Bénodet and Sainte‑Marine

Look, a pink house!

In summer, foot passengers and cyclists can take the ferry across to Sainte-Marine! The charms of this little fishing village, nestling between rocky creeks and clusters of pine trees, are quite irresistible. The town features a little chapel and a sailors’ almshouse with pretty pink walls. You’ll be tempted to stop for a while at a café terrace by the water’s edge to escape from Bénodet’s crowds of summer holidaymakers. To carry on to the Pointe de Combrit headland, take the Rue du Phare and enjoy the superb ocean views.

An island joined to the mainland

Go past the watchtower, follow the footpath round the long beach, and you’ll get to the Island of Tudy. Without crossing any water! This is where Saint Tudy, also called Tugdual, first founded a hermitage in the 5th century, before establishing a monastery at Loctudy. At that time the island was not joined to the mainland. Every time a storm blew up, the village was covered in sand and salt water. In the 19^th century, the island of Tudy was afforded better protection and became a peninsula, connected to the mainland by a surfaced causeway along the embankment. This made it a popular destination for the richer residents of Brittany as well as for artists from Paris.

Narrow streets and white houses

When you approach along the coastal path or by ferry from Loctudy harbour, your first glimpse of this traditional village is delightful. Wandering round its narrow streets and discovering the little houses surrounded by fortifications is a real pleasure. The best view of all is from the shingle beach. When you’ve seen the town, the kids can go down to the sandy beach and have a go in a catamaran or try their hand at wind-surfing.