Holiday in Brittany: Pink Granite Coast and Cornwall
We were invited to a friend’s wedding in this beautiful part of Brittany, so we took the opportunity to spend a few days there—first on the Pink Granite Coast and then in Cornwall.
Our friends, who are from the Trégor region, had found us a really nice little gîte in Tonquédec, just a stone’s throw from the coast. It was the perfect base for exploring the area’s iconic sites. We stayed in a lovely little house that combined authenticity, comfort, elegance, and tranquility.
Our first trip to the coast was to Ploumanac’h, a small village we discovered thanks to Stéphane Bern’s show. It’s an adorable little fishing port where we parked the car before continuing on foot along the sea. It’s charming—more than that, it’s magical!
Our first walk, our first hike along the coastal path, and our first photos of these massive rocks bathed in light.
The views change with every turn, and so do the surprises—especially the view of the Château de Costaérès.
The path through the woods leads us to the Chapel of Saint Guirec, which overlooks the beach.
This pretty little beach is famous for its oratory, which sits in the middle of the sand and houses the statue of St. Guirec. In the past, young women hoping to marry within the year would often pray to him—they’d stick a needle into his nose! Today, the statue is made of stone, but back then, it was wooden, which must’ve made it easier.
It’s really charming, well-sheltered, and the water is crystal clear. We noticed that everywhere we went!
Our first trip to the coast was to Ploumanac’h, a small village we discovered thanks to Stéphane Bern’s show. It’s an adorable little fishing port where we parked the car before continuing on foot along the sea. It’s charming—more than that, it’s magical!
Our first walk, our first hike along the coastal path, and our first photos of these massive rocks bathed in light.
The views change with every turn, and so do the surprises—especially the view of the Château de Costaérès.
The path through the woods leads us to the Chapel of Saint Guirec, which overlooks the beach.This pretty little beach is famous for its oratory, which sits in the middle of the sand and houses the statue of St. Guirec. In the past, young women hoping to marry within the year would often pray to him—they’d stick a needle into his nose! Today, the statue is made of stone, but back then, it was wooden, which must’ve made it easier.
It’s really charming, well-sheltered, and the water is crystal clear. We noticed that everywhere we went!
We leave this gorgeous little beach to continue our way toward the Mean Ruz lighthouse.
The trail winds between huge boulders that sometimes balance precariously on top of each other.
It took millions of years to create all these shapes—a Napoleon’s hat, priest’s chairs, amazingly pierced rocks....
The lighthouse is surrounded by lots of photographers....
The magnificent path overlooking the sea gently leads us to the next beach, in the heart of Trégastel, right in front of the seawater pool.
What’s better than the countryside and greenery to recharge your batteries?
Then we backtrack and follow the customs officers' path to the old granite quarry. A few traces of its past remain.
The stonemason is still on duty.
But the old buildings have given way to an ornithological station.
And we walk along maritime areas of salt meadows that the sea covers more or less with each tide. Another stunning maritime landscape.
We find our car. The loop is complete. It took us over 2 hours to walk around the island, but who cares... we're enchanted by our morning.
Following Marie's advice, the owner of the guesthouse, we booked a table at a restaurant at the exit of Île Grande, Restaurant Al Dente. Great food. Excellent value for money.
Then we walked along Toul Drez beach. It’s gorgeous, well-exposed, and well-sheltered. There were already lots of swimmers there.
I just spent a few days in this beautiful region in early May. We really enjoyed ourselves.