Walking Tour to Land’s End in Brittany
€1,275.00
A journey that takes you to the tip of the Old World: La Pointe du Raz.
Your walk takes you through the Land of Bigouden along the GR.34 coastal path.
Clear waymarking along the GR.34 leaves you free to enjoy the breathtaking marine scenery.
Prices are starting indications, per person, based on two people sharing a twin room, and do not include bike hire. Please make a booking enquiry for a confirmed price based on your chosen dates and exact requirements.
Description
During the first days of your ramble, you make your way from one fishing village to the next, a unique opportunity to try some of the delicious sea food on offer. Then, once past the Pointe de la Torche, you’ll enjoy treading across a swathe of white sandy beaches. A little inland, you’re immersed in a centuries-old history of Breton religious symbols – sturdy chapels, crosses, and calvaries, but also mysterious menhirs and dolmens of a far-gone age. The last days of your journey lead you to an untamed, majestic coastline where mighty ocean waves hurl themselves against the rocky coastline.
Feel the sea winds, the power of the Atlantic, and the stunning brutal beauty of the place…and you’ll be in no doubt you are indeed at the edge of the world!
Itinerary
Example itinerary:
D1 Arrival in Bénodet, late afternoon
Dinner not included and night in 3-star hotel with private pool, 200m from the beach
D2 Walk from Bénodet to Lesconil
18 km stage along easy-going terrain. About 5 hours.
Bénodet takes its name from the Breton ‘Ben-Oded’, meaning head (or mouth) of the Odet. It is the place where the tidal river Odet, regarded as one of the loveliest in France, meets the open sea. On the opposite bank sits the pretty fishing port of Sainte-Marine, where the Rue du Phare takes you down to the Pointe de Combrit and the broad beaches of southern Britanny.
Further west, you come to the ‘isle’ of Tudy. Once a real island, this surprising former fishing port is situated at the mouth of the estuary of the Pont-l’Abbé river. On arrival at Lesconil you have a view across the beach aptly named ‘Les Sables Blancs’.
Dinner and night in a small 3-star hotel with view over the port.
D3 From Lesconil to Saint-Guénolé
17.1 km on even ground. Around: 4hrs 30
The south coast of Finistère is very much a land of contrasts. On leaving Lesconil, you encounter a wild coastline where rocks sculpted by the ocean give way to beaches of fine sand. Then there is Guilvinec, France’s premier coastal fishing port, that still lives to the rhythm of the tides and the ebb and flow of its small independent boats.
Guardian of the Pays Bigouden, hemmed in by reefs and often besieged by the ocean, the Pointe de Penmarc’h, is an exceptional feature. At close to 200 feet, the light house at Eckmühl is a vital reference point for both ships out at sea and walkers unsure of their way.
Dinner and night in 2-star hotel along the beach.
D4 Walk between Saint-Guénolé and Plovan
23.3 km along mainly level ground. About 6 hours.
Traditional capital of the sardine-fishing trade, Saint-Guénolé too lives according to the ocean tides. As you stroll along the quay you may well see the boats come in, accompanied by a flocks of clamouring sea birds. The famous ‘vente à la criée’ (quayside auction of the day’s catch) begins toowards evening. While you’re waiting to bid (!), enjoy a visit to the seafood ‘conserverie’ (canning factory).
This is the heart of the Pays Bigouden, jewel in the crown of Breton tradition. Boldly facing the open sea, the peninsula known as La Pointe de La Torche endlessly battered by the wind, is also a mecca for surfing enthusiasts.
Dinner and night in 3-star hotel by the beach, with well-being facilities.
D5 Walk from Plovan to Audierne
19.8 km again on very level terrain. Around 5 hours
Along the coast of Finistère, the Bay of Audierne forms an arc of a circle stretching from the Pointe de Penmac’h to the Pointe du Raz. This is a wild shoreline, harshly mineral, almost defying mere landlubbers! Ports are rare here. There are long beaches, bars of shingle, and dunes and lagoons just inland. The Bay of Audierne, indeed, is listed by the EU as a site of particular interest thanks to its unique landscapes and the diversity of its flora and fauna. When at day’s end you leave this untamed unfamiliar itinerary, what a contrast is offered by the pretty village of Audierne and its bustling quayside.
Dinner and night in a 3-star hotel with a gorgeous panoramic view over the sea.
D6 From Audierne Bay and the Baie des Trépassés
18 km along even terrain. About 5 hours.
Short transfer to the start of the walk
This day will undoubtedly be the most sporty: head for the Pointe du Raz!
The GR34 stretches along the same coastal itinerary as was once followed by customs officers in their constant struggle against smugglers. Today this long-distance footpath enjoys superb views over the Breton coastline for no less than 1800 kilometres! It is a legend among the Grandes Randonnées of France. (GRs). Beyond the Anse du Cabestan (bay), its well-known white and red signs lead the way through awe-inspiring scenery. As it follows the wild coastline, the GR34 is bordered by low drystone walls built to mark out parcels of farmland. This an ancient pathway that creates the link between the sea and the people of Cornouaille.
Dinner and night in a 3-star hotel facing the ocean.
D7 Loop walk to the Pointe du Van
11.5 km along even terrain Around 3hours 30.
The pleasure of hiking even further along this wild coastline.The Pointe du Raz proudly guards the entrance to the Bay of Douarnenez with cliffs rising to over 70 metres.Exposed to the elements, it is a land of moorland and gorse, heather and ferns, known for its sublime panorama and its emblematic chapel, St They, classified as a historical monument.
Dinner not included and night in a 3-star hotel facing the sea.
D8 Departure
Breakfast.
Taxi transfer: either to the hotel in Bénodet or to the railway station (SNCF in Quimper).
