Deep in pagan country, Kerlouan lures you in with its grass-covered dunes and otherworldly atmosphere. This secluded fishing village of thatched cottages, screened behind enormous boulders in strange shapes, has lost none of its time-honoured charm. Step off the beaten coastal track and behind its forbidding-looking boulders to see…
Click. Inspire. Go…
Receive the Brittany newsletter!
Experience the village of Meneham
Kerlouan? Even if the name doesn’t ring a bell, you’ll surely recognise its famous guardhouse, fishermen’s thatched cottages and scenic beaches from photographs. For these are immortalised on many a postcard and tourist guide! Set off in discovery of the quaint little hamlet of Menez-Ham. As if gripped tightly between two giant stone fists, its 17th-century guardhouse is an extraordinary sight to behold, and its thatched cottages have been lovingly restored.
Across the area, the coast is not the only place to be invaded by boulders. Further inland, the Pol Chapel is surrounded on all sides! Founded in the 16th century and rebuilt in the 19th century, its bell tower stands defiant and proud amidst its stone guards. Not far away, a stone sentry box, commissioned by Vauban, would have kept a look-out for English invaders.
Did you know
The legend of the shipwreckers
Countless ships have run aground on the pagan country coast. Legend has it that hostile locals were behind these accidents. It is said that they would walk along the dunes at night, carrying a lantern to lure boats towards the coast where they would then run aground…
Giant rock formations
Planning a lazy day taking it easy? The long sandy beach at Brignogan is the perfect place, against a dramatic backdrop of huge granite boulders. The delightful Pointe de Pontusval and its little harbour are within easy walking distance. If you’re looking for something more energetic, head out along the GR® 34 long-distance hiking trail which follows the Sentier des Douaniers footpath, past the cute little creeks huddling between daunting boulders in peculiar animal shapes (one could be a turtle, another could be a dog’s head).
