Tour of the island of Ouessant - 1 South Coast

The first day of this two-day tour takes you from Port du Stiff to the village of Lampaul along the south coast.
There are no markings along the footpaths, but this is not a problem.

This walk is part of a multi-day hike: Tour of the island of Ouessant

Details

139501
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 17.30 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 5h 15 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Easy

  • ⚐
    Back to start: No
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 108 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 104 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 43 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 3 m
  • ⚐ Country: France
  • ⚐ District: Ouessant (29242)
  • ⚑
    Start: N 48.469252° / W 5.054361°
  • ⚑
    End: N 48.457332° / W 5.096413°
  • ❏
    IGN map(s): Ref. 0317OT
  • Hour-by-hour weather

Photos

Description of the walk

Departure from Port du Stiff, where boats from the mainland dock (see details in the general information sheet for the hike).

(S) When you get off the boat, you have the choice of jumping into the sea or following the road... Take the road that leads to Lampaul and starts by climbing up to the plateau.

(1) When you reach the top of the hill, take the small road on the left (towards Pen ar Lan).
After passing a gap in the sea, take the path on your left.
Then continue along this path which goes around the island.

There is a whole network of paths and... no signposts. But don't worry: the sea prevents you from getting lost. Make sure you stay by the sea, with the ocean on your left.

(2) When you reach the south-eastern tip, you can head inland a little to see the stone cromlech. Return to the coastal path.

(3) You will come to the white cross of Saint-Paul, which serves as a landmark for boats. Offshore, to the south, you can admire the Kéréon lighthouse and, if the weather is clear, the islands of Bannec, Balanec and, in the distance, Molène.

(4) You then descend to Porz ar Lan beach. If you're not sensitive to the cold, now is the time to take a dip (the water is never very warm...). You climb back up onto the plateau. You walk along the coast for a while until you reach the south-western tip of the island

(5) To the south-west, offshore, you can see the famous Phare de la Jument lighthouse.

From the cromlech, you have walked from east to west. You will now return from west to east to reach the village of Lampaul.

(6) You will go around Porz Goret. Further on, you will enter Lampaul (E).

Waypoints

  1. S : km 0 - alt. 8 m - Port du Stiff
  2. 1 : km 0.46 - alt. 29 m - Crossroads above the port
  3. 2 : km 2.73 - alt. 32 m - Cromlech
  4. 3 : km 3.57 - alt. 32 m - Croix de Saint-Paul (white)
  5. 4 : km 4.73 - alt. 5 m - Porz ar Lan beach and slipway
  6. 5 : km 13.22 - alt. 10 m - South-western tip of the island
  7. 6 : km 13.68 - alt. 11 m - Porz Goret
  8. E : km 17.3 - alt. 15 m - Lampaul

Notes

To get to the island of Ouessant by boat, see the general information sheet for the hike.
At Port du Stiff: bike hire and crêperie, no other shops.
In Lampaul: two hotels, guesthouses, bakery, grocery store, bars.

Worth a visit

Reviews and comments

4.8 / 5
Based on 17 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.9 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.8 / 5
Route interest
4.9 / 5
Françoise Alluaume
Françoise Alluaume

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 06, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

No markings, but it doesn't matter, there's only one path!
The description is useful if you don't have a tourist guide!

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michel tout court
michel tout court

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 03, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Superb route. Breathtaking scenery

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helenek
helenek

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 27, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

We toured the island over three days, dividing the two circuits into sections of varying lengths depending on our fitness levels and how we felt. Each time, we returned to our starting point by taking inland paths, which greatly shortened the return journey.
Superb hikes, not very busy even in August!

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Roga
Roga

Overall rating : 5 / 5

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

Varied, very interesting hike

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Agapouack
Agapouack

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 30, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Not to be missed under any circumstances.
Ensure your shoes are waterproof before setting off, as most of the route is on wet grass.

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bmw2002
bmw2002

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 10, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A beautiful hike with no particular difficulties.
The coves are splendid, with beautiful views of five lighthouses, including the famous "La Jument".

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oponcin
oponcin

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Dec 31, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

hike in the middle of winter
always magical

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YCl_y-ey...

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malgorn yvon
malgorn yvon

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 01, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Nothing to report

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Mirage3R
Mirage3R

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : May 18, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Well-described hike. A bit tight in terms of time to complete it between the morning and evening boat trips.

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nat29*
nat29*

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 26, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

We did the hike in the opposite direction.
The rain and wind forced us to cut the last section short.

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imberti a
imberti a

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 05, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Great route. The explanations on Visorando are very good. Thank you

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sighaline
sighaline

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 18, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

A very pleasant walk, even if this coastline is less wild than the north.

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Caro1
Caro1

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : May 05, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

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visiorandoap
visiorandoap

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 13, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

very beautiful hike.

the description is useful, even though the lack of signposts is not a problem as you just need to follow the coastline

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UgyRechel
UgyRechel

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 16, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

An excellent hiking trail for exploring the south coast of Ouessant. Spectacular scenery with rough seas.
The lack of signposting is not a problem in itself; just follow the coastline, taking extra care when the path gets close to the edge of the cliffs.

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