Hiking tour – Wild coast and gorse

Day 1 – Arrive at PAIMPOL

This port, today a haven for leisure and tourism was, in the 19th and early 20th century, a Mecca for sea fishing. In this era, the town swarmed with sailors arriving or leaving for the banks of Newfoundland and topsail schooners cast anchor in the port. You can discover old Paimpol, its backstreets with timber-framed houses and the ship-owners town houses around the port. Night and breakfast in a 2-star hotel by the port

Day 2 – from PAIMPOL to LEZARDRIEUX (26 or 16 km)

We suggest 2 itineraries. The first, the longest, follows the coast via Pors Even, the Croix des Veuves (Widows’ Cross) and the tip of Arcouest before reaching Loguivy de la Mer. The second, shorter, route, takes you straight to Loguivy. You will leave the town of Paimpol into countryside where vegetable cultivation in greenhouses or in the open air is the order of the day – artichokes and the famous, tasty white beans, the ‘Coco de Paimpol’. After a few kilometres, you will reach the small port of Loguivy de la Mer. You then follow the coast to the Roche aux Oiseaux, a rocky headland where, as recent excavations have shown, our ancestors lived more than 5,000 years ago to protect themselves from predators and enemies. You go back up the Trieux estuary, a narrow wooded valley invaded by the sea at high tide and that today houses a number of oyster beds. You cross the suspension bridge to reach Lézardrieux and its deep-water port. Night and breakfast in a 2-star hotel

Day 3 – from LEZARDRIEUX to the SILLON de TALBERT (19 km)

You will follow the other bank of the Trieux, discovering along the way the tidal watermill and the magnificent Kermouster chapel that overlooks the mouth of the Trieux. Via the high ground, you will reach the Ile à Bois, once separated from the mainland but attached since the Germans fortified it. You will continue your walk along the Bay of Pomelin, with its oyster beds, before walking around the Laneros and l’île d’Adren marshes which used to house a farm. Then, you will follow the shore at Penn Lann (the end of the world in the Breton language) to reach the famous Sillon de Talbert, a pebble and sand bank 35 metres wide that stretches into the sea for more than 3kms. At the end of the day a taxi will take you from the entrance of the Sillon back to Lézardrieux. Night and breakfast in the same hotel in Lézardrieux

Day 4 – 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 medhistoire de s’entrainer ieval 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. Night and breakfast in a 2-star hotel

Day 5 – 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 6 – from PORT BLANC to PERROS GUIREC (19 km)

ou 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. Night and breakfast in a 2-star hotel

Day 7 – PERROS GUIREC

End of the tour after breakfast