From Le Fret to Camaret via the forts of the Brest Strait

Starts from the Port du Fret.

Yellow signposting

(S) Follow the quay and walk along the harbour on your right-hand side. At the entrance to Impasse de la Grève, turn left into Impasse de la Garenne. Pass a narrow lane on your right and, at the next junction, turn right. Pass another narrow lane on your right and continue straight ahead (lovely houses). At the roundabout, go straight ahead and head downhill.

(1) Take the^first left, Chemin de Kergamac’h, towards Saint-Driec. The lane soon gives way to a shaded path. You’ll come out onto a path running at right angles; follow it to the right. Ignore a path branching off to the left and carry straight on.

(2) Cross a small road (take care) and first turn right then left onto a small road towards Saint-Driec. Ignore a small road on the right and, at the Fork in the road that appears immediately, take the shaded path on the right and head downhill.

Red and white + yellow markings

(3) Return to the tarmac road and take the first turn left then right to join a dead-end road. At the hamlet of Pratmeur, turn left towards Saint-Fiacre. Follow a shaded path, ignore a turn-off on the left and walk past the houses. At the junction, turn right onto a stony path and head downhill alongside the camping pitches. Continue the descent along a narrow track until you reach Saint-Fiacre Beach.

(4) Turn left, walk along the beach (damp section) and take a footbridge to reach a small car park. Then follow the road on the left leading to it.

Red and white markings

At the end, turn right and leave Saint-Fiacre. At the ‘give way’ sign, follow the D355 to the right for about fifty metres.

N.B. Up to La Cale de Querlen (8), the^GR®34runs alongside the D355, which you will need to cross several times to take either a small parallel road or the wider of the two verges. This road has a fair amount of traffic: take great care along these sections.

(5) Then cross the road and take a small road that runs diagonally, roughly parallel to the D355. At the hamlet of Mesmod, rejoin the D355 and follow it to the left. After about 150 metres, cross the D355 again and take a small road running parallel to it. At the end (where there is a ‘give way’ sign), rejoin the D355 and follow it as it continues.

(6) After about a hundred metres, cross the D355, go a few metres towards Persuel and turn right immediately. At the next junction, turn right. You’ll immediately rejoin the D355; follow it to the left along its left-hand verge. Carry on straight ahead until you reach the seaside. Continue along the road, which winds a few times along the embankment of a pond on the left (caution: narrow verge).

(7) Cross the D355 again and take the right-hand verge to enter Roscanvel. Ignore the turn-offs on the left and follow the road to the Cale de Querlen (pond and picnic area on the left).

(8) Then cross the D355 at the pedestrian crossing and head up towards the Route de la Fraternité. As soon as you reach it, follow it to the left and walk alongside the pond on your left. At the corner by No. 28, turn right. Pass No. 30 on your left, turn right onto a grassy path and head uphill. At a place called Kervian, continue along the tarmac road and then onto a track. Ignore the entrances to private properties on either side. At a three-way junction, turn right, ignore a turn-off on the right, head downhill and, at the next three-way junction, turn right (the junctions mentioned do not appear on IGN maps).

(9) At the end of the track, join a small road and follow it to the left, uphill. Cross the Route de la Baie on the right-hand side and take the next right onto the Chemin de Kerhuel. Walk gently down this gravel track. At the end, turn right and walk down a small road.

(10) At the Stop sign, cross the D355 once more and follow the Chemin de Lanversazal diagonally. Pass between nos. 1 and 2 and walk through an area with some lovely houses. Turn left at No. 8, right at No. 13 and left at No. 18. At the end, cross the Square du 19 mars 1962 and you’ll find the beautiful Saint-Éloi Fountain down on the right. Turn left and cross the church car park.

(11) At the foot of the church, turn left, pass a hiking sign and follow a grassy path, leaving a bus stop on your left. You’ll come out onto a track; follow it to the left. Before a house on the left-hand side, turn right onto a path between garden fences.

(12) At the end, follow a small road to the left and take the^first right towards Keryano. After house number 18, turn left onto a path which soon becomes a track. At a junction, take the^second left, the Chemin de Trévarguen Izella. After a few dozen metres, take a track to the right. You’ll come to a road; follow it to the left for a few dozen metres.

Unmarked

(13) At the junction, carry straight on along the Route de Trévarguen Izella (let the^GR® head off to the right; see an alternative route in the practical information). Climb gently. Cross the Route de Keruguen on the left-hand side and, at the next junction, carry straight on along the Route de Kerlaer. Follow the small road through the meadows, which is initially flat then slopes slightly downwards, and go straight on at every junction. At the ‘give way’ sign, cross a road (the D355 again) and first turn left then right to join a path through the ferns. You’ll soon reach the coastal path overlooking the Goulet de Brest.

Red and white markings

(14) Follow the coastal path to the left. At the foot of a navigation mark bearing a large triangular marker, turn left. At the three-way junction that follows, follow the coastal path to the right. At the foot of a small bunker, turn left (ignore the steps leading down to the right). Just before a gate, turn right and walk past a bunker on your right. Further on, note an old wash house on the right. As you come out of a left-hand bend, at a three-way junction, turn right and walk past some old military forts.

(15) Just before the D355, turn right onto a wide track. Continue past more old forts, heading north-west, and ignore all turn-offs to the left. As you approach the D355, turn right to stay on the track. Walk past more old forts until you reach a crossroads (you can take a short detour to the right for a lovely view of the Fort des Capucins).

(16) Carry on straight ahead. Pass the exit of a bunker (commemorative plaque). Just before a hairpin bend (and the famous D355), turn right twice and walk past the bunker you saw earlier. Walk southwards for a long stretch, ignoring all turn-offs to the left. Finally, head downhill to reach the ruins of Fort de la Fraternité.

(17) Go under the stone archway and leave the ruins on your left. Exit on the other side through a small stone gate and follow the path downwards. Take a sharp right-hand bend and reach the seaside (information board about the cliffs). Carry on straight ahead, ignoring a turn-off to the left, and follow the coastal path. Head uphill and, at the top of a flight of steps, turn right (blue arrow). Continue uphill and, at the top, at a Fork in the road, keep right onto the main path (heading south).

(18) At a three-way junction, head slightly to the right towards Camaret. At a T-junction, follow a stony track to the left. Ignore a track on the right (military land) and, after a barrier, rejoin the D355.

(19) Follow the road to the right between military sites. At the triangular junction, turn right onto the D355 towards Camaret. The road takes a series of tight bends: take care, as the verge is narrow.

(20) After the bends, take a path on the right that runs parallel to the road and head downhill. Join the road again further on and follow it as it continues. After a small car park on the right-hand side, turn right and head for the northern end of Trez Rouz Beach.

(21) Turn left and take the coastal path. Carry straight on towards Camaret at the following junctions. You’ll come to some houses; at No. 2347, carry straight on. Shortly afterwards, turn right and walk alongside a fence on your right. You’ll reach Notinau Beach and walk over pebbles to its small car park. Pass under the entrance archway and, immediately afterwards, climb a flight of steps on the right.

(22) At the top, turn right towards Camaret. After a few dozen metres, climb a flight of steps on the left. Walk gently uphill along a path lined with hedges. Turn right with the path and rejoin a cliff-top track. Further on, near some houses, ignore the paths branching off to the left and stay on the coastal path. Head downhill and walk alongside a beach below on your right.

Unmarked

(23) At a junction, carry straight on along the coastal path (let the^GR® head up to the left for a detour on tarmac, which you can avoid).

Red and white markings

After about 400 m, rejoin the^GR® and continue straight on along the path. Then ignore all turn-offs to the left and head downhill. You’ll come out onto a main road; follow it to the right and downhill towards the Tour Vauban. Then walk alongside the harbour on your right until you reach your accommodation (E).

Equipment:
Hiking boots are essential. Rain gear: rain poncho, rucksack cover, etc. Sun protection depending on the season and your skin’s sensitivity. Walkers using walking poles are asked to use ones with rubber tips to avoid damaging the coastal paths.

Route and guidance:
- Signposting is generally good. It is rather rare on the coastal paths, where the route is straightforward, if not obvious.
- A detailed map is useful (at the very least, the one accompanying this description) or a route track on a smartphone.
- If you wish to visit Pointe des Espagnols (13), follow the^GR®34and complete the full circuit of the northern tip of the Crozon Peninsula along this route. Allow for an additional 5.5 km and 1 hour 30 minutes’ walk.

Facilities along the way:
No water points have been identified along the route.
Grocery shop in Le Fret (S).
Bars and restaurants in Roscanvel (11).
Supermarket in Camaret, Rue du Loc’h, before (E).
Numerous bars and restaurants along the quays in Camaret, before (E).

Accommodation on arrival (E):
- Léon Lagrange Youth Hostel / Water Sports Centre, Quai Téphany, on arrival in Camaret, just before the town (E). Bookings by telephone (02 98 27 90 49) or by email (info@club-leo-camaret.fr).
- Several hotels, which can be found in the Yellow Pages or using your favourite search engine.

Hike undertaken by the author on 17 August 2022.

- Saint-Éloi Fountain and Saint-Éloi Church in Roscanvel (11).
- Superb coastal views between (14) and (18) and between (21) and (23).
- Numerous remains of military structures (19th-century forts and Second World War bunkers) between (14) and (18).
- The port of Camaret (E).