Walking Holiday in Brittany, Northern France | Coast of Legends- Roscoff to Aber Wrac'h

Your Holiday at a Glance


Independent walking holiday	Brittany's Coast of Legends: Part 1, Roscoff - Aber Wrac'h
Dates for 2022	Everday (subject to availability) from 1 April to 31 October
Price	From £725 (single supplement: £285) From €815 (single supplement: €315) Option of extra night in Brest Loyalty scheme reduction applies for returning customers (see terms and conditions)
Grade
Profile	7 nights - 6 days independent walking moving between guest houses.
Highlights	Beautiful sandy bays and beaches enclosed by rocky headlands Easy walking with little ascent or descent Pretty headlands overlooking a chaotic, rocky shoreline Lots of pre-historic interest with burial chambers and standing stones Wildlife interest with lagoons and large dunes Visit historic town of Roscoff and option to visit historic port of Brest Flexibility to add or remove walking days as required
Accommodation and Meals	7 nights accommodation in several charming hotels (mainly 3 star) and guest houses in double or twin rooms with own bathrooms. A variety of styles with good hospitality and comfortable accommodation throughout.
What's included	7 nights accommodation All breakfasts and 2 evening meals Full walking notes and maps (see more information) Transport of luggage between guest houses Transfer at the end of your holiday from Aber Wrac'h to Brest train station. Read more information about our independent walking & trekking holidays
What's not included	Travel to Roscoff in France, all lunches, 5 evening meals, drinks, any excursions or entrance fees, insurance
	Part 2 of Brittany's Coast of Legends Return to list of independent walking holidays Also see our self guided walking holiday on Brittany's Granite Coast Return to Home Page of High Point Holidays

Brittany's Coast of Legends Part 1 Walking Holiday

Your self-guided walking holiday takes you along the northern Finistere coast in Brittany heading west from Rocoff. This independent holiday ends in Aber Wrac'h after 6 day's walking, but we have a second part which continues west, reaching the most westerly point in France before heading to Brest.

The coast of Legends in Brittany has a thousand different faces, including dramatic cliffs, beautiful beaches, sand dunes and stretches of pebbles. The long estuaries or Abers create wide breaks in the coast. These start at the end of part 1 when you go around Aber Wrac'h. There are a number of small resorts and villages, inbetween which are long stretches of wild and unspoilt coast. One of the most striking features of this section of Brittany coast is the multitude of tiny islands and rocky promontories which make this coast so difficult to navigate, making it a place of numerous shipwrecks and legends. Another feature of the coastline are the pre-historic sites with burial chambers and standing stones adorning the landscape.

Walking profile

Walks on this self guided holiday in Brittany are on an undulating coastline alternating between easy and moderate walking, with distances varying between 16 & 22km per day. The average amount of ascent and descent in the day is 200m and the maximum is 350m. The average distance however is relatively long at 20km. Some days feel harder as they constantly rise and descend, and so it is harder to find a rhythm. The paths are well maintained and for the most part are well sign posted as you are following the long distance GR34 coastal trail.

location map brittany coast roscoff france

Day by Day

Day 1: Arrival in Roscoff

Arrive in Roscoff by train or ferry. Explore the historic town of Roscoff.

Possibility to take boat trip to island called Ile de Batz.

Day 2: Roscoff to Mogueriec

Once you leave the outskirts of Roscoff the coastline becomes more scenic as you reach Dossen with good views of ïle de Siec. Afterwards you cross through the forest of Santec before going around the tranquil estuary of Guillec with a mix of sandy shores and marshy flats. You’ll also pass curious rock formations which are a feature of much of the walking around the Brittany coast. End the day back by the sea. 22km, +120m

Day 3: Mogueriec to Plouescat

Today you start with a long stretch of largely unspoilt coastline. The going is easy on mainly flat ground so you can admire the views as you walk around sandy bays or rocky shelves. There is a long sandy beach just after the headland of An Amied and then you have a number of archaeological sites with standing stones and burial chambers. There are also a fascinating number of natural rock formations along the way. 19km, +70m

Day 4: Plouescat to Brignogan

Another day of mainly easy walking as you start alongside an estuary before walking through (or besides) the sand dunes of Ker Emma, which are some of the biggest in Brittany. Visit Maison des Dunes where you can find out about this fragile environment. Next you head around the large bay of Goulven before heading back north via a few small peninsulas that look out on a myriad of granite rocky shelves and small islands which litter the coastline as well as offshore. You'll finish the day at Brignogan with its popular sandy beach. Either accommodation in the resort or transfer to guest house in Guisseny where you would stay for two nights. 20km, +350m

Day 5: Brignogan to Guisseny

Transfer back to Brignogan (if required) to the start of your walk. Head around the headland of Pontsuval as you pass along a rocky shoreline. It is not hard to see how the coast of Legends got its name, relating to the stories that grew up around the numerous shipwrecks along the rocky shores. This is a picture-postcard landscape, much appreciated by photographers, where you have a mass of rocks that have been shaped and polished by the sea, a beautiful sandy beach and a pretty lighthouse-keeper’s cottage.You’ll then pass the restored hamlet of fishing cottages at Meneham, where there is also a museum. There are further long sandy beaches and dunes before heading along the Tresseny estuary to reach Guisseny. 19km, +130m

Day 6: Guisseny to Plougerneau

Pass the lakes of Curnic which is good spot for bird watching before another long stretch of sandy beach. Afterwards you a start to walk along cliffs going around small secluded bays looking out over rocky shelves. Afterwards the coastal trail goes around a couple of large headlands separated by a pretty bay. The second headland of Beg Monom is home to an archaeological site as well as huge rock formations making it a particularly wild and scenic place. Soon after you’ll reach your accommodation in the sandy bay of Kervenni. 22km, +290m

Day 7: Plougerneau to Aber Wrac'h

From Kervenni you pass around large headlands and sandy bays with gentle walking before going around the first of a series of estuaries or Abers that characterise this part of Finnistere. Aber Wrac’h has a wide mouth where the variation in the tidal fluctuations completely alters the scenery. The Aber is a fairly narrow and deeply incised channel with steep slopes. As a result, the second half of the day contains several climbs and descents before reaching the coastal village of Aber Wrac’h. 16km, +300m

Day 8: Departure

Transfer to Brest train station after breakfast.

Possible to book additional nights in Brest.

Possibility to continue with part 2 of our Legends Coast walking holiday in Brittany which goes from Aber Wrac'h to Conquet or Brest.

meneham village brittany walking holiday

pontsuval hall hiking holiday brittany

self guided walking brittany france rock shore

standing stone celtic coast french walking holiday

historic house village brittany europe

chapel independent walking France brittany

brittany coastal trail GR34 long distance walk france

Take a look at other independent coastal walking holidays in France - Pyrenees Coastal Trail - Calanques Provence

Accommodation & Meals

Mainly charming and friendly 3 star hotels on this Brittany walking holiday in France. Very comfortable accommodation. We leave you the choice of restaurants and/or menus on many nights so that you can manage your budget. One or two nights in a lovely B&B in Guisseny. Good hospitality and comfortable accommodation throughout your stay with ensuite rooms. Tasty regional cuisine. Below you'll find examples of the different types of accommodation we use.

Name	Type	Details	Rating
Montevella, Guisseny	Guest house	Montevella is a charming old guest house within a large walled garden in the coastal town of Guisseny. It was originally built as a presbytery in 1894, but has just undergone careful restoration and modernisation, retaining all the character of the original house, but with all modern comforts. There are four large luxurious double bedrooms. Heated swimming pool.
Le Castel Ac’h, Plougerneau	Hotel	Modern 3 star hotel in a quiet location with great views across the bay. All rooms are comfortable and well-equipped, and the friendly staff will make your stay relaxing.	3 stars

Travel Options

Make your own way to your first hotel in Roscoff. The hotel is in the historic town centre about 1.5km from the ferry port. We can book transfers from the ferry port if required.

By Ferry:

Brittany Ferries run boats from Plymouth to Roscoff in Brittany. If you arrive by car, there are long stay car parks in the town which are free of charge, listed below.

SNCF train station car park
Parking Celestin Seite (except in July & August)
Car park at town hall/centre (salle polyvalente Lagadennou)
Car parks at the old port and Quai d'Auxerre (paying June to September)

By Train:

Eurostar and the TGV run trains from London to Paris where you need to change and make you way to Paris Montparnasse. Take a train to Morlaix and then change for Roscoff.

Flights:

Direct flights to Brest from Southampton and Birmingham during July and August with Flybe and from London Southend from April with Ryan Air.

Shuttle bus to get to Brest town centre and then take train to Roscoff, changing at Morlaix

Return

Transfer to Brest included in holiday price. Trains to Roscoff, Rennes and Paris via Morlaix. See above for flights. Transfer to Roscoff from Aber Wrac'h is possible for a supplement.