Getting here and around the island
All year round
Vedettes de Bréhat
BP 28
22870 Ile de Bréhat
Tel. 02 96 55 79 50
www.vedettesdebrehat.com
Accommodation
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3 hotels
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Several furnished rental properties
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Several bed & breakfasts
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1 campsite
You can ask for a list of accomodation from the Bréhat Tourist office.
For sailors
Possibilities of anchorage around the island, on the maritime public domain.
There are two distinct halves to the main island, joined together by the tiniest of bridges. Bustling Port-Clos, the harbour where most visitors arrive, welcomes the ferryboats doing the 10-minute journey back and forth from the Pointe de l’Arcouest. The south island, where you land, is a riot of colour. This is not just because of the rocks, but also, in season, thanks to the lovingly tended gardens. While on the subject of colour, the citadel near the landing jetty is now home to the Verrerie de Bréhat, producing high-quality contemporary glass.
It’s easy to walk or cycle around Bréhat. The best array of delightful, narrow, pebbly beaches lies in the southeast corner of the south island. Nearby, the Bourg, the main settlement, has plenty of charm, with its circular main square, its church, its boutiques and its places to eat and stay.
For a great overview of the island’s natural wonders– in fact, Bréhat was the first place in France to be classified as a site of outstanding natural beauty – climb the hill to the highest point, marked by the chapel of St-Michel, just 26 metres in altitude. The building also serves as a seamark for boats in the vicinity. The Bréhatin men long lived from the sea, and the extraordinary, recently restored historic Moulin à Marée shows how ingeniously they made the most of the tides. Another great viewing point close by is from the Maudez Cross.
Crossing onto the much less populated north island, the look is much more rugged. Two chapels draw visitors’ attention, one of them, used by lepers in times past, now in ruins. Two lighthouses also stand out. Le Rosédo rises to the west, while the remarkable Phare du Paon marks the northernmost tip of Bréhat. Its ruddy stones match those of the surrounding boulders, and are set aflame by the evening light. The legend here has it that the rocks were stained so red by the blood of two evil siblings who killed their father in this highly dramatic spot.
BRITISH CONNECTIONS WITH BREHAT
During the bloody French Wars of Religion in the late 16th century, the whole country was split between traditional Catholics on the one hand and deeply rebellious Protestants on the other. The latter were supported by the English. The gory story goes that a British commander once landed on Bréhat, where he rooted out some fanatical Catholics and had them hanged from the sails of a windmill.
To document
Visit the gallery
Download documentation
