Pointe de la Varde, Cape in Rothéneuf, Saint-Malo, France

Pointe de la Varde is a rocky cape along the Bay of Saint-Malo coast that rises between two sandy beaches and is legally protected. The terrain features sea cliffs with low vegetation crossed by marked trails that guide visitors over rolling ground and through coastal plants.

A military fort was built here in 1694 following Vauban's designs to defend Saint-Malo's harbor. During World War II, German forces added defensive structures before American troops captured the cape in 1944.

The cape's old name, L'Avarde, also written l'Arboulé, survives in the name of its fort, the batterie du fort de l'Arboulé. Walkers are kept to paths marked with steel wires or ganivelles so that coastal vegetation can recolonise the ground. The cliffs shelter herring gulls, great and crested cormorants.

Visitors can access the cape through well-marked trails starting from either neighboring beach. Parking is available near both beach areas, and the paths are walkable for most visitors.

Concrete bunkers from the war remain visible on the cape, marking where fighting took place in 1944. These structures are woven into the landscape and serve as reminders of the events that unfolded here.