Discover Cap Coz, a small seaside resort in Fouesnant, South Finistère!
Today, we’re taking you on a little tour of Cap-Coz, a charming seaside resort that’s part of Fouesnant. Located just a stone’s throw from our Cap Coz campsitethis small peninsula is much appreciated for its seaside atmosphere, its large sandy beach, its beautiful villas hidden in the pines and its old port at the very end of the headland.
Cap Coz beach? A veritable paradise, regulars will tell you!
South-facing and protected from the wind by the Pointe de Beg-Meil, Cap-Coz beach has been awarded the Pavillon Bleu label. This pretty, gently sloping beach is supervised in summer. It’s therefore very popular with families, as it’s safe for children to swim. Please note: for the disabled, two seahorse chairs and a tiralo are available near the lifeguard station. During high tides, you’ll be glad to swap your flip-flops for a pair of boots! With your rake in one hand and a bucket in the other, you’re ready for a morning’s fishing at Cap-Coz! Scan the foreshore for shellfish buried in the sand, hunt for shrimp in the water holes, fill your basket with cockles, clams and periwinkles… In short, a great family outing!
Cap Coz, passionately nautical!
If you’ve decided to learn to sail during your next vacation in South Finistère, or if you’d like to get back in touch with your favorite sport, the Centre Nautique de Fouesnant team awaits you on Cap Coz beach. Certified as a French Sailing School, the Cap Coz sailing club is one of the biggest in Finistère, and has seen some of the biggest names in sailing pass through its doors for over 50 years. The Nautical Center offers private lessons and introductory courses in catamaran, windsurfing and dinghy sailing. You can also take a sea kayak tour, try out stand-up paddling or discover water walking. Another activity idea: a mini-cruise aboard a catamaran on the Baie de la Forêt. Escape guaranteed!
Walks and hikes on the coastal paths between Cap-Coz and Beg Meil
The GR34 and the many side roads between Beg-Meil and Cap-Coz offer walkers hours of strolling between land and sea. From Kerveltrec beach, 400 m from the campsite, a circuit takes campers to the Cap-Coz headland. You’ll pass by Lantecost beach, recognizable by its kiosk, which is part of the grounds of Bot-Conan castle, visible a little further on. The château was built in 1899 by Doctor Guyon, personal physician to the Tsar of Russia. Continuing along a coastal path lined with century-old maritime pines, you’ll discover magnificent panoramic views over the bay of La Forêt before arriving at the large beach of Cap-Coz. On the way back to the headland, you’ll want to linger around the old port and watch the sailboats set sail and return to port. Another circuit takes you from the cove of Penfoulic to the tip of Cap Coz, through the Fouesnant countryside, woods and marshes. Look up and you may catch an Osprey in flight or an Egret on the prowl. It’s a paradise for birds and budding ornithologists!
How did Cap Coz become a fashionable destination?
Originally, Cap-Coz was just a stretch of dune with no buildings or houses. Only a handful of fishing and farming families worked there. At the end of the 19th century, Cap-Coz took a completely different turn with the fashion for “sea bathing”. Seaside tourism was booming on the Atlantic coast when the railroad arrived in Quimper – a revolution! In Fouesnant, a small steamboat shuttled between Concarneau and Beg-Meil. Cap-Coz became easily accessible! From then on, wealthy people, businessmen, intellectuals, artists and writers like Sarah Bernhardt and Marcel Proust spent their summer vacations here. Some had beautiful villas and mansions built here, particularly along the Chemin Creux between Beg-Meil and Cap-Coz.