Megalithic circuit

Discover the megaliths (dolmens, covered passageway, menhir) facing the open sea.
Return via the coastal path and Lesconil Port.

Details

24774
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 11.94 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 3h 25 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 12 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 12 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 18 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 2 m

Photos

Description of the walk

Pont-Plat car park, located near the stadium on the Plobannalec–Lesconil D102 road.

Yellow signposts.

(S/E) Leave the car park and take the first road on the left. The Kervignon dolmen is on the left near the sports ground. Go around the EDF transformer to reach the Kervadol dolmens (signposted on the right).

(1) Continue along the gravel road. Pass the hamlet of Kervadol and reach the crossroads with the Tréffiagat road near a house.

(2) Turn left onto the road, then right at the next junction until you reach Penbanal. In the hamlet, turn left onto the narrow grassy path between two farm buildings. Further on, on the left, follow the old railway line until you reach the Quelarn site on the right.

(3) Visit the Quelarn Megalithic Site. Return to the road, cross it and take the narrow path opposite to reach the Tronval Dolmen. The path leads to the road where you turn left and then right at the crossroads.

(4) At the first road, turn left then right to reach Letty Vraz (on the right). Turn left in the hamlet and join a road.

(5) Take it on the left towards Squividan. At the first houses, turn left onto the path that leads to Kerantoine, forming a loop.

(6) Cross the road and head south towards the Rheun farm, where you will find the menhir on a hill just after the farm.

(7) Retrace your steps, leaving the road leading to the beach on your right, take the access road leading to the houses and continue along the path on the left which winds through a wooded area until you reach a road.

(8) Turn right to join the coastal path (GR®34) at Kersaux Beach.

GR®34White and red markings

Follow it eastwards, passing through a gate.

(9) On your left, you will see a small pond where, in spring, frogs will give you a free concert.
At the same time of year, pyramid orchids bloom on the dunes (to be observed or photographed, but please leave them where they are). Continue along this wide path behind the dunes
With a large landmark in sight, the path runs as close as possible to the sea.

(10) Pass the Croix des Amoureux (Lovers' Cross) and look for the Lavoir de Portz-ar-Feunteun on the shore. TheGR® trail winds its way between the large granite boulders of the Rochers Goudoul. Turn left towards the port of Lesconil. As you leave the dune, notice an old seaweed oven on your left.
Follow the small road.

(11) Turn right into the first street, Rue du Mole, and immediately left to come out onto a large car park on the west side of the port. Walk along this basin and then the port via Rue des Équipages. Near the maritime cooperative, turn into Rue de la Criée (no entry) and pass the sea school.

(12) Leave this road and follow the beach (if this is not possible at high tide, follow theGR® which takes small streets). Continue along the sea, climb the steps onto the embankment and then turn right back to the seafront to reach the bridge over the Ster, a small river that flows into the sea at Lesconil.

Off the marked trail

(13) Climb the steps onto the bridge and leave theGR® trail on your right. Walk down the beach and continue. You will come to a small cove where two pretty white and blue benches await weary walkers.

(14) Take Rue de Menez Roz, then turn right onto Rue des Genets, which leads to the back of the cemetery.
Cross the D102 at the pedestrian crossing and turn right onto the cycle path that will take you to the car park where you started

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 6 m - Stadium car park at Pont-Plat
  2. 1 : km 0.52 - alt. 9 m - Dolmens of Kervadol
  3. 2 : km 1.11 - alt. 10 m - Crossroads
  4. 3 : km 2.81 - alt. 15 m - Megalithic site at Quelarn
  5. 4 : km 3.39 - alt. 12 m - Road on the left
  6. 5 : km 4.17 - alt. 16 m - Road on the left
  7. 6 : km 5.37 - alt. 15 m - Kerantoine
  8. 7 : km 5.76 - alt. 9 m - Menhir du Rheun
  9. 8 : km 6.25 - alt. 11 m - Turn right at the road
  10. 9 : km 7.05 - alt. 6 m - Small pond with frogs
  11. 10 : km 8.03 - alt. 6 m - Lovers' Cross
  12. 11 : km 8.81 - alt. 4 m - Rue du Môle on the right
  13. 12 : km 9.45 - alt. 4 m - Passage along the coast
  14. 13 : km 10.11 - alt. 4 m - Stairs to cross the bridge
  15. 14 : km 10.53 - alt. 4 m - Rue de Menez Roz
  16. S/E : km 11.94 - alt. 6 m - Stadium car park at Pont-Plat

Notes

Route inspired by twoPR® trails in the guidebook "Le pays bigouden, la pays de Douarnenez et le Cap Sizun ... à pied" (The Bigouden region, the Douarnenez area and Cap Sizun ... on foot):
- the menhirs
- the dolmens
Part of the circuit follows small country roads to connect the various megalithic sites.
Return via theGR®34, which runs along the coast.

Toilets at Kersaux Beach.

Alternative route: at (13), cross the bridge, turn left and follow the path that runs alongside the Ster estuary.
At Kerhoas Manor, turn left and join a small road that leads to the D102.
Cross it to reach the car park. This alternative route adds approximately 1.5 km to the original route.

Worth a visit

Quélarn site

Tronval dolmen

Lovers' Cross:
In the Middle Ages, a first cross, known as the lovers' cross, was built on the dunes of Goudoul, facing the sea.
According to legend, newly engaged couples would swear their fidelity there and exchange their first kiss. Others, whose parents opposed their marriage, are said to have committed suicide there.

Portz-ar-Feunteun wash house
This wash house was built around 1920 on the top of the beach to take advantage of the water from a fountain.
It subsequently had to be protected from the waves during storms and high tides.

Seaweed oven
Dried seaweed was burned here to extract soda ash.

Holiday resorts: Loctudy, Lesconil, Léchiagat.

Fishing ports in the Bigouden region.

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 30 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.4 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.3 / 5
Route interest
4.3 / 5
Michel TRN
Michel TRN

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 24, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

I only did the part of the circuit in the municipality of Plobannalec-Lesconil. From Kervignon, I went to Guerveur and then Kerloc'h to see the fountains and the lying menhir of Kerdalaë. That's still more than 10 km.
It's a wonderful hike: you go from coastal land to safe paths.
The circuit is less popular at this time of year, but I did it in September 2023 with more hikers.
Michel T from Quimper (leader of a group of about 30 people)

Machine-translated

Cathetjef
Cathetjef

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 04, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

:Very busy because we went in summer. Despite that, I recommend this tour, which is truly remarkable.

Machine-translated

bihen29
bihen29

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 28, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Hello,
The tour was conducted in beautiful weather and was very interesting, combining countryside, hamlets, and coastal paths. However, there was a brief moment of hesitation when leaving the megalithic site before finding the narrow path.
Thank you for this walk.

Machine-translated

FLOCH
FLOCH ★

I have clarified the description on the Quélarn website.
Personally, I don't use GPS or any apps, and the route I provide tries to follow the map as closely as possible.
During the route, I take notes and photos to gather information for writing the description.
I also try to write it quickly while my memory is still fresh.
One last detail: this description was first written in 2013 when I started on Visorando.
I hope I've made some progress since then...
Thank you for the suggestion, but I'm sorry I can't take it up due to family health issues.
However, I am always interested in specific suggestions for improving the description, as this is always helpful for future hikers.

Thank you for your interest in hiking and your desire to collaborate effectively.
Best regards

Machine-translated

Ben Lecoq
Ben Lecoq

Hello Mr. Floch,

I have tried to be as objective as possible and I am aware of the effort you put into this.
Having followed another hike of yours, which was easier, I still maintain that, in my opinion, the route for this megalithic trail could have been much clearer. As a new user of Visorando, my use of the app could certainly be improved. This may explain my difficulties...
However, I did encounter some real difficulties and without my GPS track to follow yours, I would have been in trouble.
I think there is a real problem with the Quélarn site in particular.
If you'd like, I'm happy to do the route again with you, maybe by bike to go faster, and show you what I found difficult.
Let's focus on the positive, though, because the route is very interesting and that's what matters most 😉.
Thank you. Best regards.

Machine-translated

FLOCH
FLOCH ★

Hello, and thank you for your review, which I took the time to read carefully.
I have re-read my description and added some details in certain places.
I have also re-read the two routes published in the guidebook that I used as inspiration for this tour.
I have included these in the practical information and can see that my description is much more accurate.
A description may contain some inaccuracies as it is always difficult to translate a route exactly.

I find your rating of "Disappointing" for the description to be harsh.
I have reread all the previous reviews, which are far from this opinion.
Best regards.

Machine-translated

Ben Lecoq
Ben Lecoq

Overall rating : 3 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 10, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

As its name suggests, this trail aims to introduce visitors to the rich Neolithic heritage of Plobannalec-Lesconil. Most of this heritage is concentrated between points 1 and 7 of the trail, in the rural part of Plobannalec, along a series of paths and small, almost deserted roads through the hamlets of the commune. Here, peace and quiet reign supreme!
We discover the dolmens of Kervadol, the megalithic site of Quelarn, the Rheun menhir and the fountain before arriving at the seaside.
There, you first take a pretty marked path, a little way back from the sea, before following the coast from the seamark (a landmark for sailors) erected on private land. You are now at Le Goudoul with its remarkable rocks! By this point, you will have noticed that you are no longer alone! The coast is obviously busy, but it's still very reasonable; you're not in Bénodet or Fouesnant! You will then pass the Croix des Amoureux (Lovers' Cross) and the Pors-ar-feunteun wash house at the foot of the rocks, the seaweed oven and the rocks known as Karreck Creiz, where you will come out at the car park on the corniche. Next, the port of Lesconil awaits you, followed by its beach, Plage des Quatre Vents, and then the original port, which you will skirt around to pick up a path close to the sea that will take you to the bridge over the River Stêr (or Steir). From there, you will find yourself back on the small neighbourhood roads and then the departmental road (with its cycle path) which will take you back to Pont Plat, your starting point.

Speaking of roads, it's true that there are a lot of them; as the author said, there's no choice, but apart from the Tréffiagat road at the beginning, which you take twice, and the departmental road 102 on the way back from Lesconil to reach the car park at Pont Plat (stadium, sports complex), they are very quiet. All in all, it's very pleasant!

What I did:
- A stop at the rocks at the tip of Goudoul (breathtaking sea view).
- A dip at the small beach of Les Quatre Vents (or Stêr Nibilic) just after the port of Lesconil.

What you need to know:
This ad hoc route follows and intersects with the marked Dolmens (13 km) and Menhirs (7 km) trails, but also deviates from them. This creates a bit of confusion, especially since, for once, the route details are clearly imprecise, to say the least! I lost count of the number of stops and U-turns I made to find the route, which is nevertheless reliable except at the megalithic site of Quelarn (point 2). There, I literally went round in circles and only managed to find part of the route!
In reality, when you come out of the old railway track, you arrive at an intersection with the sign for Quelarn just to your right as you leave the track. The megalithic site is on the other side of the road, but to leave, you have to return to the intersection, position yourself as if you were leaving the old railway track and take a small path immediately on your left (opposite the "Quelarn" sign on your right) which takes you into the undergrowth. There is a post with a yellow mark, but you need to know it's there. Don't panic, though, as you can also reach the Route de Treffiagat by taking the road on the left and you'll end up back where you started.
Another difficulty is that the directions between points 4 and 6 are unclear. On Route du Grand Large, take a path on the left before you reach the intersection. Further on, on Route de Kerantoine - Le Rheun, when you reach the intersection at the bottom, take the left-hand path! Opposite you will see the engraved rocks of Le Rheun with an explanatory sign and, still opposite but further to the right and below, the menhir. Here too, you need to go back a little to the start of the junction and take the route immediately on the left as you enter the hamlet. Follow the path to the left until you reach the fountain, which you will pass on your right, and then take the path to return to the sea.

In short:
A beautiful walk between the countryside and the seaside, best enjoyed on a sunny weekday .
☝🏻 Whether you have printed them out or are viewing them on your mobile phone app, the map and its details will not be enough to guide you safely here.
I used GPS the whole way, tracking my route to make sure it matched the itinerary, and thank goodness I did! But that's because I wanted to follow the route exactly. You can, of course, deviate from the route and still end up more or less on track, which becomes more obvious once you reach the coast.
For those who, like me, want to follow the route exactly, it's best to make sure your phone is fully charged before you set off! (Too bad for iPhone users 😬).

Well, there you go

Machine-translated

FLOCH
FLOCH ★

Thank you, ariane-richard, for this review.

Would it be possible to tell me where the layout error is so that I can correct it?
Thank you in advance

Machine-translated

ariane-richard
ariane-richard

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 08, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Route error but recovered thanks to Mapsme

Machine-translated

FLOCH
FLOCH ★

Good evening,

I think you have chosen the wrong hike.
If you want to follow a marked trail from start to finish, you will need to purchase the guidebook for that particular trail.

I'm sorry, but I don't understand your assessment:
Reliability of the route on the map: Very disappointing, but luckily the map is reliable!
The Visorando map is the same as the IGN map.
Too much road: it's true that there are sections of small roads, but it's impossible to avoid them if you want to do a loop that takes in the megaliths, which I personally find interesting.

Other reviews are along the same lines.

Machine-translated

henri57
henri57 ★

Hello,

Thank you for taking the time to give your opinion.

As the markings are not provided by the author or Visorando, "Route on map" does not refer to the accuracy of the markings, but rather the accuracy of the route as it appears on the map in relation to the actual terrain.

If the markings are essential for you, Visorando provides, in addition to the description and the IGN 1:25,000 map, virtual markings: a GPS app.

More than just virtual signposting, this tool, offered free of charge by Visorando, allows you to validate waypoints and thus clear up any doubts about the route.

See you soon!

Machine-translated

Kalinou39
Kalinou39

Overall rating : 3 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 25, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★☆☆☆☆ Very disappointing
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average

Signposting is very inadequate (and even contradictory to the description) and confusing with the dolmen trail. Too many roads in proportion to the size of the area. Fortunately, the map is reliable!

Machine-translated

sylvinette29
sylvinette29

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 11, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

a great hike that I would happily do again.
thank you, Mr. Floch

Machine-translated

Mick88
Mick88

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 18, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

Easy hike with negligible elevation gain. No caterpillars.
Very good description.

Machine-translated

FLOCH
FLOCH ★

Thank you again for this new review.
Fortunately, I didn't have any problems with processionary caterpillars.
I mentioned in the practical information that the route included sections of paved roads, but I don't see how else to connect these different megalithic sites.

It's always rewarding to be able to exchange ideas with hikers who take the time to give detailed feedback and even suggestions for improving the walks.

Best regards and keep up the good work on Visorando

Machine-translated

Other walks in the area

For more walks, use our search engine .

The GPS track and description are the property of this route's author. Please do not copy them without permission.