Cycle Touring in France: Wild Brittany Coast

We planned our route from Duarnenez to Crozon-Margat to avoid the main roads and instead we followed the coastline around the bay, dipping into small hamlets and beaches along the way. We also passed an old abbey where the statues looked like they had been modeled on local people. On paper it was about the same distance but after each beach and inlet we found ourselves climbing uphill to pass a headlands or cliff. We were quite weary by the end of the day and very glad to reach our hotel in Margat, which is the beachside resort close to Crozon. This part of the coastline is very rocky and where there are beaches they seem to stretch forever at low tide. The forecast had been for rain but it did not eventuate, instead we were treated to landscapes like watercolour paintings with various shades of grey until later in the day when the sun broke through. Our hotel has been here for many years and has been built right on the edge of the beach. At high tide there is no beach and the waves lap on the wide steps in front of the verandah. In the dining room it feels like you are on an ocean liner and the Art Deco design and thirties background music adds to that feel. This morning there was sea mist and the cliffs and sea merged into one on the horizon. We walked into the centre to have a look at the port and then took a cliffside path up to an old 19th century fort and lighthouse. As usual our so called rest days end up being mini hikes, but it is a change from cycling and we usually enjoy them.

Statues at St Jean