To St.Pol de Leon France

Day 47 Saturday 20June 2026

It was drizzling on and off today with a couple of bursts of sunshine, which was fine by us in comparison to the 30°+ days the rest of France is experiencing at the moment.

Today we continued along the coast stopping to have a look at a some lighthouses, pretty harbours and sandy beaches decorated with great granite boulders. We visited an old Pagan village, Meneham. Then ended the day with a stroll in the centre of St.Pol de Leon before stopping in a parking area in Pleumeur Bodou.

Our first stop was to look out on the lighthouse Phare de l’Ile Wrac'h which was lit for the first time in 1845. It facilitates entry into Aber Wrac'h where numerous islets and reefs make navigation delicate.

Anchor from the oil tanker that was wrecked in 1978 spilling gallons of oil into the sea

Close by was a view point for Ile Vierge. The island hosts 2 lighthouses, but both have been in service in different periods. The first lighthouse, the smaller one with its white tower, was built in 1845 to secure the coast, but it was soon realized that its light’s range was insufficient for this territory. 

The taller one was built between 1897 and 1902 and standing at 82.5 m high, it is the highest lighthouse in Europe and the highest stone lighthouse in the world. It looks out over the whole of northern Finistère from a radius of 42 km. The interior is lined with 12,500 opaline tiles from the Saint-Gobain factories. It is a triple-walled tower, truncated on the outside and cylindrical on the inside, built of granite rubble on a stone base supporting a large lantern.

Zoomed in

Further along the coast was Meneham, a picturesque old secluded fishing village of thatched cottages, placed behind enormous boulders. There was information inside the various cottages of what life used to be like. 

 The guardhouse was built between two giant rocks and is an extraordinary sight to behold. It strategically located to protect the coastline of northern Brittany. In 1792, the militia occupying the site were replaced by customs officers: the first real inhabitants of Meneham, they settled in the barracks with their families in the mid-19th century, before giving way to fishermen, seaweed growers and farmers.

 The delightful Pointe de Pontusval and its little harbour. The lighthouse was founded in 1868.

We drove on and stopped at Amiets Beach to have lunch at a small restaurant just next to the carpark. Moules for me and fish and chips for Mark.

As we hadn’t visited St Pol de Leon we thought we better have a look.

 It boasts a cathedral built from the 13th to the 16th century whose interior was quite impressive.

Little houses filled with skulls!

The chapel Kreisker, built in the 14th century has a bell tower that is 78m, the tallest in Brittany.

The surrounding countryside has rich soil and suitable climate for growing artichokes, cauliflowers, brocoli, salads, carrots…

A few examples of houses for sale around here…

It was time to do a few more kilometres so we picked a overnight spot near Lannion at Pleumeur Bodou, arriving just after 5pm.

172km today

Finistere Coast Brittany France

Day 46 Friday 19 June 2026

It was an other busy day exploring the coast in the Finistere department of Brittany. After visiting the pretty village of Le Faou, we drove through Brest and retraced our route from 2015 along the north west coast, seeing some old forts and numerous lighthouses as well as the most westerly point in France before finishing our day 150km later, next to Vivier Beach near the town of Porspoder.

It was another great spot we stayed in last night at Lestrevet Beach but as we have to keep moving, we set off after our coffee driving along the road to the other end of the beach before heading inland to Plomodiern where we were able to use the dump point. 

Further along the way we diverted to a Lidl store to buy some croissants for breakfast.

We then stopped in the classified village of character, Le Faou. Around the year 1000, the castle of the powerful Viscounts of Le Faou was built on a feudal motte. Its location was strategic: the proximity of the Cranou forest provided wood for construction, and its position between Quimper and Brest made Le Faou a stopover town. The charm of the Cité du Faou lies in its architecture, which, although altered in the 19th century, has been particularly well preserved. Rue du Général de Gaulle, the town’s main thoroughfare, features a number of narrow, timber-framed houses built close together.

The 16th-century church of Saint Sauveur is built of Logonna yellow stone and Kernsaton granite, two local materials. 

We drove through Brest. We did stop for fuel.. the cheapest so far at €1.81. Bluey is using on average 10l per 100km..not too bad.

Truck obstacle course..

We stopped to have a look at Fort Bertheaume at Plougonvelin. Built in the 17th century by the famous military architect, Vauban, this fort is accessed by a bridge, as it is built on an island. Improvements were made during the to the 1900’s including the addition of barracks, powder magazines and defensive walls that were used by the military until 1944. Unfortunately it’s only open in July and August. Otherwise its €20 to see it via an adventure park/high ropes course! Needless to say we just walked around the peninsula and took photos instead.

Not far away was St.Mathieu Lighthouse and abbey complex. 

For almost a thousand years, every effort has been made to keep a light burning at the tip of Saint-Mathieu. In the Middle Ages, long before the construction of a lighthouse on this rocky spur, the monks kept a lantern at the top of the Abbey to guide sailors into the Brest Narrows and the perilous Le Four channel. Many innovations were needed to keep the lantern burning in all winds and tides! 

When the old Abbey tower threatened to collapse, the Navy had a new lighthouse built nearby: taller, more powerful and more modern. Inaugurated in 1835, electrified in 1932 and remote-controlled since 2005, the Saint-Mathieu lighthouse crosses its beam over 40 km thanks to its Fresnel lenses.

There is also a national memorial to sailors who died for France.

Holloyhocks

Abbey ruins

A bit wind blown

We drove further north to the  Kermorvan Lighthouse in Le Conquet is the most westerly lighthouse in France, at the tip of the peninsula of the same name. The lighthouse is aligned with the lighthouses of Lochrist, Trézien and Saint-Mathieu.

We walk 20mins from the carpark to have a look. Unfortunately it is closed atm also. But we take the time to admire the beautiful coastline along the way.

Another fort in next peninsula 

Point Corsen is the most westerly point in France. We learn some other interesting facts along the short path to the point. 

What is the world’s largest island? Australia!

WWII memorial 

Just inland a bit was the Trezien lighthouse, standing 500 m from the shore, the 37.20-metre-high tower has been providing a safe passage through the Chenal du Four for over a hundred years. It is a vital navigational landmark for sailors transitioning from the Atlantic Ocean to the English Channel for centuries, marking the western extremity of mainland France. This narrow passage, considered one of Europe's most dangerous waterways due to strong currents and rocks, has been notorious among mariners, with the headland providing a critical reference point for coastal shipping and avoiding shipwrecks.

By now it was time to pick a spot for tonight. After driving along the coast through lots of coastal ‘suburbs’… so many houses here, we were happy to pull up at a parking area that tolerated motorhomes just near Porspoder, at Vivier Beach. 

The breeze was pleasant and the clouds covered the sun in the after afternoon. The days are long as it doesn't get dark until 11pm and its light by 6am…

150km today

Cheers