Long-distance rambling : weekends, 1 week or more
G.R.34: No horizon but the sea
A long-distance waymarked footpath (a "G.R.") runs right along the coast of Côtes-d’Armor. Go as you please. You can walk for 2 hours, go on a 2-day ramble or set off for a week. The path covers a total distance of 350 km (218 miles) and reveals a new stretch of scenery beyond every headland. Cap Fréhel, the bay at Saint-Brieuc, the countryside round Paimpol, the Bréhat Archipelago, the tiny islands at Penvénan, or the Pink Granite Coast are just some of the attractions awaiting walkers in Côtes-d’Armor. So, follow the excisemen's paths overhung with gorse, your ears filled with the cry of the seabirds and your eyes dazzled by the only horizon in sight - the sea.
Emerald Coast : from Mont Saint-Michel to Saint-Brieuc via Saint-Malo. Ref. GR 34 / 310.
Pink Granite Coast and the Morlaix area : from Saint-Brieuc to Morlaix. Ref. GR 34 / 346.Sights aplenty in inland Brittany
The other long-distance waymarked footpaths lead into the heartlands of a more secretive Brittany, an area of woodland and green valleys. Try walking along the shores of Brittany's largest lake, Guerlédan, on the banks of the Nantes-Brest Canal, or in the Toul Goulic Gorge. See the chapels and manor-houses dotted across the countryside, or the mills along the R. Lié.
Pontivy to Paimpol via Lake Guerlédan : Ref. GR 341, 341A and 341B.
The heart of inland Brittany : from Montfort to Carhaix via Côtes-d’Armor. Ref. GR 37 / 347.
Walking in the Gallo area : from R. Rance to R. Gouët. Ref. local path ("GR de pays") 086.
Short walks : more than 250 round trips all over Côtes-d’Armor
If you prefer a few hours' walking with your family or friends, choose one of the 276 round trips that bring you back to your starting point without going over the same ground twice. The routes cover distances of between 4.5 and 20 km (3 and 12 miles) and take between 90 minutes and 8 hours to complete. This is the unhurried way to discover all that Côtes-d’Armor has to offer - megaliths in Saint-Servais, Beaumanoir architecture in the Trégor area, the flora and fauna of the Locarn Moors, the story of the Icelandic fishermen in Loguivy-de-la-Mer or the pink rocks of Ploumanac'h.
From Emerald Coast to the Mené, 80 walks and rambles. Ref. PR 037.
From Channel coast to Lake Guerlédan, 90 walks and rambles. Ref. PR 070.
Trégor and Upper Cornouaille. 102 walks and rambles. Ref. PR 012.
Cap Fréhel : a lighthouse, a fortress, and heather
20 km (12 miles) - 6 hours
Depart from the car park at the beach in Vieux-Bourg en Pléhérel (I3) and take the D34a between Sables-d'Or-les-Pins and Cap Fréhel.
Markings : initially blue lines then yellow lines after "La Moinerie". Red and white markings along the coast. A path running through the gorse and heather leads to Fort La Latte, an impressive stronghold that seems to be suspended in mid-air, high above the waves. From the top of the keep, the view stretches along the entire length of the Emerald Coast.
Further on, at the end of vast moors, stands Cap Fréhel, a headland of red sandstone and porphyry cliffs high above the waves. Take binoculars with you if you want to see the thousands of seabirds nesting on the tiny islands offshore.
Creeks and beaches concealed behind the sand dunes round off the walk.
From Emerald Coast to the Mené, 80 walks and rambles. Ref. PR 037.
Pink Granite Coast : the rocks of Ploumanac'h
8.5 km ( 5 miles) - 2 ½ hours
Depart from the car park at the church in La Clarté, Ploumanac'h, Perros-Guirec (B1).
Markings : yellow lines to the coast then red and white markings along the coast to St. Guirec's Chapel. Beyond the chapel, follow the yellow markings.
This is one of the most outstanding spots in Brittany. The sea has tirelessly worn down the rocks, sculpting them into strange shapes. The copper tones of the granite, vivid colours of the moorland and deep blues of the sea paint a unique picture.
Trégor and Upper Cornouaille. 102 walks and rambles. Ref. PR 012.
Le Léguer : a river bank bristling with castles, woodlands and the chapels of Trégor
11 km ( 6½ miles) - 3½ hours
Depart from the car park at Tonquédec Castle (B3). Follow the path in front of the castle entrance.
Markings : yellow markings as far as the river then red and white markings to the road bridge. Return to the castle.
Beyond the walls of the medieval castle, there is a succession of narrow paths forming a delightful walk through cool beech and oak woods on the banks of one of the finest trout and salmon-fishing rivers in Brittany.
Modest chapels nestling amid the trees, old houses, and the occasional private chapel add to the charms of a walk that is full of character.
Trégor and Upper Cornouaille. 102 walks and rambles. Ref. PR 012.
Secretive Argoat : passage graves on the Liscuis Moors
9 km (5½ miles) - 2½ hours
Depart from St-Gelven (D7), opposite the path leading to Bon Repos Abbey, 300 yds. to the left of the RN 164 Caurel-Gouarec road.
Markings : red and white "GR" markings to the passage graves. Follow the GR 37 to the main road (RN 164) and take care when crossing. Beyond the main road, the markings are yellow.
This walk requires no particular skills.
The Liscuis Moors near Lake Guerlédan are part of a shale upland 200 million years old.
The view over the Nantes-Brest Canal, Bon Repos Abbey and the surrounding countryside is superb. At the top of the hill, there is an outstanding set of three passage graves dating from 2,000 to 4,000 years B.C. This is the another of the main features of this walk, along with the variety in the scenery and the botanic interest.
From Channel coast to Lake Guerlédan, 90 walks and rambles. Ref. PR 070.
Argoat, home of Brittany's rivers : the Toul Goulic Gorge
21 km (13 miles) - 6 hours
Depart from "La Piscine", a hamlet in Saint-Nicolas du Pélem (D6).
Markings : red and white lines to the old railway line (approx. 1 km - ½ mile beyond Lanrivain) then yellow markings to the Faoudel Valley, the route followed at the start of the walk.
The path runs through the magnificent wooded valleys of the Faoudel and Blavet rivers. The Blavet disappears in a roar beneath impressive granite boulders then peacefully rises to the surface again half a mile further on.
This is a real "nature ramble" in picturesque surroundings.
Trégor and Upper Cornouaille. 102 walks and rambles. Ref. PR 012.
Discovery trails : botany, geology, archaeology etc.
The Gallo-Roman baths in Plestin-les-Grèves (A3) and the archaeological site at Ploulec'h (B2) send visitors spinning back into the past.
The cliffs at Pordic (F4), Plouha (E3) and Locquémeau (A2) are, like the headlands in Erquy and Fréhel (H3, I3) and the Baie de Saint-Brieuc (F4), an invitation to study the flora, fauna and geology of this rea.This series of "rambles-on-a-theme" is full of outstanding scenery and history. It gives a chance to get closer to the environment than a mere walk. Each of the rambles is covered by a very detailed document on sale in tourist offices throughout Côtes-d’Armor.
Conseil Général - Service Espaces Naturels
Phone : (33) 2 96 62 62 27
