C018-STANDARD  Gorse and Pink Rocks

This walk will allow you to discover magnificent, off-the-beaten track Brittany. You will start at the Sillon de Talbert, a bank of pebbles and sand more than 3kms long that stretches out to sea. You then go back up the Jaudy estuary, one of Brittany’s most beautiful estuaries, to reach Tréguier, a medieval town with a rich religious past. You will follow the coast of gorse with its many islands, headlands, countless rocky outcrops and large beaches. After Perros-Guirec, you will discover the famous pink granite coast which, besides its rocks that take human or animal forms, has some beautiful beaches and well-known seaside resorts.

Itinerary

Day 1 – Arrival at TREGUIER – This town, full of character, has a wonderful medieval heritage and a rich religious past. You cannot miss the 15th century Gothic cathedral housing the tomb of St Yves, the ancient Augustine convent and the Hôtel Dieu’s magnificent cloister. You can stroll in the many backstreets containing beautiful half-timbered houses and lovely little squares. Lodging and breakfast in a 2-star hotel

Day 2 – from the SILLON de TALBERT to TREGUIER (19 km) – A taxi will drop you at the Sillon de Talbert in the early morning, where you can pick up the coastal path taking you along to the Creac’h Maout semaphore that looks out over the rocks. Then via the Port la Chaine shore, you will reach the Kermagen slipway, then Port-Béni. You will loop in to explore the Men ar Rompet covered path situated on a hillside looking out over the Jaudy estuary. You will then follow this estuary through the hamlets of Bellevue and Kervengant before crossing the bridge to reach Tréguier. This town, full of character, has a wonderful medieval heritage and a rich religious past. You cannot miss the 15^th century Gothic cathedral housing the tomb of St Yves, the ancient Augustine convent and the Hôtel Dieu’s magnificent cloister. You can stroll in the many backstreets containing beautiful half-timbered houses and lovely little squares. Lodging and breakfast in the same hotel

Day 3 – from TREGUIER to PORT BLANC (27 km). This stage can be shortened by a taxi transfer first thing in the morning (21 km). You will leave Tréguier by crossing the Guildy, the other river encircling the town, to reach Plougiel then the hamlet of Kerautret, where you will go down onto the banks of the Jaudy. From the Jaune headland you will climb up to the high ground to reach the Roche Jaune and its panoramic viewpoint offering great views of the Jaudy estuary. You will continue this walk by the Bay d’Enfer and the village of Plougrescant that boasts a beautiful chapel, before reaching the Pointe du Château headland, a mass of granite that drops down gently into the sea, covered with meadows, spinneys and rock clusters. You will go through the hamlet of Pors Hir where the houses hug the rocks for shelter, before reaching Pors Bugalez, a small port that marks the extreme limit of this headland. A bit further on, you will discover the magnificent Castel Meur, the house nestled between two rocks which turns its back to the sea and numerous islands. You will pass Pors Scaff and the Rocher de Napoléon (Napoleon’s rock) to reach the Gouermel cove and the Ile d’Islan with its 19m peak offering superb views of the coast. You will reach Buguélès and its Saint Nicolas chapel and make a detour to the Ile Balanec to see its original tidal watermill. Via a few small roads or paths, and with the Sept Iles (Seven Islands) on the horizon, you will follow the Pellinec cove to reach Port Blanc, a small coastal resort – Dinner, night and breakfast in a 2-star seaside hotel.

Day 4 – from PORT BLANC to PERROS GUIREC (19 km) – You will leave Port Blanc and its two famous rocks, walking along the beach, past a string of islands and islets covered in luxuriant vegetation, in some cases dotted with a scattering of houses. You will get to Royo beach after walking along the dunes and skirting the Launay marsh. Then you will reach the heliotherapy centre and beautiful fine sandy Trestel beach. You will follow the coast route to get to a magnificent little flower-filled port, Port le Goff, before carrying on along the shore towards Port l’Epine. Once past this spit of land, you will discover Perros cove and its beautiful beaches that unfold before you as you approach Perros port, the end of this stage – Lodging and breakfast in a 2-star hotel.

Day 5 – PERROS-GUIREC port – TREGASTEL (Coz-Porz beach) – (18 km). You will leave in the direction of the Pointe du Château, following the coast and crossing a residential zone, where villas built at the beginning of the last century compete with one another for ‘best in show’. You will continue this walk on the beautiful Trestignel beach, then the large beach at Trestaou, edged with palm trees! You will then take the excise men’s path that runs the length of the coast among the pink granite rock clusters to get to the Ploumanac’h lighthouse, the St Guirec beach and oratory (on the sand) before reaching Ploumanac’h port. Next you will visit the tidal watermills built at the mouth of the Traouiero valley. Their history goes back to the 14^th century, but the actual building dates from 1735. On the coastal path, you will walk around the Ste Anne bay to reach Ile Renote where you will explore the impressive chaos of pink rocks and a covered pathway. Finally, you will reach Coz Porz beach and your hotel. Lodging and breakfast in a 3-star seaside hotel.

Day 6 – TREGASTEL – TREBEURDEN (22 km) – From the hotel, you will follow the beach and reach the end of Kervalos bay. There, you will leave the seaside to take the Kerguntuil covered pathway (a burial place dating back to more than 2,000 years BC and more than 9 meters long) and the Kerguntuil dolmen, one of the most impressive in Trégor. You will continue your journey across the Brittany countryside towards the St Uzec menhir, then towards the Notre-Dame-des-Citeaux de Penvern chapel, founded around 1300 by the Bégard Cistercian monks, making it one of the oldest chapels in the region. The adjacent fountain was said to be able to cure many ills. You will return to the sea to visit and walk around the Ile Grande (Big Island), a landscape of moorland bordered by numerous shores, coves and marshes, with a beautiful covered pathway. You will then reach the market town of Trébeurden via the Quellern ponds, where wild Camargue horses roam. Dinner, night and breakfast in a 2-star hotel.

Day 7 – TREBEURDEN to LANNION (16 km). You will go down towards Trébeurden port, climb up onto the Castel that looks out over the port to say hello to Père Trébeurden (Father Trébeurden), a famous rock resembling a human face. If the tide allows, you will be able to explore the Ile Millau with its moors, magnificent views and covered pathway. Once back on the mainland, you will reach the Pointe de Bihit via the large beach at Tresmeur. On the coastal path, along beaches or across moors and through bracken, you will walk around Lannion bay to the Pointe Servel, marking the mouth of the Léguer. You will get to Lannion centre first along a pathway that overlooks the valley, then the towpath. You will find old Lannion has a rich historical and architectural heritage. Lodging and breakfast in a 3-star town centre hotel.

Day 8 – LANNION – End of the tour after breakfast

Best Season

From April to middle of October but be careful this area is very crowded in summertime and we recommend you (if you can) to come outside this period. Nevertheless this area attracts a lot of tourists and you have to reserve earlier to get the best rooms.

What’s included?

• 7 nights’ accommodation in 2or 3-star hotels with breakfasts
• 2 dinners
• Hotel to hotel luggage transfer along the trail.
• Taxi transfer : Tréguier – sillon de Talbert
• A set of maps (1/25 000 scale) with the route marked on and detailed route notes describing the trail.
• A daily itinerary together with information about facilities and places of interest along the trail.
• Phone Emergency assistance.

Visa fees – transportation fees to and from the walk area – Insurance (strongly recommended on all trips) – Transfers except those mentioned above – Drinks – Entrance fees – Additional meals – Spending of personal nature e.g. laundry, souvenirs, phone calls, are not included

Getting there and away

To Treguier

By train : The nearest rail station is Lannion. Several TGV or fast trains from Paris-Montparnasse station to Plouaret or Guingamp (on the Paris-Brest rail line), and change to Lannion. Taxi or Bus from Lannion to Treguier. (Line 7 — www.tibus.fr)

By car: Drive to Rennes along A11 and A86 motorway. Continue on the speedway RN 12 to Guingamp. Continue on D787 to Lézardrieux and then on D786 to Treguier.

Where to park : several unsupervised free car parks at Treguier port

From Lannion  

Rail station at Lannion. Return to Treguier by bus

Walk difficulty

Grade 2 – walks of 4 to 6 hours a day. Some stages could be more 20 km (13/15 miles) and rolling uplands. You often will walk in flat ground but some steep ascents when you walk up a cliff. An average level of fitness or some experience with walking is recommended