Between the old railway line and the wild valleys at Plozévet

An old railway line called the "carrot train", a dark coniferous forest, small winding roads, a wide view of the Bigouden coast and a long passage at the bottom of a wild valley where only the murmur of the stream disturbs the silence.

Details

152712
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 6.53 mi
  • ◔
    Average duration: 3h 20 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 371 ft
  • ↘
    Descent: - 387 ft

  • ▲
    Highest point: 223 ft
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 33 ft
  • ⚐ Country: France
  • ⚐ City: Plozévet (29710)
  • ⚑
    Start/End: N 47.986398° / W 4.40141°
  • ❏
    IGN map(s): Ref. 0419ET, 0519OT
  • Hour-by-hour weather

Photos

Description of the walk

Access: Leave the D784 at the hamlet of Ty Ludu (Les Chocolats de Mélinda shop). Take the small road on the left if coming from Quimper via Landudec, and on the right if coming from Audierne via Plozévet. The car park with picnic tables is about 1 km further on, on the left, before the hamlet of Kerlagadec.

Yellow markings on signposts

(S/E) From the car park, head right and follow the old railway line for about 3 km (east then south). Cross the first road, continue straight ahead and ignore the first path on the left. Pass the Le Roux quarry on your right and you’ll reach the D2.

No signposting

(1) Turn right for about 20 metres along a cleared path, then cross the road carefully and take an uphill path on the left.

Yellow markings on signposts

(2) At the top, at the signpost, turn right and head down into a very dense coniferous woodland. At the bottom, ignore a path leading straight ahead and turn left to follow a wide, ascending path. Continue along the path as it descends.

No markings

(3) At the bottom, turn left onto a faint grassy track which becomes more defined near an old, rather derelict wash house. Continue to the next junction, where you turn left to join a wide stony track. Follow it to the right and arrive at the junction by the Croas Vao wayside cross.
Turn right onto the Lesneut road and arrive at the truncated wayside cross.

(4) From the wayside cross, walk through the hamlet (with its attractive buildings and beautifully restored houses) and reach the edge of the village
Turn left and follow the grassy path between the fields.

.(5) Take thefirst grassy path leading down to the right and follow it until it joins a small road. Follow this road to the right into the valley, pass the entrance to the superbly restored old Keriniel Mill and continue along this small, ascending road until you reach the next three-way junction.

(7) Turn left towards Ty Bout, which is not shown on the IGN map but is indicated by a signpost. Follow this road as it passes between fields (offering a sweeping view of the Bigouden coast). Ignore a road on the right and, at the next three-way junction, turn right.

(8) Turn left at a property and head down the grassy path alongside a beautiful dry-stone wall. On the property, you’ll see a house in the shape of a hexagonal tower. Pass the Rusviscou farm on your right, then the entrance to Moulin Goff on your left.

Yellow markings on signposts

(9) Ignore the road leading uphill and turn right into a wild little valley.
Follow this path, which has a few tricky sections: rustic footbridges and loose logs. Let yourself be guided by the murmur of the stream, hidden by the lush vegetation. The path climbs and leads to a disused road opposite the gable end of a house.

(10) Turn left and follow a disused road that descends and continues as a narrow path. Cross a rustic footbridge.

(11) Take a short detour to the left (100 m) to see the split menhir at Pont Evet, then return.
Continue to the left. The path becomes less distinct and leads to the road providing access to a campsite. A blue arrow and a signpost direct you to turn right to join the D2.

(11) Cross the road (with care) by making a left-right zigzag. Look out for an old sign bearing a blue mark. Go round the hamlet of Kerguivic on the right.
Follow the path between a field on the left and a wood on the right. Continue, then, when you reach a large grassy area, turn right to return to the picnic area and the car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : mi 0 - alt. 200 ft - Car park before the hamlet of Kerlagadec.
  2. 1 : mi 2.01 - alt. 49 ft - Junction with the D2
  3. 2 : mi 2.42 - alt. 108 ft - Turn right towards the coniferous woodland
  4. 3 : mi 2.8 - alt. 46 ft - Grassy path to the left
  5. 4 : mi 3.39 - alt. 121 ft - Lesneut Calvary - Calvaire de Lesneut
  6. 5 : mi 3.56 - alt. 118 ft - Path on the right
  7. 6 : mi 4.19 - alt. 138 ft - On the left, a signpost for Ty Bout
  8. 7 : mi 4.75 - alt. 157 ft - Turn left at the two carved colonnades
  9. 8 : mi 5.04 - alt. 56 ft - On the right, the entrance to the valley
  10. 9 : mi 5.61 - alt. 174 ft - Turn left onto the disused road
  11. 10 : mi 5.74 - alt. 154 ft - Round trip to the Pont Evet Menhir
  12. 11 : mi 6.08 - alt. 203 ft - Crossing the D2
  13. S/E : mi 6.53 - alt. 200 ft - Car park before the hamlet of Kerlagadec

Notes

Rated as moderate as the elevation gain seems to me to be underestimated.
The section in the valley between (9) and (11) consists of a succession of short, consecutive ascents and descents.
Furthermore, the ground is uneven in places: there are small, rudimentary footbridges and loose logs.

Some sections in the valley can be tricky in winter.

Worth a visit

Former railway line dating from 1912: this train took 114 minutes to cover the 35 km between Pont-l’Abbé and Pont-Croix at an average speed of around 18 km/h.

Croas Vao Calvary: this 4.50-metre-high Cross of Saint Matthew dates from the 16th century. It was rebuilt on a cubic base and features a twin crucifix.

The truncated Calvary at Lesneut: the date 1306, engraved in Roman numerals on the base of the Pietà, makes this Calvary the oldest in the department, and possibly in Brittany.

Panoramic view of Audierne Bay.

The menhir at Pont Evet (known as ‘La Pierre Cassée’). This menhir, known as ‘the broken stone’, split as a result of erosion or a lightning strike. Legend has it that two lovers, caught in an indecent position, were turned into a stone statue.

Reviews and comments

4.6 / 5
Based on 11 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.6 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.6 / 5
Route interest
4.7 / 5
bpja
bpja

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 28, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A lovely walk with plenty of shaded spots – a real treat on a hot day
Thank you for this route

Machine-translated

corinneb29
corinneb29

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 13, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A lovely route, though there are still a few damp patches which should clear up soon

Machine-translated

FLOCH
FLOCH ★

Thank you for your feedback.
I did not include the chapel in this route because several of my routes in Plozévet already pass by this chapel.
Kind regards

Machine-translated

Paml68
Paml68

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 23, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

I hardly met anyone. A beautiful, varied hike with lovely views of Audierne Bay, although perhaps a little too much walking on tarmac roads. It's a shame not to push on to the little chapel of Saint Demet, which is usually open in July/August with art exhibitions. The last part of the walk to the menhir was more challenging due to the rain in the previous days and the trees in the middle of the path (remnants of the November storm?). The menhir is very beautiful but surrounded by brambles. Shorts are not recommended for accessing it. It is an easy and accessible walk.

Machine-translated

gwenromdo
gwenromdo
• Edited:

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 25, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Great route with most of it in the woods, so well sheltered from direct sunlight... luckily we had that on the day of our hike, which is not the case today. Not many people around, so it was completely peaceful.
As you can't have your cake and eat it, there were still a few less pleasant sections on tarmac roads, but never for very long.

Machine-translated

le goff brigitte
le goff brigitte

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : May 01, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Hello
I really liked the variation on the guidebook route for the ST DEMET circuit via the mill
Keriniel
and I crossed the Pouldreuzic Plozévet departmental road via the new route.

Machine-translated

FLOCH
FLOCH ★

I understand better now.
For now, I prefer to stick with my old route until I've tried the alternative.
In both cases, there is still the crossing of the D2, which is the tricky part.
I will just add "No markings" for this section.
Best regards

Machine-translated

LecozDjipi
LecozDjipi
• Edited:

Allow me to emphasise that, for safety reasons, the PR has recently been diverted to the left of the D2 at this point. After about twenty metres, it crosses the D2, turns left onto a slightly uphill path towards the Fontaine de Pistigou, but without reaching it, as it turns right onto a fairly steep path that joins a farm track, which you must follow to the right to reach the wide path you describe at the Meilh Brénizennec bridge.

New PR markings have been put in place. See the Saint-Démet route in Plozévet.

Best regards.
JP

Machine-translated

FLOCH
FLOCH ★

Hello,

There is no mistake, as the route I indicated does not pass by the Pistigou Fountain but goes directly up the wide path.
Kind regards

Machine-translated

LecozDjipi
LecozDjipi

Hello

It seems to me that there is an error in the modification made to the route. After the point (1), you should not turn right onto the D2 but left. The slightly uphill path leads to the Pistigou Fountain and the discreet, fairly steep path is halfway between the D2 and the fountain.
As a result, the route is inaccurate on the IGN map.

Thank you for moderating my route in Plozévet.

Best regards.
JP

Machine-translated

FLOCH
FLOCH ★

Thank you for your message.
I have amended my description to take your comments into account.

NB: I have just started moderating your tour of the chapels around Plozévet.
It's a beautiful route.

Best regards

Machine-translated

LecozDjipi
LecozDjipi

Hello

This message is to inform you that at point (1), the route and associated markings have been modified to avoid running alongside the D2 for more than a hundred metres.
This section can be described as follows:

Follow the D2 on the left for about twenty metres via a designated passage, then cross it carefully and take a slightly uphill path on the left. Continue for about a hundred metres, then turn right onto a fairly steep, inconspicuous path. Climb this path through the woods until it intersects with a farm track. Follow it to the right.

This new route is much safer, especially for groups.

Best regards.

Machine-translated

Chantal&Olivier
Chantal&Olivier

Overall rating : 5 / 5

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

Original despite a bit too much tarmac

Machine-translated

FLOCH
FLOCH ★

Hello and thank you for your review.
There are many beautiful spots to discover along the southern coast of Finistère, some of which offer views of the sea.
All the best with Visorando.

Machine-translated

Garoliv33
Garoliv33

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 29, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A lovely walk in the heart of nature. In good weather, there are few tricky sections, but it is probably more difficult in rainy weather. Thank you for introducing us to places that are generally overlooked by tourists, who are more attracted to the coast.

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.