hortensia in our cottages

After the small bridge to the Ile-Grande  was built there about a century, following the end of the world where we return tirelessly to recharge, arise … a taste of its mystery and its authenticity amid the wild waves..
You can admire exceptional brightness and changing, whether at high tide or low tide leaving the island in a patch of white sand.

In our Cottages “Sea Side” , awarded 3 ears of corn,we offer two accommodations :
Ker Huel : Former family home of the 19th century entirely renovated with sea view (8 people).
Ty Bihan : Terraced Ker Huel, without vis-à-vis,  attractive little house with sea view (2 people).
A privileged site in a wooded park of 5000 m².

Plougrescant

A recent symbol

However, this is a recent symbol, born in 1925 under the pencil Morvan Marchal. It is heavily inspired by the arms of the city of Rennes, which includes black and white vertical stripes accompanied with a sprinkling of stoats. The ermine is a pattern found on the flag of the Duchy of Brittany from 1318.

• Morvan Marchal devised on this basis an emblem for the modern approach has Brittany.The suscitde many reactions. The Gwenn ha du is contestdès appeared within himself of a dfenseurs identitbretonne.

It took more than 50 years for this flag is needed and is definitely débarrassde Separations and political connotations.

The Armor region, the land by the sea, makes up 2,800 kilometres of Brittany’s coastline between the Channel and the Atlantic Ocean. Because of their different exposures to winds and sea-currents, Brittany’s beaches vary widely, with something to suit everyone: some beaches are great for lazing about, while others are perfect for getting sporty. Everyone can find their ideal spot, ranging from the villas and beach-huts of Dinard to the dunes and breakwaters of Erdeven.
To find out more: Beaches

Europe’s highest tides

The really high tides provide an unmissable natural display in Brittany around the time of the equinoxes. Twice a day the sea tirelessly rolls and unrolls its carpet of foam across the shore. When the tide’s in, the fury of the waves as they shatter on the rocks will really make an impression. At low tide, it’s time for collecting shellfish and taking home your catch to cook for the family.
To find out more: www.grandes-marees.com

The charm of old sailing boats

Chasse-marée, sinagot, goélette, bisquine –these are the highly evocative names for types of old sailing-boats found off Brittany’s shores. You can watch these treasures of maritime heritage in graceful action at the legendary gatherings in Brest and Douarnenez in 2012. While you’re waiting, take a trip on one of the famous local ships, either the “Recouvrance’, the symbol of Brest, or Robert Surcouf’s “Renard” from Saint-Malo.
To find out more : Le Renard Corsair’s Cutter

The Sept-Iles, a paradise for sea birds

Set off from Perros-Guirec on a boat heading for the Sept-Iles archipelago (Seven Islands), home to the oldest ornithological reserve in France, with more than 20,000 sea birds. Using binoculars you’ll be able to watch the only French colony of gannets, lots of guillemots, razorbills, gulls, cormorants and puffins and, if you’re lucky, maybe one of the 30 grey seals that have taken up residence here.
To find out more: Vedettes de Perros-Guirec

Enjoy the marinas

The 2,500 kilometres of Brittany’s coastline are studded with marinas. Sailboats, motor-boats, multi-hulled vessels and small pleasure launches are moored side by side in Brittany’s largest marinas at Le Crouesty, Perros-Guirec, La Trinité-sur-Mer, La Forêt-Fouesnant and many more. In the homeland of Eric Tabarly and Olivier Kersauson, get a taste of the world of sailing by having a drink at the yacht club and strolling along the pontoons to the sound of the halyards clinking against the masts.
To find out more: www.nautismebretagne.fr

The customs officers’ footpath

The GR 34 long-distance coast path, known as the customs officers’ path (sentier des douaniers) was created at the time of the French Revolution as a way of combating wreckers and smugglers. You can follow this route, which is 2,000 kilometres long, for a few days or just a few hours and enjoy the varied landscape of dunes, beaches, rocky headlands and inlets, all with one feature in common: the spectacle of the sea on the horizon.
To find out more: Hiking

The lighthouse route

Le Créac’h, Le Stiff, Le Four, Les Pierres Noires … these are the legendary names of the sentinels that guard the coast of Brittany. If you take the lighthouse route, named after these famous structures, you’ll follow the shoreline from Brest to the Les Abers area, across land and sea. Some of these 23 magnificent lighthouses, that safeguard shipping routes, are open to the public and offer a breath-taking view from the top of their dizzy heights.
To find out more: www.echappeesbretonnes.com/phares-finistere/

Sailing: the lure of the ocean

Do you want to feel the sea-spray on your face, to skip across the waves and enjoy the thrills of sailing? Then get out onto the water! Whether you’re a sailing fan or a complete beginner, you’ll find something to suit you in one of the many sailing and watersports centres in Brittany. They cater for everything, from popular sports such as wind surfing and dinghy sailing to extreme adventures like kite-surfing, wave-skiing and wakeboarding. Go for it!.
To find out more: http://goforit.brittanytourism.com/

Brittany, the place for thalassotherapy !

Head for the coast to restore your energy and vitality! Make sure you include thalassotherapy (seawater therapy) in your “Breton-style fitness regime’, to enjoy the beauty of the coastal landscape combined with the benefits of seawater. Relaxing massages, seaweed wraps and tailor-made treatments are on offer at expert centres, where you’ll soon shake off the stress and tiredness of daily life.
To find out more: http://wellness.brittanytourism.com/

When stones become fortresses

Brittany has a close connection with the name of Vauban, who left his mark on many coastal fortifications: the “Tour Vauban” in Camaret, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the “Fort National” at Saint-Malo, the citadels of Belle-Ile and Port-Louis, the Taureau fortress in Morlaix Bay, the Ville Close (walled town) in Concarneau, and Brest Castle. This military architecture, designed with remarkable ingenuity, owes its longevity to the celebrated saying: “When Vauban lays siege to a town, the town is taken; when Vauban defends a town, the town is impregnable”.

The moorland area known as the “Landes de Lanvaux” is situated inland from the Gulf of Morbihan and offers 30 walking routes through typical Breton landscape. Hiking through broom, heather and gorse you’ll come across wooded areas and open views of megaliths, roadside crosses and chapels. This is also a special place for discovering unusual wildlife: black woodpeckers, the Quimper snail or even the Long-eared Owl.
To find out more: www.landes-de-lanvaux.com

The land where megaliths grow

Menhirs, cairns, dolmens and covered arches, huge blocks of stone erected 7,000 years ago are dotted around the Breton countryside. Whether just around the next corner or in one of the major listed sites, the 7,000 megaliths still give rise to legends and there’s a wide range of theories about their actual history. The Carnac stones, the cairns of Barnenez and Gavrinis, the menhirs of St-Just and the site of the Roche aux Fées (Rock of the Fairies) will take your imagination back into the mists of time.
To find out more: Prehistory

The land of ancient crafts

Take a trip back to the beginning of the last century at Lizio or Poul Fetan by stepping inside recreated shops and workshops: a grocer’s shop, an ironmongers, a print-shop, a blacksmith’s forge and even a classroom. You’ll also find objects from day-to-day life in Brittany, such as box beds, costumes and coifs from our grandparents’ days. Old-fashioned good manners also come back to life in a friendly, welcoming atmosphere during the many festivals related to these ancient crafts.
To find out more: Eco-museums

Come into the garden…

As the seasons change, come and spend some time relaxing in the gardens of Brittany. Thanks to the mild local climate you’ll find both native and exotic plants here. The soils of these gardens have been subjected to a wide range of influences. As well as the typical hydrangeas, they offer palm groves, Tuscan gardens, English-style flowerbeds and tropical flora.
To find out more: Gardens

In Brittany, granite is sacred!

Its strong religious traditions mean that Brittany can boast nine cathedrals and thousands of churches and chapels, all built from the region’s symbolic stone. Of course, the particular feature of this outstandingly religious land is still the “parish enclosure” made up of a church, a shrine of the crucifixion and an ossuary, all enclosed within a stone wall. The finest specimens are found at Saint Thégonnec, Guimillau and Lampaul-Guimiliau.
To find out more: Heritage

Brittany’s highest hills

Brittany’s “mountains” are not in the same league as the peaks of the Alps or Auvergne. But although the highest summit is only 384 metres, the beautiful Roc’h Trévezel in the Monts d’Arrée offers a panoramic view that stretches from the Bay of Lannion to Brest harbour. The hilltop route will take you to the Montagnes Noires and the Menez-Hom, listed as a natural heritage site since 2004 on account of its flora and fauna.
To find out more: The Monts d’Arrée

Living in a castle

Fancy being a knight, striding along the parapets and walkways of a castle? Head for the dizzy heights of Fort La Latte, the large princely dwelling of the Château de Suscinio, the exuberant Neo-Gothic Château de Keriolet, the “Marches of Brittany” tourist route and the historical route of the Dukes of Brittany. These treasures of our heritage, to be found in all corners of the region, will help you get acquainted with the historic events of Brittany’s past.
To find out more: History and heritage

Go with the flow from Nantes to Brest

The Nantes-Brest Canal, with its 230 locks, carefully managed banks and towpaths, stretches for 360 kilometres. Once used for transporting goods, today it’s perfect for leisure boating and walking along the towpaths. Don’t forget to stop off at Malestroit, Josselin and the Abbaye de Bon-Repos (Abbey of “good rest’) to make an enjoyable break in your journey.
To find out more: www.canauxdebretagne.org

Rambles through the forest

The pleasant smell of leaf-mould, the gentle whisper of the wind in the leafy canopy, the rustling of dead leaves under your feet: these are the pleasures to be enjoyed in Brittany’s forests. The forests of Brocéliande and Paimpont, with their backdrop of oak and ash trees, have a really magical appeal. There’s an area of 7,000 hectares to discover, a land of myth and legend which is symbolised by certain trees in particular …

Sillon de Talbert

Like an upright tail on the end of the strange creature that is the Côte de Granit Rose, the Sillon de Talbert is a truly extraordinary geological phenomenon: a long, thin trail of pebbles stretching far into the Channel from a striking headland known as the Presqu’ile Sauvage, or wild peninsula.

Astonishing fact and fiction

The Sillon de Talbert looks unbelievably fragile, such a thin line of land reaching 3 kilometres into the sea. Around just 35 metres wide, it’s made up mostly of sand and pebbles. How did this natural phenomenon come about? Situated between the large estuaries of the Trieux and Jaudy, it seems that the tidal currents of the two rivers helped create and then maintain the incredible structure, standing up to the tough Channel waves, although the latter have worn down the rocks along its length. Competing Arthurian legends claim that it was painstakingly built by Morgane, to reach King Arthur, or by Merlin, to join Viviane.

Algae and ornithology

Seaweed of all sorts proliferates around the sillon and has long been harvested here. The tradition of drying algae on the pebble bar goes back many centuries, with references found as far back as the 13th century. Locals used algae as fertilizer. Later, different types came to serve different industrial uses, from glass-making to pharmaceuticals. The Centre d’Etude et de Valorisation des Algues, at the nearby Pen Lann peninsula, presents the subject in serious manner, and also oganizes guided tours out onto the Sillon de Talbert. Certain seabirds love to nest on it, so in season, access may be limited.

Discovering the sillon

When accessible, it makes for an exhilarating walk, heading out along the Sillon de Talbert, although you feel exposed to the full force of the Channel as you leave the mainland behind. Out to sea, the Phare des Héaux is one of the highest lighthouses off the French coast. To the east, the island of Modez, standing in the sea between Talbert and the Île de Bréhat, still bears the marks of its Dark Ages monastic inhabitants, in the form of a rare round structure.

Choosing a cottage in Brittany is very popular, particularly during the summer, giving you with the ultimate in luxury and the very best in quality holiday accommodation.

Renting one of our traditional cottages in Brittany lets you experience the laid-back attitude that exists in this charming rural part of France and with the unmistakeable warmth and hospitality of the French, our holiday cottages in Brittany are the ideal choice of accommodation for anyone wanting to sample a slice of life in one of the most beautiful areas of France.

Our holiday cottages in Brittany are perfect for those who love the great outdoors, with a wide range of activities that will appeal to the whole family – wonderful walks, jogging trails, beautiful beaches for swimming, windsurfing and bodysurfing, abundant rivers for fishing, kayaking, cycling and top-class golf courses.

Whatever time of year you decide to book one of our holiday cottages in Brittany, Ker uel and Ty Bihan, hoffers the chance to really unwind and relax, so why not spoil yourself and indulge in the good life, French-style in your very own holiday cottage in Brittany.

These seven elusive, rarely inhabited islands lie about as many kilometres north of the exceptionally popular Côte de Granit Rose, but few humans set foot on them. Monks tried to establish a foothold, but gave up. The main occupants are the seabirds that congregate here to nest in vast numbers.

Swinging into action to save the birds

One Breton writer beautifully described these round-backed islands as so many whales lurking out to sea. It was the hunting to near-extinction of puffins on Les Sept-Îles that spurred the Ligue pour la Protection des Oiseaux, the French society for the protection of birds, into existence and action in the early 20th century. The delightful birds with their big bright beaks became the emblem of the association.

Seven islands for more than seven rare species

Puffins aren’t the only exceptional seabirds to be found here; the archipelago attracts a phenomenal number of birds that otherwise rarely nest in France. The place has been made a national reserve to ensure their protection. From spring through to September, one side of the Île Rouzic turns white as snow with the sheer density of gannets that gather to reproduce. It’s the only place where these splendid marine birds nest in France. The puffins are to be found at home on the archipelago for a shorter season, from spring to July normally. Guillemots, fulmars, kittiwakes and manx shearwaters count among other of the many species that thrive here. There’s also a small colony of grey seals, although they’re hugely outnumbered by the birds.

An awesome avian show

You can join a boat tour either from Perros-Guirec or Port-Blanc to get close to the archipelago. It makes for an amazing sight to see the teeming bird metropolis. As to the screeching, it’s louder than at any street market you’ve ever been to. All the avian activity is truly awesome. Sometimes, you’re allowed to land on l’Île aux Moines. As its name indicates, this was the island where monks had a go at living in the late medieval period, but the difficult environment put them off. It’s clear to see that birds are properly in charge here.