For my third post about visiting Saint-Pabu in the Finistère of western Brittany, I’d like to share a list of some of the most scenic beaches and coastal paths in the area.
Anyone who’s ever been to coastal Brittany should be able to see that this list is hardly complete. To look at a map, its shore seems drawn by a trembling hand on an uneven and bumpy surface with nooks and coves and islets, occasional and broad sandy beaches and vast expansive bays interrupted by snagged cliffs and rocky shallows. And that’s what makes the Finistère such a gorgeous place – so much to see and to explore – and what made Kemey’s and my couple of weeks such an invigorating break.
Some of our favourite beach and coastal walks were the ones just short drive (or even a stroll) from the village of Saint-Pabu. The best within easy reach were as follows:
Saint-Pabu’s very own beach is broad and beautiful with views of the Aber Benoit coast river some its giant white sand dunes.
A few miles west of Saint-Pabu along the Route Touristique de Landunvez, is a lovely string of a cliffside trail leading to the 18th century Chappelle de Saint-Samson set seemingly with isolated defiance along such a turbulent shore with the vast sea as its backdrop.
Dunes Sainte Marguerite A Landeda
Not quite 20 minutes drive from Saint-Pabu, walking these sloping dunes and the taking in the coastline dotted with all sorts of surreal rock formations and a couple of lighthouses was a highlight of our trip.
Tide pools, oddly shaped boulders and a stone cottage wedged between two ginormous rocks made our walk at Meneham one of the most memorable and easiest to recommend. It was just over 30 minutes drive from Saint-Pabu.
Beyond
To be sure there’s lots more to see along the coast of the Finistère, particularly Pointe Saint-Mathieu, Cap de la chèvre, and the Baie des Trépassés to name but a very few of the panoramic walks we took. There’s plenty of info out those sites and many more. Two of the best resources for further details are finisterebrittany.com and brittanytourism.com.
Stay tuned for more posts coming soon from Saint-Pabu. A bientôt!
