The Breton Corniche

The ferry-port of Roscoff provides a convenient gateway to some truly superb touring country along the northern Breton coastline. We take a gentle tour around the Côte de Granit Rose.

We're on the road again, but this time taking a summer break from far-flung, high-adventure touring itineraries in favour of a gentle amble much closer to home. Along the coast, in fact. Brittany Ferries' westernmost French route is the one which started it all, almost thirty years ago. Since then the port of Roscoff has been shipping fresh produce from the Breton farming community, and has also opened up this once little-known corner of north-western France to holiday and short-break visitors. Brittany is surprisingly large, which explains why so many visitors head straight for the autoroute-style N12, to blast off to their favoured corner. In so doing they miss a jewel right under their noses .

Leaving the ferry port, follow the signs to Morlaix on the D58, through productive fields of artichokes and other vegetables. Beyond St Pol de Léon the road crosses the Penzé estuary, followed by a roundabout. Take the Carentec exit, then the turn signed 'Morlaix par la Corniche', which at the next roundabout becomes the D73 Route de la Corniche. Beyond Kerdanet the road sweeps down into a wooded valley to the waterside at La Frout, then continues between the broad estuary and mature woodland. At the entry to the village of Locquénolé is a pleasant picnic area overlooking a scene reminiscent of Cornwall's Fal Estuary. At the T-junction we turn left onto the D769 for the run up towards Morlaix, through surroundings undreamed of by those hurtling by on the N12 suspended high above St Martin-des-Champs. Morlaix soon appears beyond a forest of yacht masts, and all but dwarfed by its celebrated granite railway viaduct. We now skirt the marina, past half-timbered facades, beneath the viaduct, to reach a set of traffic lights in the historic heart of the town, at which point we turn left towards the opposite bank of the river, signed Lannion and Saint-Brieuc. Across the water you'll notice the imposing façade of a former cigar factory.

As the road bears right for the climb out of the town, we take a minor left turn, to follow the riverbank on the D76. Just before Dourduff we cross a long bridge over a wide, sandy creek then climb through broadleaf woodlands. At Plouézoche we turn left towards Terenez, still on the D76. The village itself possesses an ornate church in pink granite, a first hint of what lies ahead. We begin to rejoin the estuary, passing a large shingle bar and a couple of coastal viewpoint picnic areas. Soon a scattering of tiny granite islands off Terenez injects a surprising sense of remoteness, while the tiny nearby port presents an unchanging scene. Further on, Belle-Epoque architecture, ceanothus, agave and mesembryanthemum add an exotic touch and reveal something of the mildness of the climate.

Take a left turn, signed to 'Kermebel and Plouganou, par la Côte', then continue towards Le Guerzit and Le Diben. The former, tucked away at the end of a narrow lane, is a classic small bay with a sandy beach beyond its stony breakwater, while Le Diben is a real working fisherman's village. Continuing on the D46, we soon reach Primel-Trégastel, a natural harbour overlooked by huge granite outcrops, poised like Tors against the sea. Pines, echium and more Belle-Epoque villas suggest it was once a fashionable spot, while medieval farms and bramble-strewn hedgerows bring things back down to earth. A left turn at a T-junction leads to Plougasnou, clustered around the square of its 16th Century church. On leaving turn left onto a road simply signed 'Centre Commercial' and take a tiny lane to the right (Rue du Mejou), past the early-17th Century Oratory of Notre-Dame-de-Lorette. Continue on towards another T-junction, at which we turn right onto the D79a for the drop down to a pebble beach and a parking area. The headland ahead offers another, plus a selection of coastal footpaths, as the coast road winds its way around the cliffs. Just before a dead end, turn right up to a T-junction, then turn left to Guimaéc. The verges everywhere are a mass of flowers, both wild and garden escapees, while the steeply-sloping roofs of the tough granite cottages suggest that they were once thatched.

Christ is a tiny hamlet with, appropriately, a granite Calvary, plus a ruined chapel and a bar, beyond which we turn left to rejoin the coast, through a lush landscape of laurels and woodland. Our route turns right in front of the café, although continuing ahead brings you to a hidden cove with a parking area. The D64a coast road continues eastwards, past more viewpoints to join the D64 to Locquirec, a town visibly on the up, with a well-landscaped beach-side caravan and chalet park. We're now on the Corniche d'Armorique.

Further along we cross a bridge and leave the Département of Finistère (Penn-Ar-Bed) and join the Corniche du Douron. For footpath fans, it's on the Circuit de la Presq'Île de l'Armorique. Beyond the monolithic villa known as la Tour-Carrée, we reach Plestin-les-Grèves (grève means shore or beach) and turn left on the D786 to Lannion. At St Efflam the road descends past the spire of a pink granite chapel to a sandy bay long enough to be used by sand-yacht schools. Turn sharp left at the bottom and you're away from the traffic, right beside the beach. At the far end of the bay we pass through the town and climb on the D786, past a field containing a tall mênhir.

Lannion is another old town with a heart of pink granite, and well worth exploring if time permits. If not, look for signs to Perros-Guirec, and follow the busy D65 route up a hill, over a flyover and away from the town. At the roundabout, take the route signed to Trébeurden, at whose resort-like entry we follow the sign to le Port-Plages. The development is immediately left behind as the sea looms ahead. The turn to Point-Bihit takes us up past some remarkable gardens, ablaze with colourful garden plants and succulents tumbling down over huge pink granite stones. The panoramic coastal views from the headland have inspired some predictably extravagant homes.

The road soon descends to run between another sandy beach and the nature reserve of le Marais de Quellen, until the scenery begins to show the tell-tale signs of the local leisure industry. The D788 is nevertheless pretty spectacular, with successive boulder-strewn bays and luxuriant plantations of pine, broom, eleagnus and evergreen oak. At Trégastel the granite boulders become huge, wave-shaped and dominate the scenery. Many have strange names, such as the group known as les Tortues (tortoises) on Coz-Pors Plage before the road passes over a gorge near Plourmanach. Away from the beach, the little village is 100% tourist territory, but remains charming and irresistible.

Soon we're at Perros-Guirec and, as far as our present itinerary is concerned, journey's end. It's been a route of twists and turns, of ups and downs, with many surprises along the way. Not the least of these is the sheer weight of unspoilt scenery crammed into such a relatively compact area. And the great diversity of it all, from quiet coves, high, exposed headlands and vast sandy beaches to historic towns and villages, with wooded estuaries thrown in for good measure. Best of all, perhaps, the route is adaptable. Try it in the morning, fresh from the ferry; at the end you can simply run down to rejoin the N12 at Guingamp. Or you could equally do it in the reverse direction, perhaps en-route to the late-night ferry from Roscoff. Undoubtedly the best option, though, is to devote a weekend break to discovering it at a really leisurely pace. This way, you'll be able to stop wherever and whenever you like and spend some time enjoying your discoveries.

© Words and pictures Roger Moss
This feature first appeared in everything France magazine Issue 7

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