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