Holidays in Brittany's Finistere
Walking, Surfing, Thalassotherapy & Prehistoric Menhirs in Finistere
Jul 6, 2009
The Crozon Peninsula, south-west of Brest in Brittany (www.brittanytourism.com), provides a good introduction to Finistere. At its tip, three rocky headlands covered in heather and gorse jut out into the choppy ocean. Looking back towards Brest across the narrow Goulet de Brest channel, there are good views of the town spread out around its huge naval port.
Beaches and Windsurfing in Finisters
Some of the best sandy beaches in France (www.franceguide.com) are to be found here, including those around the little seaside town of Morgat which make it a favourite with families.
La Palue bay which faces the Atlantic nearby offers excellent conditions for windsurfing.
Walking in Finistere and Menhirs at Camaret sur Mer
For walkers, Finistere’s coastal path stretches for over 600 miles along cliff-tops and dunes. Or inland a network of walking and cycle trails lead through picturesque villages where white cottages with colourful shutters cluster around ancient churches with slender intricately-sculpted steeples.
Dotted around the area too are granite menhirs - large standing stones - which date back to prehistoric times. At Camaret sur Mer, sixty-five of them are lined up intriguingly in precise rows.
France’s ‘Land’s End’ at the Pointe du Raz
The tip of Finistere’s Cornouaille area, the Pointe du Raz., is France’s ‘Lands End’ (which is in fact the meaning of the name Finistere).
Here nimble-footed walkers with a head for heights and a sturdy pair of shoes can clamber along a narrow rocky track to the end, a spectacular spot overlooking a lighthouse perched on treacherous rocks out to sea. Not surprisingly it is classed as one of France’s ‘grands sites’.
Watersports in Finistere
South of the Pointe du Raz, the wide Audierne bay sweeps around to a long sandy beach at La Torche, renowned as one of the best places in France for surfing. World championships are held there regularly and the local hostel is reserved exclusively for surfers.
By contrast, the bays and creeks around Concarneau on Finistere’s south-facing coast are perfect for other watersports like kayaking, canoeing and sailing, being much more sheltered.
Thalasso Benodet Thalassotherapy Centre
To enjoy the sea in a less energetic way, Thalasso in Benodet is one of Finistere’s three thalassotherapy centres; the others are in Douanenez and Roscoff.
This therapeutic and invigorating seawater treatment which involves being massaged and hosed down with powerful jets was ‘invented’ in Finistere 100 years ago.
Quimper
Just inland, the atmospheric old town of Quimper on the River Odet boasts a massive Gothic cathedral with 14th century stained glass windows, a Breton museum housed in the former Bishop’s Palace and a covered market filled with mouth-watering displays of local pates, cheeses and regional specialities like buckwheat pancake and long flaky biscuits called crepes-dentelle..
Sea Food at Gastronomic Restaurants like the Fleur de Sel in Quimper and Ar Men Du at Raguenez Plage
Finistere has long been famous for its sea food. Gastronomic restaurants, such as the Fleur de Sel on Quai Neuf beside the River Odet in Quimper and the Ar Men Du which overlooks the sea at Raguenez Plage, invariably feature huge platters of shell fish as well as fresh locally-caught fish served in a variety of creamy sauces. Look out too for local pork and pancakes.
The bustling city of Brest, largely rebuilt since the bombing of its port during World War II, provides a big contrast to the rest of Finistere. It has a variety of museums as well as a good selection of shops which include a branch of the Printemps department store and tempting fashion boutiques along the pedestrianised rue de Sion and rue Jean-Jaures streets. It is all very different from Finistere’s coastal activities.
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