Photo motifs en masse, fantastic hiking tours and romantic bathing beaches – that is the Côte de Granit Rose. On the “pink granite coast”, the forces that once shaped the coast of the whole of Brittany were particularly creative. The forces of nature not only mixed a lot of iron into the rock, so that the colours of the granite alternate between light pink and reddish brown. Between Paimpol in the east and Trébeurden in the west, the lava formed numerous almost unreal natural spectacles.
Discover now:
- Walk part 1: Perros-Guirec – Ploumanac’h
- Hiking part 2: Trégastel
- Best beaches Côte de Granit Rose
- Camping sites
The coastline is a unique sight: the heart of the Côte de Granit Rose, however, is the section between Perros-Guirrec and Trégastel. From the beach in Perros-Guirrec, the popular “Plage de Trestraou”, a popular walk leads westwards to Ploumanac’h, a district of the municipality of Perros-Guirrec. On this path, a section of the GR-34 hiking trail, the exceptional nature of the Côte de Granit Rose is immediately apparent.
Hiking Part 1: Perros-Guirec – Ploumanac’h
One of the landmarks of the coast and probably one of the most popular photo motifs, the Phare de Ploumanac’h is the main attraction on this route. The lighthouse juts out into the sea on a spire of pink rock. An unreal impression is reinforced by the fact that the rocks are not angular and craggy. Rather, they are round, almost organic shapes that the rock on the Côte de Granit Rose takes on. It is easy to forget here that volcanic granite is one of the hardest minerals of all.
The spectacle is particularly impressive during a cloudless sunrise or sunset. Then the light bathes the surroundings in fairytale colours.
If you continue along this path, you will reach the beach of Saint-Guirec. The island of Île de Costaérès lies in front of the small bay. What makes the island particularly interesting is the Château de Costaérès with its round turrets.
From there it is only a few minutes across a headland to Port de Ploumanac’h. Here, crêperies, bars and restaurants invite you to enjoy and recharge your batteries.
Hiking Part 2: Trégastel
From Saint-Guirec beach, you can see the Île Renote peninsula on the opposite side of the Baie de Saint-Anne bay. At the entrance to the peninsula, there is a car park for those who want to avoid the walk between Ploumanac’h and Trégastel. On foot, the tour is beyond the scope of a walk; there are about 3.5 kilometres between the harbours of Ploumanac’h and Trégastel. An impressive hiking trail with bizarre, seemingly chaotic rock formations also leads around Île Renote, as on the Perros-Guirrec side. If you can tear your gaze away from the granite, the view of the Sept-Îles makes you want to visit this island. The beautiful Plage Île Renote beach tempts you to cool off on warm days.
The trail continues to the port of Trégastel and the Forum. The main attractions of Trégastel are the aquarium, the swimming pool and the Plage du Coz-Pors around the modern Forum. Heading west, you continue along the coast until the Plage des Curés concludes the walk around Trégastel.
For a detailed article on hiking the Côte de Granit Rose, see the linked page.
Best Beaches Of Côte de Granit Rose
On the walks described above, the hiker has already passed some beautiful beaches. If you fancy a beach more, you should remember these addresses.
Plage de Trestraou
The Plage de Trestraou is one of the most beautiful in the Côte de Granit Rose and in the whole of Côtes-d’Armor. It is a long, flat, well-maintained sandy beach and therefore excellent for bathing for young and old. There’s always something going on at the Plage de Trestraou: very crowded in fine weather, when it’s windy and rainy the sea belongs to surfers and the beach to kite enthusiasts.
Plage de Trestrignel
The beach of Trestrignel in Perros-Guirec lies northeast of Trestraou between the Pointe de la Sphinx and the Poine de la Château. Narrower than its famous neighbour, the special feature of the Plage de Trestignel is the beautiful villas on the western tip and the fine white sand.
Beaches of the Île Grande
In the north-east of Île Grande (near Trébeurden) is the beach of Pors Gelen, which offers fine sand for just over 100 metres. From here, you have a beautiful view of the tip of Landrellec with the many small islands that form this bay. With the Plage de Toul Gwen in the southeast and the Plage de Pors Gwen in the north, the island offers two more beautiful beaches for swimming.
Plage de Port Blanc
A small, narrow beach belongs to the village of Port Blanc, which is not in the core area of the Côte de Granit Rose. Scattered rocks on pebbly sand and good water quality. Not quite as crowded as other popular beaches in high season.
Plage de Nantouar Lannouec
The beach of Nantouar Louannec is located east of the seaside resort of Lannouec. The beach is quiet even in high season. The reason for this is the relative seclusion of the beach and the fact that Nantouar is only suitable for swimming to a limited extent. Nantouar is more a case for fans of magnificent views. Pack your binoculars!
Campsites
Setting up your caravan or tent at a campsite is the ideal way to explore the Côte de Granit Rose. Well-equipped campsites can be found all along the coast.
Les Alizes (22300 Lannion): Well-equipped campsite with top ratings from guests. No access to the sea, but with a swimming pool.
Le Mat (22660 Trévou-Tréguignec): Not directly at the core of the Côte de Granit Rose, but a bit further east. But directly behind a beautiful sandy beach.
Camp Municipal Ernest Renan (22700 Louannec): Situated at the eastern end of the Rose Granite Coast, but directly by the sea. With pitches and “mobil-homes” alike.
Kerdrehoret Les Hortensias (22310 Plestin-les-Grèves): A small, fine campsite with access to the sea at the western end of the Côte. Praised by visitors for cleanliness and tranquillity.
Camping de Kerdual (22560 Trébeurden): A family campsite right on the Côte de Granit Rose. With beach access and well-maintained sanitary facilities.
Holiday Homes And Apartments
The Côte de Granit Rose attracts many visitors year after year. Day trippers as well as guests for a short weekend trip and holidaymakers planning a longer stay in a holiday home on the northern coast of Brittany. Find out about the best offers for a holiday home in Côtes-d’Armor or get more information about a holiday home in the Côte de Granit Rose here.
Images: Comité Régional du Tourisme de Bretagne | © Yanick Le Gal, © Emmanuel Berthier, © Donatienne Guillaudeau, © Yannick Derennes, © Ronan Gladu, © Jacqueline Piriou, © Simon Bourcier, © Pierre Torset, © Alexandre Lamoureux, © Nicolas Job, © Xavier Dubois, © Thibault Poriel, © L’œil de Paco, © Bruno Torrubia