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
Arrive in Roscoff by train or ferry. Explore the historic town of Roscoff.
Possibility to take boat trip to island called Ile de Batz.
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.
Overnight: Mogueriec, Walk: 22km, +120m
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.
Overnight: Plouescat, Walk: 19km, +70m
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.
Overnight: Brignogan, Walk: 20km, 350m
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.
Overnight: Guisseny, Walk: max 19km, +130m
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.
Overnight: Plougerneau, Walk: 22km, +290m.
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.
Overnight: Aber Wrac'h, Walk: 16km, +300m.
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.
Self-Guided
Distance: 16-22km per day
Ascent: 70-350m per day
Mainly 3 star hotels and B&B's
B&B, plus 2 evening meals
Brittany's Coast of Legends: Part 2 Aber Wrac'h - Brest
Pyrenees Coastal Trail, France & Spain
Costa Brava: Cadaques to Llafranc, Spain
Your independent walking holiday takes you along the northern Finistere coast in Brittany heading west from Rocoff. This is the first of a two-part walking holiday with this self-guided walk ending in Aber Wrac'h after 6 days walking, with a second part which continues west, reaching the most westerly point in France before heading south to Brest.
The coast of Legends in Brittany, in northwest France 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 Brittany landscape.
7 nights/8 days: 6 days independent walking moving between guest houses
Everday of week subject to availability during 1 April to 31 October
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.
This walking holiday is graded moderate. You should have some experience of day walking and be in reasonable health. See more information about walking grades.
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.
Our self-guided walking holiday on the Legend's Coast is available from the beginning of April to the end of October. Brittany has a typical maritime climate with warm summers and mild winters. Average summer temperatures are around 20ºC - 27º C (70° F -80º F) with winter temperatures rarely falling below freezing especially along the coast. Rainfall occurs regularly but in-between, sunny, cloudless days are also common. In the summer months, temperatures in the region can reach 30 °C however, the climate generally remains comfortable when compared to further south in France.
April average daytime temperatures are 13°C, climbing to 19°C by the time you get to June, whilst May is the wettest of these 3 months. As well as being the warmest months, July and August are generally also the driest months and on average each have 2 days with some rain per week. September is similar to June with warm days at 19°C, but is slighly wetter on average. October however, is considerably more unsettled than the other months and has much reduced sunshine totals.
Most of this walking holiday follows the red and white waymarks of the GR34 long distance GR trail. The markings are regular. Smal sections will also follow local trails waymarked in yellow. There is a fairly dense network of signposts with place names and directions. The walking follows clear paths, tracks and minor roads for its entire duration. Our walking notes are very detailed (more information here) and include intermediate distances for sections of the trail. They also include information about the sites which can be explored along the route. We supply one walking guide per person on this holiday. As well as the detailed walking notes we supply official walking maps produced by IGN at a scale of 1:25,000. Your trail is highlighted on the maps.
On this walking holiday your main luggage is transferred between guest houses so you only have to carry a day rucksack with picnic lunch (supplied by the guest houses and included in the holiday price), water and spare clothes, waterproofs, camera etc. On this holiday a local taxi company is responsible for transporting your main luggage, so if you have any specific requests such as a lift to the next guest house then you can speak with the taxi driver. Please limit the weight of your bags where possible to 20kg. We only use hotels and small guest houses in historic buidlings and some of the rooms are accessible by stairs.
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.
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.
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.
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
Transfer to Brest included in holiday price. Trains to Roscoff, Rennes and Paris via Morlaix.
7 nights / 6 days walking between guest houses
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.
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.
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.
Extra nights are possible at any of the stopovers during the holiday, for example you could stay an extra night at the beautiful guest house Montevella in Guisseny (where you may already stay two nights, depending on the availability of accommodation). There is also the option of an extra night in Brest after your transfer at the end of your walking holiday.
This coastal trail walking holiday can be combined with any of our walking holidays elsewhere in the Brittany, although if you are looking for a second week's walking it would make sense to continue along the Finistere coast, walking the next part of the Legends coast on the GR34 long-distance coastal trail from Aber Wrac'h to Brest.
If you want to learn more about the region's culture through tailor-made activities and visits, check out those trips that include a few days in the Brittany region. Contact us to add them to your hike.
Normandy and Brittany: Coastal Gems and Medieval Tales
Explore coastal landscapes where charming villages and historic sites transport you back in time, from Honfleur to Mont-Saint-Michel and Saint-Malo