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©Plouguerneau|Julia Lassner, Globusliebe
Abers and Iroise districtSalt-spray getaways close to the ocean

A breath of fresh air in the Abers and Iroise district

A serrated coast where the cliffs alternate with fine sandy beaches. This is a place ‘between land and sea’ where the landscapes really take your breath away.

Three superb Breton rias

In North Finistère, three beautiful, deep estuaries cut into the coast. Aber Wrac’h, famous for its Bay of Angels, is the largest. On the edge of this attractive, traditional fishing port, the unspoilt dunes and beaches of the Sainte-Marguerite Peninsula offer a real escape from the rest of the world. Out at sea, the Île Vierge (Virgin Island) has the highest lighthouse in Europe. Don’t miss the pretty hamlet of Menez-Hom at Kerlouan. Nestling behind enormous, strangely-shaped blocks of stone, this picturesque fishing village, with its thatched roofs, has retained all its charm. Further west, Aber Benoît winds through fields and wooded landscapes. Famous for its oysters, it’s also popular with pleasure boaters and those who enjoy fine sandy beaches. Aber Ildut is wilder, spreading its green banks in an atmosphere of total calm. At its mouth, the port of Lanildut stands a few miles from the Isle of Ouessant (Ushant) and is especially popular with sailors. It’s also Europe’s most important port for seaweed gathering.

On the lighthouse route

The Île Vierge lighthouse, Pierres Noires lighthouse, Le Four lighthouse… from Brest to Portsall, or on the Isle of Ouessant, six days’ walking on the coastal footpaths will bring you face to face with the legendary lighthouses of Brittany. That’s unless you’d prefer a six-day circuit on the GR® 34 and 34 F footpaths, exploring the Iroise area: from Brélès to the Pointe Saint-Mathieu, passing through Sainte-Anne du Portzic and Saint-Renan, you’ve got a really great walk to look forward to! If it’s cycling you’re after, you can choose between four signposted cycling circuits: ‘The End of the World’ (64 km), ‘Menhirs’ (25 km), ‘Historic Buildings’ (93 km) and ‘From the Channel to the Ocean’ (33 km). Finally, if you want to explore this coast of legends in a slightly different way, why not paddle up an aber in a canoe or explore the bed of the Iroise Sea on a snorkelling trip? Just an idea…

Official website of tourism in Brittany
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