CAMARET TO BREST
We left at 10:00hrs for the short and sheltered trip through the Goulet de Brest to the furthest and oldest Brest marina called Moulin Blanc. We followed an easy and well-dredged channel and were met by a helpful staff member who guided us to our places. The marina facilities are good and they even provide a welcome pack. It’s also right next to Oceanopolis, a world-class aquarium that was well worth our visit.
The city of Brest is a 20-minute bus ride away. Although it was rebuilt after the war, it is a pleasant city with wide streets, a nice cathedral and some interesting places to visit. Top of our list was the Chateau museum. We also had a good look around the new Chateau marina, set between the naval base and the large commercial area. It is rather separate from the town and a 20-minute walk to the train station. We decided to remain in Moulin Blanc and hire a car to explore the area. We drove west to Pointe Sainte-mathieu. We had seen the lighthouse and the ruined abbey from the sea when travelling through the Chenal du Four but it was even more interesting on land. There is a fascinating church, ruined abbey, semaphore building and lighthouse, all within a few metres of each other. Just a couple of miles away there is also an excellent new WWII museum set in German watchhouse bunkers, where everything is in both French and English.
We went around to Perros Guirec and arrived 20 minutes after the gate opened. The tide can rush in through the gate until the wall is covered, so our time of arrival was ideal. The gate at Perros Guirec is only 5.8m wide and feels narrower as you approach the entrance. The pontoons are named and the visitors’ pontoon is the second from the right, and is called La Mutine.
We walked up the hill to the main town and explored the area. It is a nice town with lots of shops, a small church and a pretty beach on the other side of town. Sadly this was the only day the shops were open as almost all of them close on Sunday and Monday. Walking back around the coast, we passed a smaller beach and a dramatic headland with good views of the Ile Tome.
The next morning, we took a taxi to the main beach (about €18) and caught the ferry to the Sept Isles. There are actually five islands, not seven, apparently due to a translation error! The skipper was extremely skilled and went very close to the rocks to get a better view of the gannets, puffins and seals. They will take you into Ploumanac’h too if the tide is high enough. In the summer they also run ferries to the Îsle-de-bréhats, which is another of our favourites.
The following day we enjoyed a beautiful hour-long walk along the coast to Ploumanac’h on a largely flat path with amazing views of the pink granite rocks worn smooth and often left delicately balanced by erosion from the elements.