Pointe du Raz circular

_ Start _: To gain the trailhead, leave the town of Plogoff and head for the Pointe du Raz. You pass the road on the right, which leads to the Pointe du Van and the Baie des Trépassés. You enter the hamlet of Lescoff. On the right, at the corner of an alleyway, just before the "Lescoff" sign, another blue sign indicates the presence of a picnic area. You take this alley and find the picnic area with parking space.

(S/E) Leave the picnic area at the containers, turning back towards the D784, the road you came by. At the right-of-way marker, turn right (towards Pointe du Raz) and then take the first alley on the left (signposted "Chapelle Saint-Michel"). You'll come to a "T" junction (with garbage bins). Turn right.
Leave a small alleyway on your right and very quickly take a path on the left, between two houses (be careful, it's not very visible). Go downhill until you reach a small alley.

(1) You've reached the chapel of Saint Michel. Go down to pass in front of the façade. Continue along the path below, which is poorly cleared of undergrowth. At a fork in the path, turn right along a wall. At the end of the wall, turn left onto the path leading downhill (there's a square wooden post). Continue downhill, ignoring a path coming up from the right.

(2) Overlooking the sea, you find the GR^®34 (White & Red markings). Take it to the right (West) up a steep incline along the sea.

Now, for most of the walk, you have the sea on your left and the land on your right.

_ Warning _: if you are accompanied by children, be very careful! The path is well-marked, but often overhanging (though not vertiginous). Along the way, you can admire a natural arch.

(3) Cross the road leading to the port of Bestrée (said to be the smallest port in Brittany). Continue straight ahead. At the bend in the road, you'll discover the Pointe du Raz. Take time to admire the panorama. When you reach the semaphore, take the path on the right to reach it.

(4) Continue towards the pointe. At the end of the path, turn right to return to the other side of the semaphore (north). Spot the GR^®34 markers and follow the north coast. Twice, a sign on the right points you in the direction of the Maison de la Pointe and the parking lot. Ignore it. Stay on the GR^®. For a long while, there's no path on the right. When you're almost over the Baie des Trépassés beach, you ignore the first path up onto the moor.

(5) At the second path, passage is now forbidden. You continue downhill towards the bay to take the next path on the right. You climb back up to reach a small road, which you turn right onto, only to turn left again. You come to an old wash-house.

(6) Above the wash-house, take the path to the east, on your left. After a while, you come to a crossroads. There are two paths on your left. Take the one above (signposted "tour de la Pointe du Raz").

After a bend to the right, you're back where you started (S/E).

_ Driving to Start _: To gain the trailhead, leave the town of Plogoff and head for the Pointe du Raz. You pass the road on the right, which leads to the Pointe du Van and the Baie des Trépassés. You enter the hamlet of Lescoff. On the right, at the corner of an alleyway, just before the "Lescoff" sign, another blue sign indicates the presence of a picnic area. You take this alley and find the picnic area with parking space.

_ Waymarkers _: along the coast, our route follows the GR^®34, which circumnavigates Brittany: white/red markings.

_ Caution _: At Pointe du Raz, you must respect the paths laid out to preserve the site.

Facilities: (4) At the foot of the Sémaphore de la Pointe, you'll find sanitary facilities (spotless when I was there) and a water point.
There's also a shelter with benches.

The first part of the walk takes you past the lovely Chapelle Saint-Michel, then along the Southern coast of the pointe. At the end of the first part, you'll have a beautiful view of the tip of the headland, the Vieille lighthouse and, if the weather is clear, the Ile de Sein.

On the second part of the walk, you'll have the Pointe du Van and the Baie des Trépassés in your sights.

If you have the time, make a detour to the Pointe du Van. There's a lovely chapel (Saint-They), and a fine view of the Northern slopes of the Pointe du Raz. In passing, you can enjoy the Baie des Trépassés beach, which some say is one of the coldest in Brittany. Some say it's the coldest water in Brittany.