Tour of the Pointe du Van

Facing the Baie des Trépassés, theGR®®34leads to the Chapelle Saint-They facing the sea and then to the Pointe du Van, one of the westernmost points in Brittany. It then takes us to the Pointe de Castel Meur, known for its oppidum.
The return journey is via small country lanes, passing by the Saint-Tugdual Chapel and picturesque hamlets.

Details

350040
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 10.56 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 3h 30 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 179 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 180 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 78 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 4 m
  • ⚐ Country: France
  • ⚐ District: Plogoff (29770)
  • ⚑
    Start/End: N 48.045697° / W 4.705665°
  • ❏
    IGN map(s): Ref. 0419ET
  • Hour-by-hour weather

Photos

Description of the walk

Parking at Baie des Trépassés beach.

(S/E) At the end of the car park, facing the sea, follow the top of the pebble beach to the right.

GR®® 34: white and red markings

(1) Reach the coastal path and follow it to Pointe de Castel Meur. Stay on the marked path for safety reasons and to protect the vegetation.
Head towards the cove that shelters the small Port du Vorlen and join the access road. Follow it to the left.

(2) Leave it on a stony path overlooking several small islets detached from the cliff. Continue down into a small valley and then climb up to the fountain before the Chapel of Saint-They, isolated at the end of this landscape of bare moors and heather.
Go around it and take the opportunity to visit it if it is open.

(3) On leaving the enclosure, head slightly to the left for a return trip to the 18th-century Saint-Mathieu fountain.
Turn right towards Pointe du Van to the north-west (view of Pointe du Raz and its semaphore to the south and Cap de la Chèvre to the north-west). Stay on the path to avoid damaging this fragile site.

(4) Continue along theGR®® trail, which heads south-east towards the next point, Castel Meur, which can be seen ahead. The trail alternates between stony and earthy sections among tall ferns, overlooking the jagged coastline.
The succession of ascents and descents requires some caution.

(5) Descend to the bottom of the valley before Pointe de Castel Meur, then climb back up to reach the path leading to this point.
Leave theGR®® for a moment to make a round trip to the end of the point, which offers a breathtaking view of the jagged coastline of Cap-Sizun. Be careful, this path is poorly maintained and vegetation quickly takes over.
On the way back, turn left and continue to the next fork about 50 m further on.

PR®: yellow markings (in the opposite direction to the route)

(6) Leave theGR®® trail continuing east and turn right onto a small path that leads to a car park. Continue along a carriage road that leads to the D7.
Cross it (take care, especially in summer) and follow it to the right for a few metres.

(7) At the signpost, turn left onto the small road that leads to the hamlet of Kerléodin, which you will pass on your left. Continue along a gravel road that descends towards the Saint-Tugdual Chapel and its fountain.

(8) Turn right towards the hamlet of Trouzent, then almost immediately turn onto a small path on the right. Follow this path marked in yellow through wooded areas. Turn right at the first fork, then left again at the three-way junction. It turns left to cross the village of Kertanguy. Cross the D607 and continue opposite along a small road towards Kerguioc'h.

(9) Go around the hamlet where you can see an imposing old house and a closed well topped with a cross, and follow the path that descends southwards and joins the D607.

(10) Follow it to the right along the car park for motorhomes, then along the hotel to find the car park on the right (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 7 m - Car park at Baie des Trépassés beach
  2. 1 : km 0.44 - alt. 15 m - Coastal path
  3. 2 : km 1.18 - alt. 25 m - Path on the right
  4. 3 : km 2.35 - alt. 52 m - Return trip from Fontaine Saint-Mathieu
  5. 4 : km 3.01 - alt. 47 m - Pointe du Van
  6. 5 : km 4.9 - alt. 64 m - Valley floor
  7. 6 : km 6.3 - alt. 54 m - Turn right when leaving the coastal path
  8. 7 : km 6.93 - alt. 77 m - On the left, at the signpost
  9. 8 : km 8.22 - alt. 32 m - Saint-Tugdual Chapel
  10. 9 : km 9.43 - alt. 52 m - Turn left at the hamlet of Kerguioc’h
  11. 10 : km 10.04 - alt. 7 m - Turn right onto the D607
  12. S/E : km 10.56 - alt. 6 m - Car park at Baie des Trépassés beach

Notes

The coastal path is rocky in places and requires extreme caution, especially on the downhill sections.
The trail overlooks the sea, so caution is advised for those prone to vertigo.
Hiking boots.

Please stay on the designated footpaths and do not stray from them.
Of course, avoid this route during storms or strong winds.

Worth a visit

Baie des Trépassés: Its beautiful, clear, invigorating water is a delight for surfers and swimmers alike. This beach is a renowned spot for surfers of all levels. At low tide, caves can be seen in the cliffs. Swimming is prohibited when there is no lifeguard on duty.

Chapelle Saint-They and its two fountains.
Saint-Tugdual Chapel and its fountain.
Pointe de Castelmeur and the remains of its oppidum
Pointe du Van

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.

The GR® and PR® markings are the intellectual property of the Fédération Française de Randonnée Pédestre.

Reviews and comments

4.8 / 5
Based on 36 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.8 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.8 / 5
Route interest
4.9 / 5
GUEGUEN Annick
GUEGUEN Annick

Hello.
We did the Pointe du Van tour but in the opposite direction.
We thought it would be easier to follow the markings provided in the Topo Guide "Le pays bigouden..."
Thank you anyway for posting this route online.

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JCB85320
JCB85320

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 19, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Lovely walk with breathtaking views

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Trotti
Trotti

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 01, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Lovely walk with beautiful views of the coastal landscape.

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Tadig1
Tadig1

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 18, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A very fine route up to point 6 (Pointe de Castelmeur) on the GR34 with a superb view of the sea and the Bay of Sein.
The second part is on tarmac and against the yellow signposts. This can be problematic as some posts are missing or hidden by vegetation. We have to follow the mountain bike route as far as point 7.
At point 8, there is no signposting, even though the path is immediately to the right at the start of the road.

Without the Visarando app, it's easy to get lost.

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Laurence VK
Laurence VK

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 12, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A pleasant route with magnificent views.
Clear, easy-to-follow directions.
Nature is so beautiful in this little corner of paradise.
We did the proposed loop, but a return trip once we'd reached the tip might have been possible too.

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JT
JT

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 02, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful circuit, less frequented and less well known than the Pointe du Raz, but with more varied and grandiose coastal landscapes and a richer fauna if you pay attention.

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RandoPenmarch
RandoPenmarch

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 11, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Really good. Well signposted

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Nicole60
Nicole60

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 15, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Magnificent scenery to discover, especially out of season. There's no one around and it's magical!

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nuisettes60
nuisettes60

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 10, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Superb and alone in the world at this time of year!

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Pascal Martine
Pascal Martine

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 17, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

And another lovely walk in Cap Sizun! Perhaps a little busier than the others, as it's close to the Pointe du Raz.
The coast is magnificent, as always, with beautiful colours!
( 8 days in Cap Sizun, gîte in Douarnenez, star hikes on the Gr )

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Randoluc 51
Randoluc 51

A superb walk from every point of view. In the second half of August, the Saint-They chapel was advertised as being open in the afternoon (2.00 pm to 5.00 pm from memory...). However, at that time, it was impossible to take the path leading to the Pointe de Castel Meur and its oppidum... The vegetation was really overgrown and impossible to cross. A nice little picnic shelter in the shade at the chapel of Saint-Tugdual, in the hamlet of Trouzent.

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Veromj
Veromj

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 15, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Very nice route. Much more interesting and wild than the Point du Raz.

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deduport
deduport

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

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

Beautiful views!

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Ar bleiz
Ar bleiz

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 28, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

It's a shame that some people leave the path and trample on the vegetation.

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Archimede
Archimede

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 22, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Possible variation: leave your car at the small car park between 6 and 7 (follow "pointe du Castel maur", signposted on the D7).
Then follow the reverse order 6-5-4-3-2-1-10-9-8-7 (so you'll be following the PR in the "right" direction). As the interior of the country is less interesting, you can shorten the walk after point 9 and the crossing of the D607, by going towards Kerninon then the GR point 5 and the car park.

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