Hiking the GR34: discovering the Bay of Fouesnant, the jewel of the South Finistère coastline
From Cap Coz point to the Mer Blanche lagoon, via the Beg-Meil cove , the GR®34 – the legendary Douaniers trail – runs for 17 kilometers along the Fouesnant coastline. A magical walk between land and sea in South Finistère, a delight for hikers, photographers and birdwatchers. Discover it!
The Pointe de Beg-Meil
From Camping La Roche Percée, in Fouesnant, head for the pointe de Beg-Meil and its semaphore. A lovely walk follows the coastal path from Beg-Meil to Cap-Coz, offering views over the bay of La Forêt-Fouesnant and the dune-capped cliffs. Ten miles south of the mainland, the Breton headland offers an irresistible panorama of the Glénan archipelago. An invitation to set sail? Heading towards Cap-Coz, the coastline winds its way through a string of white sandy coves and beaches bathed in turquoise waters, reserved for those who know how to find them (our photo). Among them is Plage des Oiseaux, a little nugget that’s still very much unspoilt. It can be reached on foot via a sunken path linking the pointe de Beg-Meil to the cove of the same name.
The Cap-Coz mudflat
Protected from the winds by the Pointe de Beg-Meil in Fouesnant, the Cap-Coz mudflat forms a narrow strip of sand that ends in a small rocky islet. This ribbon of sand was breached in the mid-19th century, transforming Cap-Coz into an island. The construction of dikes allowed the sandy strip to reform. Today, people come here to escape the crowds on the beaches and to observe the wildlife, including numerous birds (Ruddy Turnstone, Arctic Tern, Grey Heron, Brant…). Discover it on foot, or better still in a kayak, to disconnect completely and become one with nature.
The marsh and dune of Mousterlin
Situated along the Fouesnantais coastline, the Mousterlin marsh is a 480-hectare protected natural site comprising natural polder meadows, a barrier dune and the Mer Blanche, a 4-kilometer-long spit of shoreline (the Mousterlin dune). A unique place to observe a multitude of water birds: Red-breasted Merganser, Great Cormorant, Little Egret, Grey Heron… If you can’t see all the birds, you can hear them! A discovery trail lined with information panels on the flora and fauna of this wild and original ecosystem. 9.5 km loop, duration: 2h45.
The White Sea lagoon
The Mer Blanche offers a complete change of scenery, with a sandy beach on the ocean side, and on the other, a small inland sea that fills up at every tide. Situated between the Pointe de Mousterlin and the Bénodet marina, this magnificent lagoon, naturally protected by a four-kilometer-long dune, lives to the rhythm of the ebb and flow of the ocean. A lovely route along the GR 34 crosses this unique natural site in Fouesnant, offering a magical spectacle that never ceases to amaze. In the western part, the Kerler beach is open to naturists for over a kilometer in length.
Penfoulic wood and its ponds
Far from the crowded beaches of Fouesnant, the woods and ponds of Penfoulic offer hiking enthusiasts the chance to recharge their batteries in the heart of nature. Nestling at the head of the bay of La Forêt-Fouesnant and sheltered by the sandy tip of Cap-Coz, the cove of Penfoulic extends over 30 hectares of undergrowth, mixed forest, bocage, salt meadows and orchards. A long arm of the sea meanders for several kilometers, like a mangrove, through meadows grazed by Shetland ponies. Upstream from the old dyke, the Penfoulic ponds are a haven for many sedentary birds (Common Sandpiper, Little Egret…) and wintering birds (Osprey, Barnacle Goose…). A word of advice: don’t forget your binoculars!