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©Jacqueline Piriou

The Sept-Iles archipelago

Beautiful meetings in sight

Off the superb Pink Granite Coast, little portions of the continent emerge at the surface of the water. On-board a boat, you can enter this fairy-tale kingdom of sea birds. An incessant ballet of wings and a fanfare of cries will accompany your cruise, along with feathers and foam.

Discover The Sept-Iles archipelago

Seven kilometres from the pink rocks of Ploumanac’h, the granite chaos of the Sept-Iles archipelago spreads over Rouzic, Costans, Malban, Bono, Ile aux Moines, Ile Plate and Cerfs. Forty hectares overlook the water at high tide. There are no people on these arid surfaces, with the exception of two lighthouse keepers who relay each other every 15 days. The Cordeliers monks came to pray in solitude on Ile aux Moines, the largest, in the 14th and 15th centuries. Today, the archipelago is a paradise for birds.

Look up!

The archipelago was made a Protected Natural Site in 1912 and then a Nature Reserve in 1976. With over 20,000 couples of sea birds and 27 nesting species, it’s the largest reserve on the French coast. It’s a sanctuary for birds before they fly off on long migrations. Boat outings from Trestraou (Perros-Guirec) head out to this fascinating universe. On the programme: a stopover at Ile aux Moines, an unforgettable view of the Pink Granite Coast, with comments by enthusiastic guides. All in the company of guillemots, European shags, razorbills, black-legged kittiwakes, lesser black-backed gulls, European herring gulls or great black-backed gulls. Top of the bill are the cute Atlantic puffins, nicknamed “sea parrots”, and northern gannets. If you’re lucky, you’ll even see a grey seal popping its head up for a look.

Did you know

Another name for the archipelago?

In Breton, the Sept-Iles Archipelago is called “Ar Jentilez”, which means “The Kind Ones”.

The kingdom of the northern gannets

The northern tip of Rouzic island is white. This is because of the high density of the only French colony of northern gannets. 17,000 couples of these birds with white feathers and a yellow head have taken up residence here. The sight of these slender birds, with a wingspan of nearly two metres, is impressive. They dive from a height of 30 metres!

Official website of tourism in Brittany
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