Tour of the island of Ouessant

This hike takes you around the island located furthest to the west of mainland France.
You’ll discover its many lighthouses, its sparse vegetation, its rocks, and more.
There is a special atmosphere.

Details

154055
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 20.55 mi
  • ◔
    Average duration: 2 days 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 646 ft
  • ↘
    Descent: - 650 ft

  • ▲
    Highest point: 203 ft
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 0 ft

Photos

Stages of the route

This route needs several days, find the details below:

  1. S
  2. E

Notes

To reach the island of Ouessant by boat:
- All year round: daily crossings from Le Conquet or from Brest via Le Conquet.
In Le Conquet (the shortest crossing), parking is strictly regulated (maximum 2 hours in the town centre and at the port). The best option is to park at the ‘Parking des Îles’ (P10) near the gendarmerie (which is reassuring...) to the north-east of Le Conquet (the rate for summer 2015 was €23 for 2 days). A free shuttle bus can take you to the port (and back). Otherwise, it will take you about 20 minutes to walk to the jetty.
- In season: crossings from other ports, including Lannildut, Camaret, etc.

Two companies serve the island, notably Pen Ar Bed: check the timetables.
It is advisable to book in advance.

You arrive in the morning on the first boat and start your walk at the port of Le Stiff, located in the east of the island.
You set off along the south coast to reach the village of Lampaul.
The second day will be spent walking from Lampaul to Port du Stiff along the north coast. You’ll return on the late-afternoon boat.

Accommodation options in Lampaul: two hotels, guesthouses. Book in advance.
In Lampaul, you can stock up on supplies: there is a bakery and a grocery shop.

Worth a visit

A cromlech in the south-east.
Numerous lighthouses.
The rocky coast and the ocean.
Sparse vegetation.
A natural arch.
The lighthouse museum.

Always be cautious and plan ahead when you're outdoors. Visorando and the author of this route cannot be held responsible for any accidents occurring on this route.

Reviews and comments

4.6 / 5
Based on 8 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.4 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.8 / 5
Route interest
4.8 / 5
Gaël_Brest
Gaël_Brest

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 21, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Tour completed in two days in April (one day of rain, one day of good weather), so not very busy.
Very beautiful route, without any difficulty.

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mamine 03
mamine 03
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 15, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

VERY PLEASANT WALK ALONG THE OUESSANT RIVER IN GOOD WEATHER
EASY WALK
MAGNIFICENT LANDSCAPE
IN 3 DAYS WE COVERED THE WHOLE ISLAND
IF YOU HAVE BAD WEATHER, DO THE TOUR OF THE ISLAND BY SHUTTLE WITH ROBERT. HE IS INTERESTING AND VERY NICE
THEN GO FOR A WALK TO SEE THE DIFFERENT LANDSCAPE

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Thierry&Lydie
Thierry&Lydie

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : May 10, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

3-day hike:
- Saturday 11 June: departure from the port of Brest towards Ouessant. 2½-hour crossing with stops at Le Conquet and Molène.
- Sunday 1 June: tour of the southern side of the island.
- Monday 13 June: tour of the north side of the island and return to Brest.

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Henry Labat
Henry Labat

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : May 13, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Not easy, time-consuming, allow plenty of time, especially in a headwind!!!!

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Kernic
Kernic

Overall rating : 5 / 5

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

Choose spring to discover Ouessant, where the light is superb.

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Jean Luc Le Ru
Jean Luc Le Ru

No, no particular concerns.

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bibi
bibi ★

Have you encountered any issues with the description?
Kind regards

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Jean Luc Le Ru
Jean Luc Le Ru

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 14, 2017
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

A very beautiful two-day hike, covering an equivalent distance.
Personally, I much prefer the north coast, depending on the weather.
I started with the north coast: departure from Le Stiff at 11:15 a.m. and arrival in Lampaul at 4:30 p.m., including a picnic. Beautiful scenery; the waves crash against the rocks even in good weather.
Lots of birds, I even had the chance to see whooper swans from Iceland, lost south of their wintering grounds. The next day, departure from Lampaul: 10:00 a.m. Arrival at Le Stiff: 2:30 p.m.; Picnic included. The first part, up to Porz Doun, is magnificent, after which the landscapes are less varied than in the north and we are higher up/closer to the sea: the wind can be a nuisance. But the last part, from Porz Arlan onwards, is very beautiful.
In short, a very beautiful walk.

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jangé56
jangé56

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 26, 2017
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Magnificent! As far as I'm concerned, the weather was on our side, the route around the island isn't complicated, the scenery is magnificent... in short, it was a breath of fresh air.

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Yannick_Josset
Yannick_Josset

Absolutely! In fact, you just need to add up the mileage for both parts to get that figure.
The mileage is not entered by the author but is calculated automatically by the software. There is clearly a bug.
Thank you for pointing that out.
Y. Josset

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Bouryb
Bouryb

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 25, 2016
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

Just a small discrepancy in the description: the length of the route seems to me to be 33 km, not 53 km as indicated.

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