The Pink Granite CoastA scattering of islands and rocks

The Pink Granite Coast

To the north of Lannion, the Pink Granite Coast is famous for its romantically-coloured rocks. This sculpted shoreline, carved into a thousand and one mineral treasures, is a paradise for birds and walkers.

Getting there

From pink to grey

This rock looks like a shark. That one’s a rabbit. And here’s a tortoise or a witch. On the Pink Granite Coast it’s fun to imagine the extraordinary shapes of the rocks along the coast path as people or animals. As for their colour, they’re rose pink, obviously. It’s a beautiful coppery pink that glows in the sunshine. From Bréhat to Trébeurden, the Pink Granite Coast stretches out in a series of remarkable curves facing a chain of islands and islets, beside fine sandy beaches sheltered by pines. At Port-Blanc and Plougrescant, the background changes with the tides. Pink on the coast, the granite becomes grey as it plunges inland along the estuaries of the Trieux and the Jaudy. The birds love this highly-colourful landscape. The Sept-Îles National Nature Reserve, off the coast of Perros-Guirec, is home to one of the largest colonies of seabirds, especially puffins, gannets and cormorants.

On foot, by bike, in a canoe…

The GR© 34 coast path is known as the custom officer’s path (‘sentier des douaniers’) and is the most popular walking trail for exploring the Pink Granite Coast. Around Paimpol, the walker’s GPS audio-guide ‘The Seven Wonders of the Coastline’ relays audio information to you in real time as you follow the walk, so you can learn about the landscapes and the local people. As you move away from the shore, there are more surprises. At the mouth of the Léguer, the steep promontory of Le Yaudet is the start of the footpath (GR© 34A) that crosses the Trégor, far off the beaten track. You’ll cross a landscape of fields with high hedges, through scattered grey granite rocks, heading towards the ‘Small Towns of Character’: La Roche-Derrien, Tréguier, Pontrieux, and others. On your way, you’ll come across some beautiful châteaux and fortresses (Tonquédec, la Roche-Jagu, etc.) which look down on some remarkable historic architecture. The Pink Granite Coast also offers plenty of sporting activities such as sailing, canoeing, stand-up paddle boarding and coasteering. The temptation to head for the sea to get a fresh perspective on life is always there. Exploring on a bike is another great way to see the area. The Pink Granite Coast is unmissable if you’re doing the Tour de Manche, and it links with plenty of local circuits too.