WEST BRITTANY
The wild west coast has a special Breton character, pierced as it is by grand gulf so of ancient cliffs
We have always loved the North Brittany coast for its glorious rivers and craggy inlets, its fantastic tidal range and shifting seascapes, and for the heady zest of the sea which permeates the estuary channels. The south is made for lazy summer holidays, with its warm turquoise water, white sandy beaches and wonderful scattered islands with anchorages galore.
Between these very different areas, the wild west coast has a special Breton character, pierced as it is by grand gulfs of ancient granite cliffs. Pushing south from the English Channel through the Chenal du Four, you emerge in a flurry of overfalls off Pointe de St Mathieu, a looming headland of legends with its semaphore signal station, red-capped lighthouse and ruined monastery.
The vast expanse of water facing you is known as L’Iroise, a romantic name which locals roll off their tongues in guttural growls. The splendour of L’Iroise catches your breath, especially on a clear day when you gaze across to the hard edge of Pointe du Raz, whose race lies in wait. The shores around Toulinguet Point look lonely and untamed, with more stone megaliths on the hill behind Camaret.
To the east, Brest is almost invisible from seaward, glimpsed though a tiny gap in the cliffs. Further south, the magnificent Bay of Douarnenez is equally shy, its glorious strands and two charming harbours shielded by the craggy headland of La Chèvre. To those in the know, Brittany’s
