Concarneau & Cornouaille
A medieval walled town on an island in the harbour, linked to the Pont-Aven artists' village, the turquoise waters of the Glénan Islands, and the lighthouses and surf beaches of the Pays Bigouden.
Concarneau is a fishing port and resort in the south of Finistère, Brittany, in the Cornouaille region. Its city centre is the Ville Close, a medieval walled town on an island in the harbour and one of the most representative old walled towns in Brittany. From Concarneau as a base, 15 km to the east lies Pont-Aven, the village of Gauguin and the Pont-Aven school of painting. Further east are Port-Manech, the thatched village of Kerascoët and Campelé. To the west, along the Bay of Fouesnant, are Bégmeil, Cap Coz and Bénodet, and you can take a boat trip up the Odet River. About 20 km offshore lie the Glénan Islands, with white sand and turquoise water. About 40 km south-west, the Pays Bigouden has the Eckmühl Lighthouse, the surf beach at La Torche, the Tronoën Calvary and the fishing port of Guilvinec. Quimper and the old town of Locronan, both to the north, are covered under the Brest–Finistère destination and can be reached as a day trip from here.
The climate is mild maritime. June to September is best, but July and August are busy, so book accommodation and ferries early. Mid-August brings the Filets Bleus festival. Spring and autumn are quiet and good for walking the GR34 coastal path.
Getting there: from Paris, a TGV train to Quimper or Rosporden takes about 4 hours, followed by a bus or car rental. Local public transport is sparse, so driving is strongly recommended.
Plan 3–4 days: one day for the Ville Close and the beaches, one day for Pont-Aven and the east coast, one day for the Glénan Islands, and one day for the Pays Bigouden.
Top sights
- Ville Close of Concarneau – A walled old town built on a small harbour island, with granite ramparts, a drawbridge at the gate, cobbled streets and walkways overlookin…
- Pont-Aven – A small town on the River Aven, home to the Pont-Aven school of painters that Gauguin inspired, with old water mills, granite boulders and…
- Glénan Islands – An archipelago about 20 km off the coast of white sand and shallow waters that turn turquoise, often called 'the Caribbean of Brittany'.
- Musée de la Pêche – A fishing museum inside the walled town, telling the story of sardine and tuna fishing, where you can board the decommissioned trawler moor…
- Marinarium de Concarneau – A small aquarium attached to France's oldest marine biology station, displaying fish and intertidal creatures from the Breton coast.
- Plage des Sables Blancs – The most popular beach north-west of Concarneau, with fine white sand facing the bay and lifeguards in summer.
- Château de Kériolet – A 19th-century neo-Gothic castle with elaborate carvings, linked to the curious story of a Russian noblewoman, opened for guided tours in s…
- Musée de Pont-Aven – A museum devoted to the Pont-Aven School, holding works and archives by Gauguin, Bernard, Sérusier and others.
- Pointe de Beg-Meil – A headland at the eastern mouth of Fouesnant Bay, where pine woods, dunes and small coves intertwine, with views over Concarneau and the Gl…
- Cap Coz – A slender sandbar in Fouesnant Bay, with a calm bay on one side and a lagoon on the other, the top choice for family beaches.
- Bénodet & Odet River – A seaside resort at the mouth of the Odet River, where excursion boats sail upriver past castles and forests to Quimper.
- Pointe de Trévignon – A small headland at the southern end of Trégunc village, with a castle-like building, a small fishing harbour and long white-sand beaches.
- Kerascoët – A small village near Nevez with traditional Breton farmhouses, whose walls are built of upright stones and whose roofs are thatched.
- Port-Manec'h – A small harbour and beach at the mouth of the Aven River, where Pont-Aven School painters once worked, with superb coastal path views.
- Phare d'Eckmühl – A granite lighthouse about 65 metres high at the tip of the Penmarc'h peninsula; climbing its 307 steps gives views over the Bigouden coast.
- Pointe de la Torche – A dune headland at the southern end of Audierne Bay, a famous surfing spot in Brittany flanked by long, wild beaches on both sides.
- Calvary of Notre-Dame-de-Tronoën – One of Brittany's oldest open-air stone calvaries, carved in the 15th century and standing beside a chapel among the dunes.
- Musée Bigouden – A folk museum in the Pont-l'Abbé castle, famous for its towering lace headdresses and embroidered costumes.
- Haliotika & Le Guilvinec Port – An important French fishing port where, in the late afternoon, you can watch trawlers return and unload their catch from the Haliotika view…
- Sainte-Croix Abbey Church, Quimperlé – A Romanesque round church in lower Quimperlé, modelled on the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, with a precious crypt beneath.
Where to eat
- L'Amiral – A century-old restaurant facing the fishing harbour and walled town, where Simenon wrote 'The Yellow Dog.' Grilled lobs…
- L'Atelier du Nord – A Michelin-recommended seafood restaurant in the fish auction hall, preparing the day's catch with Japanese precision.
- Le Flaveur – A Michelin Bib Gourmand bistro where two chefs cook modern French food with fish from local small boats and Breton prod…
- Crêperie Le Petit Chaperon Rouge – A fairy-tale-themed crêperie opposite the tourist office, serving buckwheat galettes with cider. Good value and often f…