Around Larmor-Baden

A route featuring a wide variety of landscapes, forming a large circular route around Larmor-Baden from the Île Berder crossing towards the Pen En Toul marshes, the hamlet of La Saline, Locmiquel Cove and the Pointe du Berchis. It will introduce you to the little-known history of Brittany’s first aerodrome, the bird sanctuary and the former salt marsh facilities.

Details

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Creation:
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 5.76 mi
  • ◔
    Average duration: 2h 45 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Easy

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 105 ft
  • ↘
    Descent: - 105 ft

  • ▲
    Highest point: 66 ft
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 0 ft

Photos

Description of the walk

GR®® 34, marked in white and red

(Out and back) From the crossing to Île Berder (see photo), take Rue du Drénez in the direction of traffic.

(1) Turn right onto Rue de la Montagne for 100 m and, at the Stop sign, turn right onto Rue du Perrick, which ends in a cul-de-sac near the shore.

(2) Follow the path on the left, which winds its way above an oyster farm. After a short stretch across a small beach, the path climbs up towards Chemin de Kerdelan, then Chemin du Moulin.

(3) Turn right onto the Chemin de Pen en Toul, where you’ll find a viewpoint on the left overlooking the Marais de Pen en Toul. 500 metres further on, take a path on the left that descends towards the dyke separating the marsh from the Anse de Kerdélan. (see photo)

(4) Cross the dyke using the footpath on the left-hand side of the stone bridge. At the other end of the bridge, turn left onto the path. This path runs alongside the brackish-water lagoon, which is home to a wealth of biodiversity, for about 1.5 km (see photo).

No signposting

(5) Continue straight on, passing two fountains (see photo). Leave theGR®®34here; it climbs to the right towards the hamlet of Locqueltas. The path leads onto the Route de la Saline, which is a dead end at this point.

(6) Take this road to the left for about 500 m and turn right onto the path that runs behind a shipyard. About 130 m further on, you’ll come to the first fork (not shown on the map): take the left-hand path through an opening in the embankment. About 150 m further on, there’s another fork (not shown on the map): take the second path cut into the embankment on the right. The path leads to a dead-end in the hamlet of Boulen, which leads to the D316.

(7) Turn left onto the D316 and walk for about 60 metres until you find a wide path on the right (see photo) which leads into Rue Mane ar Velin.

(8) Turn left onto Rue du Danut, which soon reaches Anse de Locmiquel. Walk along the left-hand side of the long beach towards Larmor Baden.

GR®® 34, marked in white and red

The path follows the coast, passing by Pointe du Berchis to the small beach of the same name.

(9) The path goes round this beach, which may be inaccessible at high tide. Continue along the coast towards Île Berder, passing in turn through Port Lagaden (see 2 photos) and the main harbour at Larmor Baden, where the jetty for Île de Gavrinis is located.

(10) Carry on until you finally reach the path to Île Berder (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : mi 0 - alt. 10 ft - Crossing to Île Berder
  2. 1 : mi 0.32 - alt. 56 ft - Turn right onto Rue de la Montagne
  3. 2 : mi 0.61 - alt. 26 ft - Path on the left
  4. 3 : mi 0.91 - alt. 56 ft - Turn right onto the Pen en Toul path
  5. 4 : mi 1.32 - alt. 10 ft - Pen en Toul sea wall
  6. 5 : mi 1.58 - alt. 7 ft - Straight ahead
  7. 6 : mi 2.1 - alt. 7 ft - Turn left
  8. 7 : mi 2.74 - alt. 59 ft - D316 to the left
  9. 8 : mi 3.1 - alt. 49 ft - Turn left onto Rue du Danut
  10. 9 : mi 4.58 - alt. 13 ft - Pointe du Berchis
  11. 10 : mi 5.42 - alt. 10 ft - Ferry terminal for Gavrinis
  12. S/E : mi 5.76 - alt. 13 ft - Crossing to Île Berder

Notes

(S/E) At the Berder crossing, although there are plenty of parking spaces, they may be insufficient during the holiday season, particularly when the crossing is open; however, parking spaces are available all along Rue du Drénez.

The crossing to the island opens at every tide for around 4 hours. The walk around the island is approximately 2.5 km and offers magnificent views of the Gulf of Morbihan. If your schedule allows, you may wish to walk around the island either before or after this hike (route described on Visorando).

To find out when access to the island is available, see the link: Access timetable

Worth a visit

(4) At the entrance to the dyke, to the left of the stone bridge, there is an observation point offering views of the water, but the various species of migratory birds that frequent the site tend to stay at the back of the marsh, and binoculars are often needed to spot them.
See the link: Pen en Toul Observation Point

(5) To the right of the path, two remarkably restored fountains bear witness to past activity. Several information boards recount the ill-fated history (August 1909) of Brittany’s first aerodrome. The site of the aerodrome’s former hangars is still visible about a hundred metres further on.
See the link: Bretagne aviation

(6) Information boards describe the layout of the salt marshes, which were operated for a short period in the 19th century and are now abandoned.
See the link: Pen en Toul salt marshes

(10) Set sail from the port of Larmor-Baden for a stopover on Gavrinis Island and a visit to one of France’s most beautiful prehistoric sites: the Gavrinis cairn, probably dedicated to the worship of the dead, erected in the Neolithic period when Gavrinis Island was still connected to the mainland, is now recognised worldwide for its profusion of engraved decorations.
See the link: Gavrinis Cairn

A must-see: the Baden Museum ‘Des passions et des Ailes’ – This museum focuses in particular on the life of Joseph Le Brix, a local man and one of the most famous pioneers of French aviation.

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

4.7 / 5
Based on 34 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.8 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.6 / 5
Route interest
4.8 / 5
JT
JT

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 04, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Very beautiful scenery, but part of the route is on the road.
You can take the time to watch the birds at the Pen en Toul marshes by taking a short round trip to get closer to marshes 6 and 7 via the path that starts at a place called ‘La Saline’ (this path takes you all the way round the marshes)
If the tide permits, you can round off the walk with a tour of Berder Island, which is densely wooded with huge, centuries-old holm oaks!

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Grandsart
Grandsart

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Dec 08, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

beautiful circular around Larmor Baden

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Youend
Youend

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Dec 29, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Another magnificent walk! A very beautiful, varied and rewarding trail, with many information signs on local history along the way (battle with the devil, 1st airfield in Brittany, oyster farming, Gavrinis ...).); the time to read and take photos regularly took me 3 hours to complete the walk; the high tide meant that I wasn't able to walk around Ile Berder, but that will give me the opportunity to come back; the scenery is magnificent and there weren't many people around at that time of year, but you can imagine how crowded it would be in summer! The weather was overcast but I can imagine the beautiful sunsets in the Locmiquel cove 😊 !

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Fabrice TENDRON
Fabrice TENDRON

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 27, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Hello, very nice, varied and easy walk.

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BERTRIO
BERTRIO

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 22, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Magnificent region, a little spoiled by the weather.

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AirScot
AirScot
• Edited:

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Dec 16, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

This hike, with its varied landscapes between the sea and the old salt marshes, is very pleasant, especially if the sun is shining, as you can enjoy the different light conditions (in the undergrowth or by the sea). The walk is easy. However, depending on the season, beware of certain sections that can be very... wet, particularly along the marshes at Pen en Toul. The indicated walking time of 02.30 hrs corresponds to a pace that, if not peaceful, is at least accessible without difficulty!
Finally, the route can be completed by a tour of the island of Berder (well worth it!). Be sure to check the tide tables: the passage leading to the island, although very short, is covered at high tide. So be sure to follow the instructions provided on the spot and don't try to be clever by trying to force your way through: even if you're just ankle-deep in water, the current that submerges the passage can be very strong and destabilising and, combined with the accumulated seaweed, makes for a very ... slippery and potentially very dangerous!

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Pgouazé
Pgouazé

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 18, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Nice walk.

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rtaji
rtaji

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 18, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Very nice walk with magnificent views and several small beaches suitable for children.
I recommend that you visit the super pretty berder island before starting the walk. The walk around the island is 3 km long, and it takes an hour to get off the island, but be careful of the tide. Just before you take the passage, you'll find the recommended times for leaving the island.

If you're doing the island and you think it's going to be a lot to do the proposed loop in addition, do what I did, I took the walk backwards 10 then 9 then 8 and I took the road to Auray, just before the "7" to get back to the Gavrinis island pier. if you do that, it will take you between 9 and 10 km.

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Mané
Mané

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 13, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A beautiful, well-marked walk. Beautiful scenery

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J Rapin
J Rapin

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 10, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Very nice walk!
A very pleasant hike with varied landscapes, shady sections and beautiful viewpoints. Done in September on a beautiful sunny day.
Many other routes in this area.
Worth doing again!

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Andre56
Andre56

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 25, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

This is a lovely walk that I know about and that I'm organising with a group for the end of April.

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Hervé Arradon
Hervé Arradon

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 21, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Superb walk with a pleasant finish in the Locmiquel cove and the Pointe de Berchis. What's more, the weather was fine. Knowing that the tide was out, we went as far as the Pointe de Locmiquel and circumnavigated the 7 Islands (a walk of around 15 km).

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PACPAC
PACPAC

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 16, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Very nice circuit between 8 (seaside) and S/E,
Very nice at point 4.
Between 4 and 6 the path is in the vegetation and there are no views over the marsh in summer.
Point 6 is quite beautiful.
The diversion from the road to 7 and 8 has been closed by a gate, so it is necessary to continue on the road to 8 (seafront).
The route was well lit and the weather was cool, but the hike went by too quickly.

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Phil56
Phil56

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 22, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Very nice walk. It took us off the beaten track to discover Larmor Baden from original angles. The finish at Anse de Locmiquel was splendid, with a constantly changing view of the islands opposite (Radenec, île longue, Gavrinis). All that was missing was the sun to make the picture even more beautiful!

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samya1971
samya1971

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 18, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very nice walk with no particular difficulties. Little traffic on the first part of the route.

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