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Interesting cairn

The primary reason to visit the island is its interesting Megalithic cairn or tomb which is in the... read more

Reviewed 25 September 2023
georgesB4777WE
,
Miami Beach, Florida
via mobile
Fascinating insight into megalithic times

You need to book this in advance as the number of visitors is limited. Well worth a visit if you... read more

Reviewed 11 August 2023
Andrea Y
,
Fensmark, Denmark
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Reviewed 2 October 2015

We are on Gavrinis Island, looking at a cairn that was built at least 4000 years BC and it has around 28 slabs fully covered with wonderfull engravings. The only problem is they do not let you take any picture inside, but just looking at it is really wonderfull.

We love archaeology, we have visited several sites in Northern Africa, Asia and Europe, and I can tell you this is awsome.

You have to get the tickets in advance, at leas 10 days, so you can cll this number and they will make a reservation Phone : 02 97 57 19 38. You will pay upon arrival and a boat will take you to the island where s lady will give you a full explanation of the ruins.

Date of experience: July 2015
4  Thank Carolina B
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed 22 September 2015

Others have done a nice job of explaining what you see and there are several good websites that can provide more information. TripAdvisor does not permit me to post them, but they are not that hard to find. I suggest you do your own homework before you go because the tour is all in English. There are about a dozen signs with information in English as well as French, but they provide only the most basic facts.

I tried to make a reservation via email but received no response so I used a prepaid phone card to call about 10 days before our visit and made the reservation via phone. This was easy to do in English.

The boat ride, dock to dock, took about 12 minutes.

We had about 45 minutes on the island. The guide took our group into the dolmen in two separate groups of about 20 each. It is lit by rope lighting along the walls at the floor, and by a few well-placed spotlights. The guide highlighted sections of most of the stones with a bundle of flashlights.

It was not claustrophobic even though the passage is pretty tight and low in some places.

The return took about 20 minutes because we circled around the other side of the island to see the horseshoe shaped lines of stones that run into the water.

Date of experience: September 2015
2  Thank phat_dawg_21
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed 16 August 2015

In a region rich in menhirs and dolmens, if you want to visit only one site, this is it! It is a passage dolmen covered by a cairn located on an island. The passage is quite long over 13 meters (45 ft). What makes Gavrinis unique are the 23 standing stones that are etched with art. These stones line both sides of the passage.

Gavrinis is accessible only as a part of a guided tour (in French) that includes the boat ride from Larmor Baden. Even if don't understand much French, it is still worth going. They do have brochures in English and the interpretation of the art is just a series of hypotheses anyway. What counts is to experience this in situ Megalithic art with your own eyes.
The number of trips they run and their departure times vary from day to day. So it is a good idea to call them ahead and make a reservation. They just require a name and no credit card. Allow at least one hour to drive to Larmor Baden from Carnac. Once or twice a day during the Summer these tours go by the Er Lanic site which has 2 stone circles. Depending on the tide, they are more or less submerged. The stones have become perches for cormorants and other sea birds. It is well worth the extra few euros they charge for going by Er Lanic.
In the slow and winter months, these tours are offered only on certain weekends and more frequently during French school holidays. Some guidebooks suggest that it is possible to get to the island on your own and visit the dolmen on you own. That's no longer the case. The dolmen has a door with a lock!

Date of experience: June 2015
3  Thank FSYMP
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed 15 August 2015

We took the tour on a Friday afternoon in August, having booked in advance. (Those who hadn't were disappointed.) It's tricky to park near the port so be prepared to spend time finding a parking place further away at a busy time of year.
The boat trip itself is pleasant, with a brief commentary though this can be hard to hear.
The guide on the island was excellent: extremely well-informed and able to give some commentary in English and answer questions even though the main presentation is in French. There is a lot of background information and some reproductions of various artefacts to look at.
The time in the tomb itself is amazing. They hand out torches so you can light the carvings for yourself. Photography is not allowed inside, but you get a really good look at the stunning carvings.

Date of experience: August 2015
4  Thank jotomalin
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed 15 June 2015

Although it's years ago I went there, I am still impressed with this cairn. The boat ride to the island is wonderful in the summer and once you arrive, you're steeped in history. It's rare to find a place that is this well-preserved. The rich internal decorations make Gavrinis one of the major treasuries of European megalithic art.

Date of experience: July 2014
Thank Lschelli
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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