Circular between the Aulne and the Faou river

A circular loop between the Aulne in its final meanders before its estuary in the Brest harbour and its last tributary, the Faou river.
Several viewpoints on the left bank of the Aulne with Ménez-Hom, the new Térénez bridge, Landévennec and its abbey.
Shellfish farming on the Faou river is currently limited to the cultivation of Pacific oysters.

Details

1783166
Creation:
Last update:
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 16.27 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 5h 50 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 407 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 409 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 144 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 1 m
  • ⚐ Country: France
  • ⚐ District: Rosnoën (29590)
  • ⚑
    Start/End: N 48.262915° / W 4.214174°
  • ❏
    IGN map(s): Ref. 0517OT, 0518OT
  • Hour-by-hour weather

Photos

Description of the walk

Rosnoen viewpoint car park near Bellevue. Viewpoint over the Aulne valley and Ménez-Hom.

PR® Yellow markings

(S/E) From the car park, turn right and immediately take a wide path that descends into the woods. Follow it until it joins a road.

No markings

(1) Continue left on the road that descends towards Ty Bihan (Ty Bian), leaving the marked route on your right. At the next crossroads near a cement wash house, turn right to descend to Ty an Aod (house on the beach) where you will reach the banks of the Aulne. Follow the edge of the foreshore to the right.

PR® Yellow markings (not very visible)

(2) Find thePR® and continue along the beach, following the circular bend in the river.

(3) When you come to a sign saying "Sentier" (path), leave the foreshore and follow a narrow path that winds through the woods, alternating between ascents and descents.
The purple route on the map, along the river, is no longer valid and the trail in the woods does not appear on the map, but it does exist.

Pass two small wooden shelters (fishing equipment storage huts?) and you will come to a signpost indicating a viewpoint: Saut du loup (Lamm ar Bleiz).
According to legend, a wolf jumped from here to escape hunters and reached the other side of the Aulne.

Continue through the woods in a north-westerly direction until you reach a more open area. A wider path leads to the Langoat Huella farm. Go around the buildings on the right.

(4) Follow the small road on the left that passes through Langoat Izella and reaches the banks of the Aulne.

(5) Continue along the riverbank, ignoring a path on the right marked 'private', and arrive at a small cove where a small stream flows. This passage offers a beautiful view of the new cable-stayed bridge at Térénez.

(6) Take this path, which continues along a small path that climbs steeply towards the hamlet of Kergaladen, where you will join theGR® 34 and 37 trails just before the hamlet.

GR® 34 and 37 White and Red

(7) Go around the hamlet on the right, leave thePR® on the right and continue straight on theGR®. Turn left twice, then right near a shed to reach the D47.
Follow this small road that passes under a power line towards Kervézennec.

(8) At the bottom of the descent, at a small stream, turn left onto a path which then turns north-west through the undergrowth and continue to the three-way junction where you leave theGR® on the right towards the stopover lodge. This wood is a botanical trail: several small signs on the ground indicate the names of the plants and shrubs.

No markings

(9) Continue straight ahead and join the D791. Cross it carefully, as it is a busy road, and follow it to the left for about a hundred metres. Turn right onto the road leading to the village of Seillou (signposted Grève du Seillou). Go around the hamlet on the left and continue along the road which leads to a car park by the River Faou (view of Landévennec and its abbey on the other bank of the Aulne).

(10) Follow the riverbank towards Île d'Arun, a former powder warehouse between the Pont-de-Buis powder magazine and the Brest arsenal.

(11) At low tide, it is possible to walk up to the entrance but not enter (private island). Continue around the Pointe de Prioldy and its pond to reach a small road at Ty an Aod (beach house). Be careful of the particularly slippery rocks.

N.B.: At high tide, depending on the tidal coefficient, this passage is not possible. In this case, take the small road that passes through the hamlet of Les Salles and joins Ty an Aod.
Follow the road to rejoin the D791.

(12) Cross this departmental road, which is particularly busy in summer, with caution, then climb the road opposite, leaving the access road to the hamlet of Le Parc on your left, and arrive at a crossroads where you will find theGR®.

GR® 34 and 37 White and Red

(13) Leave the road and follow theGR® trail to the left, which climbs through a coniferous forest. In April 2019, the end of this trail had been completely destroyed by forestry work.

PR® Yellow markings

(14) Shortly after leaving the woods, leave theGR® trail on the left and continue on thePR® trail, which joins a small road. Continue on this small road, which climbs steadily, passes under power lines and ends at the D47 near a place called La Croix Blanche.

(15) Cross the departmental road and continue along the access road to the viewpoint, skirting around the imposing Bellevue farm (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 141 m - Bellevue viewpoint car park in Rosnoen
  2. 1 : km 0.98 - alt. 49 m - Road junction
  3. 2 : km 1.97 - alt. 7 m - PR junction
  4. 3 : km 2.21 - alt. 11 m - Trail sign
  5. 4 : km 4.31 - alt. 48 m - Langouat Huella Farm
  6. 5 : km 5.04 - alt. 4 m - Aulne (fleuve)
  7. 6 : km 6.09 - alt. 3 m - Turn right at the fork
  8. 7 : km 7.05 - alt. 109 m - Kergadalen hamlet
  9. 8 : km 7.9 - alt. 96 m - Turn left at the fork in the path.
  10. 9 : km 8.79 - alt. 81 m - Straight ahead (end of the GR)
  11. 10 : km 10.25 - alt. 3 m - Car park on the banks of the Faou river
  12. 11 : km 11.09 - alt. 4 m - Île d'Arun - Faou (fleuve)
  13. 12 : km 13.13 - alt. 25 m - Crossing the D791
  14. 13 : km 13.55 - alt. 42 m - GR junction
  15. 14 : km 14.3 - alt. 105 m - Leave the GR for a PR
  16. 15 : km 15.77 - alt. 144 m - Crossing the D47
  17. S/E : km 16.27 - alt. 141 m - Bellevue viewpoint car park in Rosnoen

Notes

Please note: the sections along the Aulne river in the first part of the route require some caution as the stones are relatively slippery, as are certain sections along the Faou river.

Picnic table at the starting point car park.

To enjoy the entire route, plan for low tide when crossing the Rivière du Faou between (10) and (12).
Stopover lodge

Worth a visit

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

4.8 / 5
Based on 9 reviews

Reliability of the description
5 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.8 / 5
Route interest
4.7 / 5
SBarg
SBarg

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 16, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A pleasant hike in a very pretty setting.
However, it is quite challenging, with some fairly narrow paths.
Be sure to wear sturdy shoes to protect against the mud! With the tides, some paths are very slippery, especially along the banks of the Aulne.
But it's still a very pleasant and peaceful circular; we were almost alone on the paths.

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steph29000
steph29000

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 26, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful route, especially the coastal section. Done after heavy rain, which made the ground very slippery, it can be classified as difficult in such weather conditions. The section between points 11 and 12 cannot be done at high tide, even with a low tidal coefficient. The paved sections around Rosnoen are on very quiet roads and are therefore quite pleasant. I would like to point out a dangerous section about 500 metres after point 3. On a steep, very slippery descent, about 50 metres before a wooden footbridge, steps have been built to make the descent easier. Vertical planks have been laid and are held in place by concrete rods. Due to the planks sinking into the ground, the concrete rods protrude by 20 cm and can be very dangerous if you slip. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the volunteers who maintain the path.

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FBDH
FBDH

Overall rating : 5 / 5

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

Pleasant route with beautiful views of L'Aulne and Brest harbour.

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chr01
chr01

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 10, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful route, a bit long but quite challenging.
You need good shoes because the stones are slippery.
As a reminder, signs indicate that mushroom picking and horses are prohibited.

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mpostic91
mpostic91

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : May 18, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful circular, we shortened it by returning to Rosnoen without going as far as the Faou river. Please note that there are some steep and slippery sections along the riverbank; the terrain is nothing like the towpaths found further upstream along the canalised alder. The superb views of the river (we recommend avoiding the route at high tide) and the Terenez bridge are well worth the effort for hikers. Thank you for providing information about this circular.

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Ennaé
Ennaé

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 10, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Beautiful hike! The first part is the most interesting in terms of the view . The beginning is also quite strenuous (which is a plus in my opinion).

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cecel 29
cecel 29

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 24, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Very beautiful route. You have to be careful on the edge of the alder grove.
The first few kilometres are quite challenging, but it's worth it.

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DanOll
DanOll

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 07, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

The characteristics of the hike are accurate and very precise. It only takes 4 hours to complete it at a pace of 4km/h.

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Monique C3.
Monique C3.

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 23, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

Very hilly route, quite difficult when walking along the water's edge as the stones are slippery.

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