Brittany

INDEPENDENT WALKING HOLIDAY

Brittany's Emerald Coast

6 nights - From £940/€1045, 5 days walking between guest houses

The Emerald coast is home to some of Brittany’s most impressive coastlines, with dramatic rocky headlands jutting into the sea, enclosing picturesque coves of beautiful golden sand. Each day’s walk changes character from the opulent villas of Dinard and the fabulous historic walled town of St Malo to the wild heathland and stunning 70m cliffs of the Frehel Peninsula.

Brittany's Granite Coast

9 nights - From £925/€1045, 8 days walking between guest houses

The granite coast in Brittany is an outstanding coastline where pink boulders contrast with turquoise seas and fine sandy beaches. The GR34, a long distance coastal trail following a former coastguard footpath, winds among bizarrely shaped rocks interspersed with countless inlets, sandy coves and wonderful views. In addition, other sections of this French coast have wild and remote cliffs and peninsulas, dramatic estuaries and pretty fishing ports.

Brittany's Coast of Legends Part 1, Roscoff to Aber Wrac'h

7 nights - From £725/€815, 6 day's walking between guest houses

This independent walking holiday in northern Finistere follows the coast of Brittany heading west from Roscoff. Relatively easy walking takes you along a beautiful stretch of coastline with a multitude of tiny islands and rocky promontories which make this coast so difficult to navigate, making it a place of numerous shipwrecks and legend. In between you'll discover pretty beaches and numerous celtic sites.

Brittany's Coast of Legends Part 2, Aber Wrac'h to Conquet or Brest

7 or 9 nights - from £885/€995, 6 or 8 day's walking between guest houses

This independent walking holiday is the second part of a two part walk between Roscoff and Brest, either finishing in Conquet after 6 day's walking or in Brest itself. The coast is dissected by long estuaries or Abers which create wide breaks in the coast. Starting with Aber Wrac'h, you'll go around two further estuaries as you head towards the western-most tip of Brittany. A beautiful and varied section of coast.

Brittany

The peninsular of Brittany on the far North West coast of France is a region defined not only by its geography but by its people, their traditions and their ancient celtic heritage. The Breton language is still widely spoken and its origin is closer to the celtic languages of their Cornish, Welsh and Irish cousins.

Like many people living near the sea the Bretons have developed a culture rich in myth and legend, music and folk art. This Breton belief in legend combined with Christianity to produce a profound reverence for the saints and the famous 'pardons'. These are religious festivals with processions, which mostly take place between May and September. The pardons are celebrated with much dancing and music using traditional instruments such as the celtic harp, Breton bagpipes, drums and flutes.

The Cote d'Emeraude (Emerald Coast) runs west along the north coast of Brittany from Mont Saint-Michel. There are a number of harbour towns and fine beaches from St. Malo and Dinard to St.-Brieuc. A little way inland from St. Malo, which lies at the mouth of the River Rance is the historic town of Dinan. Its old town, cobbled streets and city walls give it an old world air and there are many good restaurants.

Inland, Brittany has a very different landscape. Valleys, forest, heathland and a network of rivers and canals. There are scattered farms and villages, the fields marked out by hedgerows forming distinctive patterns, connected by a cobweb of lanes.

Emerald Coast

The Emerald coast takes its name from the colour of the sea in the region under certain conditions - an idea inspired by the success of the name 'Cote d'Azur' in promoting tourism in Mediterranean France.

The Emerald coast has some of Brittany’s most impressive coastline, with rocky headlands jutting into the sea, backed by a landscape of gorse and heather, with numerous small beaches and villages, and several fascinating historical towns. The highlight in terms of dramatic scenery is the headland at Cap Frehel, with its dramatic cliffs. These features are all linked by narrow paths once used by smugglers which run along the coast.

There are several important towns and resorts to explore along this stretch of coast including (from west to east) Saint-Cast-le-Guildo; St Jacut, Dinard, Dinan, inland along the Rance estuary and the historical port town of Saint Malo (the earliest important town to develop along this coastline, with a fascinating 'old town').

As well as historic towns there are a number of seaside resorts and there related beaches. The most popular seaside towns and resorts along our stretch of the Emerald Coast include Saint-Briac, Saint Lunaire, Lancieux, Saint-Jacut de la Mer, Sables-d'Or-les-Pins, Erquy  and Saint-Cast-le-Guildo - the beaches and facilites at Saint-Lunaire; the village and beaches at Saint-Briac; and the water sport facilities at Lancieux are among the particular highlights. Many other beaches are to be found in the coastal resorts and scattered between the more jagged stretches of coastline.

Your walking trail follows a beautiful path known as Chemin des Douaniers (Customs’ trail) which for almost all of its length hugs the Brittany coastline passing through a number of pretty sea-side resorts such Saint-Briac, Saint Lunaire, and Erquy. Inbetween you’ll discover sheltered beaches, tiny fishing ports, wild and scenic headlands as well as dramatic wooded coastlines which have a 'lost word feel' to them. Our 5-day self-guided walking holiday selects the best sections of this part of Brittany's coastline in northern France and can be shortened or lengthened to tailor it to your wishes.

Granite Coast

The granite coast in Brittany is a beautiful coastline where pink granite blocks contrast with turquoise seas and fine sandy beaches. The GR34 or sentier de douaniers, a former coastguard footpath, winds among fantastically shaped rocks interspersed with countless rock pools, sandy coves and stunning views. In addition, other sections of coast have wild cliffs and peninsulas, dramatic estuaries and pretty fishing ports.

The undulating hills behind the coast are covered with pine trees, gorse, heather and wild flowers whilst in front are a myriad of off-shore islands some of which can be walked to at low tide. The area is also peppered with picturesque villages, medieval religious monuments and prehistoric standing stones and burial mounds. Our 8-day walking holiday which starts at the pretty town of Treguier and finishes at Morlaix can also be booked as two separate 4-day holidays.