Ria du Conquet

Discover the bottom of the Ria du Conquet by crossing the footbridge, a landscape that changes with the tide.
A glimpse into industrial history: the old iodine factory dating from 1830.

Details

649563
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 5.20 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 1h 35 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Easy

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 30 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 30 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 36 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 1 m
  • ⚐ Country: France
  • ⚐ City: Le Conquet (29217)
  • ⚑
    Start/End: N 48.367° / W 4.746937°
  • ❏
    IGN map(s): Ref. 0317OT, 0417ET
  • Hour-by-hour weather

Photos

Description of the walk

Access: just before the entrance to Le Conquet, leave the D789 and turn right onto the D67 towards Saint-Renan. At the first junction, turn left onto the D28 towards Ploumoguer. The car park is on the left after a bridge at a place called Le Moulin d’en bas.

(Out and back) With your back to the car park, head west (signposted ‘Bois de Lanfeust’) and follow the wide path through a pine forest. Continue down towards the edge of the ria towards the footbridge. Walk past a large house on your right and take the steps to reach the footbridge (view of Le Conquet harbour).

NB: when the tide is high, instead of going down to the beach, turn right towards the main road and take a narrow alleyway on the left leading directly to the footbridge.

(1) Cross the footbridge; at the end, go round the leisure centre on the left and join a discreet path on the right that winds its way through the fields and then between houses. Reach the D789 (Route du Conquet) and follow it to the left along the paved pavement.

(2) Turn left at the first street, Rue Poul Konk (mountain bike sign marked with a Red Cross); note the manor house on your left and go round the old iodine extraction plant, which used seaweed and dates from 1830. Return to the main road and follow it to the left for about forty metres.
Opposite the police station, turn left into Impasse Coz Castel (MTB sign crossed out), follow the other side of the old factory and continue along a path as close as possible to the estuary. Pass some picnic tables and a wash house and arrive at a grassy area where several picnic tables are set up.

(3) Turn left, cross the bridge separating the ria from the Étang de Kerjean. Follow this road on the footpath on the right.

(4) After the second bend, turn right onto a path blocked by three large boulders.
Follow this path uphill between a residential area on your left and the Bois de Kerjean on your right. At the second sign for the Bois de Kerjean, turn left, head towards a basketball court and continue straight on along a concrete path.
At the small roundabout, continue straight on until you reach a small road (view of the dovecote at Manoir de Keruzou, which will be visible a little further on). Turn left onto this road, leaving the manor’s entrance gate on your right. At the bend, take the path running alongside this small road and you will come to a stone cross reinforced with an iron crossbar.

(5) Cross the D67 and continue straight ahead along the grassy path leading downhill (signposted ‘Syndicat des Eaux de Kermorvan’). This path ends in a flight of steps. Turn right onto the road, cross a bridge and reach the car park on the left (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 6 m - Car park at a place called Moulin d'en bas
  2. 1 : km 1.52 - alt. 5 m - Crossing the footbridge
  3. 2 : km 2.13 - alt. 7 m - Towards the old factory
  4. 3 : km 3.51 - alt. 5 m - Bridge
  5. 4 : km 3.84 - alt. 16 m - Path blocked by 3 large boulders
  6. 5 : km 4.79 - alt. 27 m - Grassy path opposite
  7. S/E : km 5.2 - alt. 6 m - Car park at a place called Moulin d'en bas

Notes

There are several picnic tables along this route.

Worth a visit

Birds of the ria

The old iodine factory:

This building, dating from 1829, is the former Tissier factory. This was the first factory opened in Le Conquet for the industrial production of iodine. Seaweed, harvested by residents of neighbouring coastal villages and islands, was dried and burnt on site in kilns to be turned into soda cakes. These cakes were then taken to the factory and processed into iodine. Five to six tonnes of fresh seaweed yielded 200 kilos of soda, and subsequently two to three kilos of iodine. Subsequently, industrial progress forced the Tissier factory to close, and the seaweed, now harvested by seaweed-harvesting vessels, is processed by factories outside Le Conquet.
His mausoleum is located in Lochrist cemetery, between Le Conquet and Pointe Saint-Mathieu.

Reviews and comments

4.7 / 5
Based on 7 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.7 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.6 / 5
Route interest
4.9 / 5
User 1254502

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 30, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Don’t forget to carry on to Kermorvan Lighthouse; the weather-beaten granite walkway offers breathtaking views of the far reaches of the world, including Molène, Ouessant, Quemenes and more.

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cabasego
cabasego

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 29, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

beautiful view of the Kermorvan lighthouse

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jacquito
jacquito

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 10, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A pleasant, easy hike. Be mindful of the tide before accessing the footbridge to avoid getting your feet wet.

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saintvrain
saintvrain

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 20, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

We modified the route slightly by starting at the finish line, continuing on to the Croaë footbridge, then turning left towards the Kermorvan headland.
We returned to the footbridge with a view of Blancs Sablons beach and finished the route along the Ria.
This hike combines two routes, which is very interesting as it allows you to discover the windswept coastline of the point and the splendour of the Ria with its flora and fauna, taking a closer look.

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Bretagne66
Bretagne66

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 04, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A lovely, easy and enjoyable walk. I did it at low tide and it must be very different at high tide.

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FLOCH
FLOCH ★

Thank you for these two reviews.
The Conquet region is ideal for hiking along the coast and in the countryside.
All the best with Visorando.

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Cat29
Cat29
• Edited:

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 03, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful walk combined with a tour of the Kermorvan peninsula.
A stop at the observatory allows you to watch the birds and ducks of the ria.

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yves.gerard;jacqueline
yves.gerard;jacqueline

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 30, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Very beautiful diversity along the route, pine forest, magnificent riverbank (wildlife), pleasant walk through Kerjean forest.

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