Plouha: Cliffs, Coast and Heritage

Plouha combines a striking rocky coastline with beaches, historic sites and maritime activities. If you’re looking for a hotel for your stay, it helps to first decide what kind of outing you have in mind: a circular walk, a beach visit dependent on the tides, water sports or a cultural site each raise different planning considerations. The following sections organise these options by landscape, access and history.

Cliffs and circular walk

The rocky coastline of the Falaises de Plouha stretches for 14 kilometres; the Pointe de Plouha reaches a height of 104 metres. The Falaises are considered the highest cliffs in Brittany. These two figures provide different measures: they describe the extent of the rocky coastline and the height of a specific point.

The Randonnée des Falaises de Plouha is a 15.79-kilometre circular route that can be divided into two sections. It passes Plage Bonaparte, the site of Alphonse’s house, the Royal Air Force memorial stele, Chapelle Saint-Samson, Port de Gwin Zégal, Pointe de Plouha and Plage du Palus. The option of splitting up the route offers a practical planning framework if you don’t want to tackle the entire route in a single stage. Check the route details locally again before setting out.

Beaches and access

Plage Bonaparte is also known as Anse Cochat. Access is through a tunnel cut into the rock; its name comes from a codename used during the Second World War. At Plage de Pors Moguer, by contrast, the tide is crucial: the beach can be explored at low tide, but the access path is flooded as the tide rises. Since tides and weather affect conditions, check both for your planned visit. This makes for a clear difference when planning: at Bonaparte, the tunnel shapes access; at Pors Moguer, it’s the tides.

Port and water activities

Port de Gwin Zégal is a historic anchorage dating back to the 5th century and is still in use. Boats moor there using ropes and chains attached to tree trunks. The port can be reached by descending a flight of steps. Since its use may change, find out the current situation before your visit.

The Centre nautique de Bréhec offers seasonal 1.5-hour kayak trips to the cliffs and caves of Plouha, accompanied by a qualified instructor. Supervised sailing lessons with a qualified instructor are available there year-round on Wednesdays and Saturdays, depending on age and level. This offers two distinct ways to plan: a kayak trip with a set duration and regularly scheduled lessons. Confirm the sailing lesson days before your trip.

Chapels and history

Chapelle Kermaria An Iskuit features a medieval Dance of Death mural, one of the rare wall depictions of this art form in France. The oldest parts of the chapel date from the 13th century. Kermaria therefore offers both a specific art-historical highlight and a sense of the building’s age. In summer, a guide accompanies visitors on tours; check the seasonal dates in advance. The “L’Évasion Shelburn” audio guide is available at the tourist office for an immersive tour. Confirm its current availability locally.

Chapelle de la Trinité is at the highest point in Plouha. A document from 1354 mentions the chapel; this reference provides a different kind of historical dating from the dating of Kermaria’s oldest building elements. The Stèle Bonaparte commemorates acts of resistance during the Second World War. Together with the connection between the name Plage Bonaparte and a codename used at the time, Plouha offers a range of historical points of interest to consider when choosing what to visit.

Discover more destinations: Lanvellec, Lanrivain, Uzel, Saint-Michel-De-Plélan, Plounévez-Moëdec, Saint-Gilles-Les-Bois, Pont-Melvez, Saint.-Servais.

For the main travel overview: Côtes-D’armor.