South Finistère in one day

It's been a year that we've been settled in Nantes (FR).
As an international couple it's not so simple to choose a place to live. More than that, both of us prefer to be on the move, to travel. Finally the decision was made, we moved to Nantes. Luckily staying a bit more permanently in the west of France doesn't mean not to go discovering. The region has many sights to offer!

Recently we drove to the stunning South Finistère, located in Western Brittany. We'd like to share our experiences with you about this trip.

1, Timing 
Try to avoid high touristy seasons

As we dated our visit for the beginning of March, we felt privileged being almost alone at this far away national reserve. 

Our final destination - the Poitne du Raz rock heads - are 3 hours drive away from Nantes. You might want to stay overnight. We decided to organize only a one day trip. In this case to make it more convenient allow yourself to stop by more sights before reaching the climax of the trip!  

For us the perfect timing was arriving two hours before the sunset. Remember sunsets are late in this region! In April it's around 9 p.m.

2, Unwind

Take your time to discover and enjoy the nature around you. 

By the parking area you will find shops, restaurants, cafés. Maybe you would like to look around, or have some snacks. Although we recommend you to bring your own picnic. There's nothing more romantic than dinner by the sunset-coast ;)

Walk around in the national park, sit down a bit on the rocks, enjoy the view, listen to the sound of the ocean. Spot the different birds, the lizards, the rabbits and the diversity of the plants! You'll be surprised what the nature can offer.  

3, Visiting aroud

Concarneau

France's premier fishing port & Wall surrounded islet. Cross one of the bridge to enter the fortified old town, walk around the ramparts for the view on the harbour. Concarneau was our first destination. It's already a good 200 km away from Nantes. Since the March mornings usually start slow and cold but the evenings are already long we didn't plan to arrive much before lunch. If you like seafood you won't get disappointed here ;) 

Pointe de la Torche 

The surf paradise. Its name comes from the Breton language and means flat stone point. True that the beach is flat compared to many other coastal parts although you'll find a tumulus with a large dolmen that stands out from the landscape. Take a walk on the fine sandy coast, rest your eyes on the enormous waves and the brave surfers - unless you're not a surfer yourself who goes for the waves.

4, Travelling with dogs 🐕

As you might already know, we have a bichon maltese who always travels with us. This trip is completely doable with your favorite pet. 

Let's have a look one-by one at the locations:

Pointe du Raz : keep him on the leash! It's a national park where dogs are allowed but only if we respect the nature. There are several bird species living here. These mainly nest on the ground, also there are rabbits all around. Even our tiny maltese got very excited by the idea of hunting. Be a responsible dog owner, don't let your dog running all around here.

Concarneau : the same rule applies here as in any cities... there was no problems taking him into the restaurant.

Pointe de la Torche : you can let your dog run here, although watch him, as there are horse riders here sometimes. Note that the coastal walk is popular, there are many other dogs, kids, surfers. 

5, Fun facts

Looking at the lighthouse hit by the strong waves at the Pointe du Raz you wonder who built it, and how was it operated before modern technology.

We found some lighthouse dictionary by French lighthouse keepers to give you some ideas: 

Hell : lighthouse on a remote island or on rocks.

Purgatory : located on deserted islands not so far from the mainland.

Heaven : built on land alongside the coast. 

Nice, isn't it?

Hope you found our post interesting. Keep following us on instagram for more adventures! 

Eszter  & Rémi ( and Le Bodza the petit bichon)