Pointe du Raz and Pointe du Van via Pointe de Castel Meur and Pointe de Feunteun Aod

Start at the Trouguer mills car park.

No signposting

(S/E) Go round the mills on the right and reach a small road. Follow it to the right as far as the village of Keriolet (note some beautiful old houses), take a grassy path on the right then turn right again to join the^GR®®34.

GR® signposting (white and red)

(1) Take it to the right, alternating between ascents and descents along the flanks of steep cliffs, until you reach the Pointe de Castel Meur. It is possible to make a round trip to the very tip of the headland, from where the view over the entrance to Douarnenez Bay is splendid. Be careful, however, as the path, lined with thorny bushes, is not really maintained.

PR® (Yellow) signposting in the opposite direction

(2) With your back to the headland, leave the^GR®® by turning right onto a path, reach a car park and continue along a small road which joins the D7. Cross it carefully, follow it to the right for about twenty metres and take a small road on the left leading to the village of Kerléodin.

(3) Turn right onto a wide, uphill farm track; ignore a path on the right and continue along the track, which veers to the left before descending and crossing a road near the Saint-Tugdual Chapel.

Mountain bike signposting (yellow)

(4) Follow it to the left for about 20 metres, turn right onto a wide track, pass a farm shed and continue along the track which veers to the left. Ignore a path on the left and reach a T-junction.

(5) Turn right, ignore a path on the left and reach a junction of paths.

^PR®® signposting (Yellow)

Carry on to the right along a path that winds along the left bank of a small valley; ignore the paths branching off to the left, then turn right at the ‘Point de Vue’ sign (beautiful panoramic view of the Baie des Trépassés and the Étang de Laoual).

(6) Retrace your steps, continue to the right on the PR® and reach the start of a path on the right.

Unmarked

Carry on straight ahead, ignoring the^PR®® (yellow) markings to the right, until you reach a T-junction.

^PR®® (yellow) signposting

(7) Turn left to rejoin the^PR®®, reach the D784, follow it to the right for about twenty metres with care, turn left onto Impasse de Roz Kerveur and reach the start of a discreet path on the left.

(8) Follow this narrow path lined with dry-stone walls, pass the Fumoir d’Ar Men (see Practical Information) in the charming village of Kerhuret and cross a small road (note the stonemasons’ work on some very fine old houses).

Unmarked

(9) Turn right onto this small road to leave the^PR®® route, follow it for about twenty metres, then turn left onto a path that heads into the moorland; ignore a path on the right and continue to a junction of paths.

^PR®® markings (yellow) are very subtle

(10) Turn right, ignore a path on the left and turn right at the next junction. Continue, ignoring any paths branching off to the left or right, go round a isolated house on the left and cross a small road.

GR® markings (white and red)

(11) Follow it to the left to join the^GR®®34, reach the Feunteun Aod shelter (note the menhir on the left, in memory of Pierre Brossolette and his comrades) and continue to the right along the cliffs. Carry on along a steep path on the cliff face and cross a road near the small port of Bestrée.

(12) Cross the road, continue straight ahead along the coastal path and join a wide stony lane. Follow it to the left, going round the semaphore and then the statue of Notre-Dame des Trépassés on the left to reach the Pointe du Raz (beautiful views of the Île de Sein and the Phare de la Vieille).

(13) Carry on along the coastal path, leaving the statue and the semaphore on your right. Ignore the paths on the right to reach the Baie de Trépassés beach near two blockhouses (beautiful panoramic views of the bay and Pointe du Van all along the way).

(14) Carry on straight ahead along the GR®, reach a car park opposite a hotel and turn right to join the D607. Walk along the left-hand side of this county road via a designated path, take a small road on the left at the next junction, and follow it for about two hundred metres until you reach the start of a path on the left after a detached house.

(15) Follow this path, which is at times steep and rocky, then turn left onto a small road to reach Port du Vorlen. Turn right onto a path that climbs towards a viewpoint above the Baie des Trépassés (beautiful views of the bay and Pointe du Raz).

(16) Descend into a small valley, cross a stream via a footbridge, then climb back up a steep path, pass the first fountain and reach the Chapelle Saint-They. A second fountain is to the right of the chapel.

(17) Walk past the chapel, continue along a wide path leading to the Pointe du Van, walk past it, then look out for a path on the right which leads to the car parks at the headland.

PR® (yellow) signposting in the opposite direction

(18) Follow this path, turn left just before the car parks, then right just before the village of Keriolet (note a very old bread oven on the left). Continue, cross a small road and follow it to the right for a few metres. Turn left to go round the Trouguer mills and reach the starting car park (S/E).

Between (1) and (2) and between (11) and (17), the narrow, rocky coastal path alternates between ascents and descents along the flanks of steep cliffs more than sixty metres above the ocean. Under no circumstances should you attempt this walk in strong winds or during or immediately after heavy rain (the rocky sections are very slippery). This route is also not recommended for those prone to vertigo.

There are a few very muddy sections in winter in the wet areas between (4) and (7). Hiking boots are recommended in all seasons.

The route of the GR®34, shown in purple on the IGN map, is not always accurate as some sections have been rerouted due to coastal erosion. Be sure to follow the GR® markings (white and red) and do not stray from them, for obvious safety reasons but also to protect the vegetation, which is very fragile in places.

The Pointe du Raz and Pointe du Van are very busy during the summer months. It is quieter around the Pointe de Castel Meur and Pointe de Feunteun Aod, and virtually deserted in the countryside. Spring is the ideal time to explore these trails, where sea thrift, wild hyacinth, broom and gorse, amongst others, are in bloom.

There is very little shade along the route. Bring a hat, sunglasses and sun cream in fine weather.

Fumoir d’Ar Men, open daily from 9 am to 12 noon and from 4 pm to 7 pm, is the perfect spot for a break to sample smoked fish before continuing along the^GR®®34.

Alternative car parks are available at the Baie des Trépassés and at the headlands of Castel Meur, Le Raz (paying) and Le Van. The latter two can get very busy in summer.

Picnic tables at the starting car park.

Toilets are available at Baie des Trépassés and at the Pointe du Raz car park.

The headlands of Castel Meur, Feunteun Aod, Raz and Van.

Stunning views of the ocean, the Raz de Sein, the Baie des Trépassés and the Baie de Douarnenez.

Saint-Tudgual Chapel (18th century), with its fountain and washhouse.
Saint-They Chapel (17th century) and its two fountains.

The windmills of Trouguer.

The small harbours of Feunteun Aod, Bestrée and Le Vorlen.

Statue of Notre-Dame des Naufragés at the Pointe du Raz.

Villages, beautiful old houses and a rich architectural heritage in the countryside around Cléden-Cap-Sizun and Plogoff.