La Brière océane

When you arrive at Pen Bé via Mesquéry, head towards the coast, then turn right; after about 100 metres, you’ll find a small car park on the right.

Please note! This route is not signposted.

(S/E) Facing the ocean, turn left, heading south. Follow the road to Pointe de Pen Bé, then along the beach towards the north-east. You’ll come out onto Route de l’Estran; follow it to the right to go round the area where the oyster farmers’ machinery is parked.

(1) Shortly afterwards, let the road branch off to the left and follow the path that runs alongside the beach, with houses on your left. The houses give way to fields. Continue along the path, straight ahead, to Pointe Noire.

(2) A lovely view over the Traict de Pen Bé. Continue along the path, which turns left, towards the east. Further on, you’ll come to the end of a road, at a small car park.

(3) Carry on to the right, along the path that runs alongside the Étier de la Barre, until you reach the salt marshes.

(4) Carry on straight ahead, past the salt pans, and shortly afterwards you’ll reach a small road. Follow it to the left. Pass close to a salt-processing building, then leave the salt marshes behind and arrive at Kergéraud.

(5) Turn left onto the road that crosses the hamlet. Immediately afterwards, turn right onto a path and continue northwards across the fields.

(6) At the junction with another track, go straight ahead and then keep left at the three-way junction just after. Further on, the track turns westwards and joins a road. Follow this road to the right and you’ll reach the D82 opposite the hamlet of Caire.

(7) Cross the road (take care) and turn left to follow the D82 for about 300 metres. Turn onto the first path on the right. Continue across the fields.

(8) Further on, stay on the main path, which veers to the left. You’ll come out onto a road at a bend.

(9) Follow the road to the right and, immediately afterwards, continue along this road as it bends to the right to reach the hamlet of Limarzel. Stay on the road, which takes two left-hand bends before heading due south towards Pont Mahé to rejoin the D82. Cross the road (take care) and continue straight ahead to reach Pont Mahé Beach.

(10) Start of the return walk to Pointe du Bile. Turn right to walk along the beach.

(11) At the end of the beach, cross a small stream, the Étier de Pont Mahé, via a bridge, then turn immediately right to follow the stream. Shortly afterwards, take the first street on the left and, at the next junction, leave Kerséguin on your right and continue left onto a path that runs alongside Baie du Palandrin.

(12) When the path ends, head left onto the beach and continue as far as Pointe de l’Espernel (please note: in the event of very high tides, the beach may not be passable on the way there or back; see practical information). At Pointe de l’Espernel, turn right to continue along the coast at the top of the beach until you reach a road.

(13) Take the road on the left, then turn left at the next junction to reach Pointe du Bile.

(14) Here, the coastline takes on a wild and rocky appearance. There’s a beautiful view over Pont Mahé Bay to the east, Pointe de Merquel opposite, and the ocean to the west. Turn round to head back to Pont Mahé Beach.

(10) Continue straight on along the path. Cross a beautiful moorland area that has benefited from a conservation programme. Follow the path carefully – it is marked with ropes and winds its way through the heather and broom.

(15) As you emerge from the moorland, continue along the path that runs alongside the coast. Shortly afterwards, the path veers westwards and then southwards.

(16) Continue along the cliffs, high above a rockier and wilder stretch of coastline, to reach Pen Bé (S/E).

The coastal section of this route is signposted by the^GR®® de Pays “Entre Brière et Vilaine” trail, marked in red and yellow, and also in yellow by the “Sentier des Douaniers”, with small signs indicating the directions.

(12) Before heading onto the beach, check that the tidal range isn’t too high and note the time of high tide. If the beach is impassable on the return journey, (13) you must continue along the road and follow it as far as Kerandré. Then turn right to reach Kerséguin.

(14) You can extend the walk by continuing along the coastal path towards Plage de la Mine d’Or and turning back whenever you like.

Discover more walks in this area, complete with descriptions or via the Visorando app, here

If you’re a birdwatcher, don’t forget your binoculars. The salt marshes, in particular, are teeming with waders and ducks, but these birds don’t let you get too close.

Pen Bé is situated within the boundaries of Assérac, a commune in the Brière Regional Nature Park. The communes within the Park surround a large area of marshes known as the Grande Brière Mottière. You can take guided boat trips (in flat-bottomed boats) to explore this wild and unspoilt area (and, once again, don’t forget your binoculars!). I’d suggest two starting points: Les Fossés Blancs in the commune of Saint-Lyphard, not far from Pen Bé, and Île de Fedrun in the commune of Saint-Joachim, which is further away as it’s on the other side of the Brière but right in the heart of the marshes.

The residents of the communes of Saint-Joachim and Saint-Malo-de-Guersac live quite a distance from the coast because, fortunately, there is no road running through the heart of the Brière. In the past, it was not uncommon for these locals to buy plots of land at Pont-Mahé to spend the summer on the ‘Briérons’ beach’. One cannot help but draw a connection between the name of this beach, Pont Mahé, and the surname Mahé, which was once one of the most common in the commune of Saint-Joachim (alongside Moyon, Aoustin and Vince)!