Ménez-Hom circuit

de fr

Hike to the summit of Ménez-Hom (330 m), the highest point of the Montagnes Noires in Brittany.
Great views of Douarnenez Bay, the Crozon peninsula and the Aulne maritime.
A mecca for model aircraft enthusiasts.

Technical sheet

n°25971
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 11.58 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 4h 15 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate
  • ⚐
    Return to departure point: Yes
  • ↗
    Vertical gain: + 335 m
  • ↘
    Vertical drop: - 327 m
  • ▲
    Highest point: 328 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 56 m
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Photos

Panorama of Ménez-Hom
Chapelle Neuve fountain
Model aircraft gathering
Path to the summit of Menez Hielc'h

Description of the walk

(S/E) Parking near the church of Saint-Nic.

No signposts

Leave the church on your left and take the D108 towards Ménez-Hom. Pass the town hall and the post office

(1) Just after the old gatekeeper's house on the right, avoid the old railway line and turn left at the first road before the old rural museum. Ignore the oldPR® sign (Circuit des Écureuils) just before. Continue along this road, leaving the road leading to the old museum on your right. Turn right and follow this road along the fields.

(2) At a road, turn left towards the place called Quillien, which you will leave on your right.

(3) Turn right onto the first path that leads to the D108 you left earlier. Turn left and continue uphill.

GR®37White and Red markings

(4) Leave aPR® that continues straight ahead and turn left onto a gravel path.

(5) At the next junction, turn right to rejoin the D887.

(6) Cross the road (be careful, this road is very busy, especially in summer) and take the path that climbs towards Menez Hielc'h (300m).

(7) Begin the descent and continue straight ahead along the grassy path that leads to the Menez-Hom car park (330m). There is a vast panorama at the summit. Leave theGR® at this point and continue to the summit.

(8) Descend via the path that starts below the orientation table.

No signposts

(9) Leave theGR® 38 trail on your right and continue downhill.
At the bottom, turn left to rejoin the D887.

(10) Cross the road with caution and continue opposite along the stony path to reach the village of Coathérel, where you turn left.

GR®37signposting: white and red

(11) At the three-way junction, rejoin theGR®37on the left, which follows a good path up towards Kergoat Côme. On this route, you can visit the Fontaine de la Chapelle Neuve fountain below (300m there and back).

(5) At the next crossroads, take the road opposite. You will rejoin the outward route. Continue to the next fork.

No signposts

(4) Turn right and begin a long descent to the village of Saint-Nic, where you will find the car park where you started (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 56 m - Parking near the church of Saint-Nic.
  2. 1 : km 0.33 - alt. 68 m - On the left, take the path towards the old rural museum.
  3. 2 : km 0.9 - alt. 86 m - Take the road on the left towards Quillien.
  4. 3 : km 1.28 - alt. 91 m - Road to the D108
  5. 4 : km 1.97 - alt. 157 m - Intersection - Leave the PR
  6. 5 : km 2.73 - alt. 171 m - Crossing the loop
  7. 6 : km 3.16 - alt. 201 m - Intersection with D887
  8. 7 : km 4.07 - alt. 297 m - Lead Hielc'h
  9. 8 : km 5.37 - alt. 328 m - Ménez Hom
  10. 9 : km 5.82 - alt. 254 m - End of the GR 37
  11. 10 : km 6.47 - alt. 184 m - Intersection with the D887
  12. 11 : km 7.67 - alt. 115 m - Junction with the GR37
  13. 12 : km 8.25 - alt. 130 m - Return trip to the Chapelle Neuve fountain
  14. S/E : km 11.58 - alt. 56 m - Parking near the church of Saint-Nic.

Practical information

The steepest section is between points (6) and (8).
Good descent between (8 and 9)

For a shorter route, you can start from (4).
There is space to park two cars.

Alternative route (suggested by a motorhome): on the way back to point (5), do not continue straight ahead but turn right onto the road.
The road is quiet and descends with a lovely view of the bay. After about 150 metres, turn left onto an unmarked path that runs alongside the field, pass the Cosquer farm, continue straight ahead and, 100 metres before the road, turn left onto a grassy lane (with large stones at the entrance) which is the old railway line (the squirrel path that you avoided on the way there). Go to the end to find the old gatekeeper's house.
The total distance is almost the same and you avoid passing the same place twice.

In the nearby area

Ménez-Hom
Pentrez beach: swimming, kitesurfing, sand yachting.
Crozon peninsula.
New Térenez Bridge: world record for curved span, at 285 m without any supporting pillars. A technological feat that gives it its airy, floating profile.

 Always stay careful and alert while following a route. Visorando and the author of this walk cannot be held responsible in the event of an accident during this route.

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

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Reviews and comments

4.4 / 5
Based on 34 reviews
Reliability of the description
4.3 / 5
Clarity of route map
4.1 / 5
Route interest
4.7 / 5
FLOCH
FLOCH ★

Hello and thank you for your message. Concerning the distance indicated by a pedometer, in my walking group we always have a sometimes large discrepancy between the distance recorded and that indicated by people who use a pedometer. A pedometer records the number of steps and multiplies this by the length of the step recorded. When a route is flat, the recording seems consistent. On an uphill route, such as the Menez-Hom, the terrain means that you take fewer steps and more short ones. As the pedometer records the number of steps, its distance calculation is distorted. This is a regular topic of discussion after a hike. Sincerely

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Reymo
Reymo

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of walk : Jun 01, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

Hello Mr Floch , I am regularly satisfied with the Visorando routes . Allow me however to wonder about the difference between the mileage announced and that recorded on my application (Pedometer).

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SBH
SBH

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of walk : Mar 09, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Busy trail : No

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bebert dilou
bebert dilou

Overall rating : 3.3 / 5

Date of walk : Jul 27, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Clarity of route map : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

Many difficulties to find the circuit, very beautiful panorama especially with a beautiful day, thank you for clothing advice.

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ClBE
ClBE

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of walk : Aug 04, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

The route offers a variety of landscapes and soils - small roads, gravel tracks, paths through the heather.

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oeildepoisson
oeildepoisson

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of walk : Sep 10, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

do this route on a clear day to get a great view of the "summit".
At point 5, after crossing the road, the path is a little hidden in the vegetation.
The descent from Menez-hom is a bit tricky as there are a lot of tracks.

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Cardabelle
Cardabelle

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of walk : Sep 03, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

Thank you for this well-described hike to discover the Menez Hom. I would just add: trousers are compulsory! Because of the numerous gorse bushes on the path, especially on the way up and down Menez Hom. The instant tracking on the map is great.

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cyril1977
cyril1977

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of walk : Aug 20, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Busy trail : No

Do it in good weather to get an unobstructed view from the top.

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Domyv
Domyv

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : Aug 13, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

Perfect

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FLOCH
FLOCH ★

Thank you for your advice.
Visorando is not responsible for signposting.
It is for this reason that we require a precise description of proposed walks.
Yours faithfully

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jo56
jo56

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of walk : Sep 05, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : Yes

The only problem is the signposting...

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FLOCH
FLOCH ★

Thank you for your opinion and the clarification that I added to the description.
I wish you all the best on Visorando.

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RK Quimper
RK Quimper

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of walk : Oct 03, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

Ambiguity at the start of the walk at point 1 about which path to use. It would be better to specify "Avoid the old railway line". This is the only reason for my average assessment of the description...

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Michel TRN
Michel TRN

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of walk : Oct 03, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Busy trail : No

Luckily it wasn't raining!

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didier31
didier31

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of walk : Aug 22, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Busy trail : No

The climb up to Menez Hom is not difficult and is relatively short. Very fine views from the summit. Lots of model aircraft enthusiasts at this time of year. This walking trail is not very busy. A little crowded at the summit due to the proximity of the car park. A beautiful walk with superb views over the harbour of Brest, the Aulne valley, the bay of Douarnenez etc... The only downside was that on the way back, from the descent of the "petit Menez", the path was not very well marked... It used to be the GR 37, but is no longer at all signposted... But you can spot it without any trouble. On the other hand, as the grass is tall in this part (with quite a bit of prickly heath), it's best to do the walk in long trousers.

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