The Grand Rocher and the Pointe de l'Armorique

Discovering Grève Saint-Michel: a bay where the sea recedes more than 2 km; first by climbing the Grand Rocher for a breathtaking panorama, then, up close, by walking along the beach, and finally, by admiring it from across the bay on the famousGR®®34. You’ll continue to admire Lannion Bay as you round the Pointe de l’Armorique and, in particular, the Pointe de Plestin, before following the Douron estuary, admiring the chapel and fountain, and returning to Saint-Efflam.

Details

371085
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 8.90 mi
  • ◔
    Average duration: 4h 50 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 823 ft
  • ↘
    Descent: - 810 ft

  • ▲
    Highest point: 285 ft
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 3 ft

Photos

Description of the walk

Head to the car park at Place de Lankare (or Lan Carré), opposite the Saint-Efflam water sports centre.

(S/E) Leave the car park heading east and take the first street on the right: Rue de Kerizellan. At the right-hand bend, take the path on the left. Turn left again, then after 50 metres take the path on the right (it climbs quite steeply).

(1) Do not take the path on the left (you’ll take this later, on the way back from the Grand Rocher viewpoint). Carry straight on.

(2) Carry on straight ahead along the path until you reach a road; follow this for 20 metres to the left. Take thefirst path on the left (signposted ‘panorama’). At the end of the path, turn left, then, 50 metres further on, turn right to reach the viewpoint overlooking Grève Saint-Michel.

(3) Turn round and walk due south to return to the junction you passed on the way out.

(2) Turn right to reach the next junction by following the route back in the opposite direction to the outward journey.

(1) Turn right on the descent. Before reaching the road, take the hairpin bend to the left to join the D786.

(4) At the pedestrian crossing, cross over and, if the tide allows, head down onto the beach. Walk along the beach to reach the first cove.
If not, walk along the D786, past the car park facing the sea, and take the first road on the right, Rue des Carrières.

GR®34 Red and white markings

(5) At the top of the slipway, turn right and continue along the leafy path to Les Carrières. Carry on along the road, which becomes a track at its end.

(6) Carry on straight ahead to join the Route du Toulinet, then the path that continues from it. Continue due north along this path, which ends at a road.

(7) At the sharp left-hand bend, take a path straight ahead. This path circles Anse Toull Kurun, Porz Mellec Beach, Pointe de Plestin and Pointe de Toull ar Vag before reaching Tossen ar C’hoz Beach. Please note: throughout this section, some sections present a few difficulties.

Unmarked

(8) If the tide allows, head down to the beach, cross the rocky headland and climb back up via the slipway.
If not, continue along the path and, when it joins the road, follow it, keeping to the right at all times.

GR®34 Red and white markings

(9) Take the path through the pine forest on the left. It descends due south to reach the ancient Hogolo thermal baths. Continue along this path until you reach the road.

(10) Cross the road and continue straight ahead towards the Sainte-Barbe Chapel.

No signposting

Walk past the chapel on your left and take the path opposite. Take the road to the right, then go straight on at the junction (due east). Continue along the road.

(11) Turn left, then take the second street on the right. After about a hundred metres, take the path on the left. Turn right at the end of this path, then take the first path on the right, going round the campsite with it on your right. This brings you back to the path you took on the way there.

(6) Take the path on the right which joins the road running along the beach. Follow it until you reach the first street on the right.

(12) Turn right at the Saint-Efflam Fountain and walk up the road to the departmental road. Follow it to the junction where there is a pedestrian crossing.

(13) Cross the D786 and retrace your steps to take the path on the right, which initially runs alongside the road.
Continue along the path, cross a footbridge and you’ll come out onto a road that leads straight back to the car park where you started (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : mi 0 - alt. 26 ft - Saint-Efflam, Centre Nautique car park
  2. 1 : mi 0.49 - alt. 223 ft - Outward journey: straight ahead – Return journey: turn right
  3. 2 : mi 0.59 - alt. 279 ft - Outward journey: straight ahead – Return journey: turn right
  4. 3 : mi 1.21 - alt. 262 ft - Viewpoint over the Gand Rocher
  5. 4 : mi 2.01 - alt. 23 ft - Head down to the beach if the tide allows
  6. 5 : mi 2.77 - alt. 26 ft - Head up the slipway and then turn right
  7. 6 : mi 3.11 - alt. 20 ft - Outward journey: straight ahead – Return journey: turn right
  8. 7 : mi 4 - alt. 56 ft - At the bend, the path continues straight ahead
  9. 8 : mi 5.18 - alt. 79 ft - Head down to the beach if the tide allows
  10. 9 : mi 5.59 - alt. 43 ft - Path on the left
  11. 10 : mi 6.38 - alt. 20 ft - Cross over and then leave the chapel on your left - Douron (fleuve)
  12. 11 : mi 7.22 - alt. 148 ft - Cross over, then take the road on the left
  13. 12 : mi 7.79 - alt. 26 ft - Saint Efflam Fountain on the right
  14. 13 : mi 8.05 - alt. 138 ft - Cross over, then turn half-way round and take the path on the right
  15. S/E : mi 8.9 - alt. 26 ft - Saint-Efflam, Centre Nautique car park

Notes

Saint-Michel Beach has unfortunately become famous for the green algae that accumulates there. The cleaning work that is now carried out throughout the year is restoring this magnificent site to its former beauty and tranquillity.

Worth a visit

The Gand Rocher.
The Pointe de l’Armorique.
The Hogolo Thermal Baths
The Chapel of Sainte-Barbe
The Saint-Efflam Fountain

Always be cautious and plan ahead when you're outdoors. Visorando and the author of this route cannot be held responsible for any accidents occurring on this route.

The GR® and PR® markings are the intellectual property of the Fédération Française de Randonnée Pédestre.

Reviews and comments

4.3 / 5
Based on 11 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.2 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.2 / 5
Route interest
4.6 / 5
Yann 29
Yann 29

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 02, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

A very nice route, but the difficulty rating was misjudged, as it would be better classified as ‘difficult’.

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Bruno 29
Bruno 29

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 30, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A superb discovery for this hike between the woods and the seaside, with an interesting elevation gain for the distance.
Thank you for the route.

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Yvon Rouzault
Yvon Rouzault

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 23, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

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CACOIN
CACOIN

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 29, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Beautiful hike with lots of superb views. Quite a few elevation changes.
For point 3, take the small path on the left before the house (the current route is no longer valid). Once at the top, WOW, you can see the whole town and the sea.
If possible, do this hike at high tide to get the most out of it.

I recommend it.

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Bluechris
Bluechris

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 23, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A magnificent hike with superb views from the Grand Rocher, definitely worth doing again!
The Grand Rocher is a popular tourist attraction, so to enjoy it without too many people around, go early in the morning.

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Picson06230
Picson06230

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : May 13, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No


A beautiful hike with interesting trails and varied landscapes.
In the first section, corresponding to the Grand Rocher, the route is unpredictable due to the presence of numerous intersecting paths. Furthermore, the lack of mowing makes it difficult to find the path (see attached photo), and we are grateful to the horse rider who reopened the path and pointed it out to us.

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Lililapuce
Lililapuce

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 10, 2020
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

I only did the Pointe de l'Armorique section. A really enjoyable hike with lots of beautiful views and passages along beaches and coves. Between land and sea, shaded, I really loved it!

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kerligonan
kerligonan

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 17, 2017
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

A beautiful coastal hike. I don't have a smartphone, so I navigate the old-fashioned way, and the map is very good, with descriptions, which is great! If it's sunny in the afternoon, I suggest doing the route in reverse... head west first, walk in the shade, and return east along the coast.

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andrepoto
andrepoto
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 26, 2017
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

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lesdrolesengroles
lesdrolesengroles

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 08, 2017
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

Minor issues with the trail towards the "Grand Rocher".

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kermimi
kermimi

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : May 10, 2017
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

I left Ste Barbe; with this magnificent weather, it was a dazzling hike; combining the pleasure of walking, with some slightly difficult passages, the enrichment of Gallo-Roman remains, humble, silent, moving chapels, landscapes of sea and pine forests, bright colours in the gardens...thank you.

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