A patrol path in front of the contraband
The coastal trail was created in 1791, at the same time as the Régie nationale des douanes. Tens of thousands of customs officers were sent to patrol the Breton coast to prevent smuggling, particularly the numerous illegal landings of English goods. The "gabelous", as they were nicknamed, surveyed the route on foot, day and night, whatever the weather. Guardhouses, lookout posts and makeshift huts were built all along the coast, to keep an eye on the best trading spots, to make a stop or to take shelter. The remains of these small constructions still line the coastline.
At the beginning of the 20th century, smuggling diminished and the customs trail fell into disuse. It was relaunched in 1968, on the initiative of hiker Emile Orain and a handful of enthusiasts, members of the Comité national des sentiers de grande randonnée. Together, they cleared, cleaned and marked a first section, between Lannion and Trébeurden. In 1976, a law facilitated the continuation of the trail, creating a 3-metre easement for pedestrians along the entire coastline. In 2008, 40 years after the first sickle blows, the GR®34, a registered trademark of the Fédération française de randonnée pédestre, completely circumnavigated Brittany, covering almost 2,000 kilometers between Mont-Saint-Michel and Saint-Nazaire. It follows the sea as closely as possible, with little or no interruption: in a few places, notably in the Malouine region, some landowners stubbornly refuse the right of way. Damage caused by erosion and storms can also affect certain sections, rendering them inaccessible.
The most beautiful hikes
It's a tough choice, but one of the must-do trails is the one that takes you from the vertiginous pink sandstone cliffs of Cap Fréhel to the medieval fortress of Fort-la-Latte, built on a rocky outcrop. Nearby, the vast, colorful moors of Cap d'Erquy are criss-crossed by paths ideal for walks. Still in the Côtes-d'Armor region, the Côte de Granit rose (Pink Granite Coast) reveals its most beautiful features at Ploumanac'h, between Pors Rolland and the Saint-Guirec beach. Leaving from the port of Paimpol, the Ploubazlanec peninsula also offers a pretty stretch, with its breathtaking views over the bay and the Bréhat archipelago, its old fishermen's hamlets adorned with agapanthus and hydrangea, the picturesque port of Loguivy-de-la mer and the tree-lined banks of the Trieux river. Not far from there, the cliffs of Plouha, the highest in Brittany, form an imposing, wild and moving 14 km landscape.
In Finistère, too, you'll be spoilt for choice: the Pointe du Diben in Plougasnou, the jagged shores of Lilia in Plouguerneau... The tour of Carantec offers postcard-perfect views of Morlaix Bay, the Château du Taureau, Louët and Callot islands. To the south, the coastline, dotted with long white sandy beaches, is particularly attractive between Port Manec'h and the Pointe de Trévignon, near Pont-Aven, as well as between the small port of Doëlan and the resort of Le Pouldu. Between Beg Meil and Cap Coz, the Baie de la Forêt is dotted with superb little coves. The Crozon peninsula is also a great playground for hikers: a superb walk, accessible to all, takes you from the port of Morgat to the heavenly cove of Ile Vierge (to which access is forbidden), via the Bois de Kador. An exotic walk, where pine trees and turquoise waters evoke the shores of the Mediterranean.
In Morbihan, the GR®34 winds around the Quiberon peninsula. The most beautiful section stretches 8 km to the west, between the Pointe du Percho and the Château Turpault: this is the Côte sauvage, constantly battered by sea and wind. The trail also takes you all the way around the Gulf of Morbihan: from the Rivière d'Auray to the Rhuys peninsula, via the marshes of Séné, the winding shores of this inland sea dotted with islets are a permanent enchantment.
Once you've passed the immense sandy expanses of Mont-Saint-Michel Bay, the coastline of Ille-et-Vilaine becomes more indented, offering landscapes of dazzling beauty. Among the prettiest bits: the harbor of Rothéneuf, a cove enclosed by the Ile Besnard, or the Promenade du Clair de Lune in Dinard, an asphalt stretch planted with palm trees and bordered by extravagant villas. From the Pointe de la Garde-Guérin to the Plage de la Grande Salinette, the Saint-Briac coastline is one of the wonders of the Emerald Coast.
Breathtaking views
The coastal path also has its share of beauties to savour, dotted with natural promontories offering superb panoramic views. From the Pointe du Grouin in Cancale, you can look down from Granville to Cap Fréhel. At the head of Saint-Brieuc Bay, the Pointe du Roselier in Plérin reveals the bouchots of Hillion and vast golden foreshores at low tide. Further west, the Gouffre de Plougrescant lies at the heart of a rocky coastline bristling with reefs, whipped up by the waves and constantly reshaped by the tides. In Trébeurden, a slight detour to Milliau Island, accessible at low tide, offers a magnificent 360-degree panorama of the coastline.
At the very tip of the peninsula, Finistère is home to several spectacular points, exposed to the elements. Le Raz is the most breathtaking: from its jagged granite cliffs, the view of the chaussée de Sein, its lighthouses and its island is breathtaking. At the western end of the Crozon peninsula, the even rougher Pointe de Penhir rises its sharp, light sandstone peaks above the Iroise Sea. A succession of large boulders, known as the Tas de Pois (Pea Tasks), extends from this point. Near Le Conquet, the Pointe Saint-Mathieu, where the Molène and Crozon archipelagos can be seen, boasts a magnetic beauty, with its ruined abbey and lighthouse. To appreciate it even more, move a little further away, towards the Pointe de Penzer or the Rospects.
In Morbihan, one of the most beautiful viewpoints on the Côte Sauvage, west of the Quiberon peninsula, is the one overlooking the Port-Blanc beach and its famous arch, carved out of the rock by the elements. For a panoramic view of the Gulf of Morbihan, head for the pointe d'Arradon.
