also, there are quicksands and you can get stuck.
Try to get in touch with a guide from the above list for a private walk.

Underhill

The mystery was by Aaron Elkins and is well worth a read before going to Mont St-Michel: "Old Bones." It's my favorite of the author's books.

Another good novel set at the Mont is "The Tides of Mont St-Michel."

AJPeabody

For a good view of the Mont and a partial tide:

http://evanreinheimer.com/mont-saint-michel/

kerouac

There is also quicksand.