Justin Foulkes
France's westernmost département, Finistère (www.finisterebrittany.com) has a wind-whipped rocky beach and cove-strewn coastline dotted with lighthouses and beacons lashed by the waves. Wild and mysterious, Finistère is, for many travellers, the most enticing edge of an already enticing region.
The etymology of the name Finistère literally emerges from 'end of the earth' (the Latin Finis Terræ) – an extremely apt name for this domain, especially as one approaches the raw shore which is redolent of the west coast of Ireland. Swaths of this beautiful land are preserved in the Parc Naturel Régional d'Armorique (www.pnr-armorique.fr).
Finistère's southern extent, called Cornouaille, takes its name from early Celts who sailed from Cornwall and other parts of Britain to settle here, and today it is a centre of Breton language, customs and culture.
These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Finistère.
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Few places in France can match Pointe du Raz for its coastal splendour: on every side gorse-cloaked cliffs plummet to the waves 70m below, gulls trace lazy arcs overhead, and a statue gazes out to sea towards the île de Sein and the winking light of the Ar Men lighthouse. On a stormy day, with giant waves hurling themselves at the cliff faces, it feels like the end of the world. On a clear day, the sunsets are quite unbelievable.
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This special walled town, fortified in the 14th century and modified by the architect Vauban two centuries later, sits on a small island linked to place Jean Jaurès by a stone footbridge. Just past the citadel's clock tower and main gate, look out for the 18th-century Tour du Gouverneur, which is one of the access points for strolling the ramparts . As you continue, rue Vauban leads to place St-Guénolé and the former church – and later hospice – of the same name.
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This enormous ancient series of hilltop tombs is set spectacularly overlooking the Bay of Morlaix, on the edge of the modern-day village of Plouezoc'h, 10km north of Morlaix. Built between 4500 and 3900 BC, the cairn measures 75m and comprises two sets of tombs, built in successive eras but attached to each other. You can walk through the centre of the cairn, where it was once, amazingly, used as a source of stones in the 1950s.
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At the core of Locronan, this beautiful and very sacred church dates from the 15th century. It contains the tomb of St Ronan, as well as a green wooden pulpit that is a marvel to behold, carved and painted with scenes from the saint's life in Brittany. Ronan was an ascetic pilgrim from Ireland who established a hermitage in the woods here, around which the village eventually formed.
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Three kilometres southwest of Camaret, this spectacular and sublime headland is bounded by steep, sheer sea cliffs. On a peninsula known for its breathtaking scenery, this might be the most impressive lookout of them all. The series of offshore rock stacks are known as Tas de Pois. There are also two WWII memorials, and just inland 80 neolithic menhirs comprise the Alignements de Lagatjar. There are plenty of short walks in the area, as well as a handful of small cove beaches.
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The peninsula's most southerly point, Cap de la Chèvre is 8km south of Morgat, and offers stupendous panoramas of the Baie de Douarnenez and the Pointe du Raz. You'll be amazed by the contrast between the Mediterrean-like eastern side of the peninsula and the much wilder western shore, which is clearly Atlantic.
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With its spectacular Renaissance belfry rising above the flat landscape, the most arresting sight in Roscoff is this unique church at the heart of the old town, a 16th-century Flamboyant Gothic structure and one of Brittany's most impressive churches.
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Scarcely 1km across, Île Molène feels even more remote than its neighbour Île d'Ouessant. It's carless, virtually treeless, home to a declining population of just 169 people (inhabitants are known as Molénais) and its electricity supply depends on a single diesel generator. The island's only village is Le Bourg, a hamlet of whitewashed fishing cottages clustered around a granite quay, with a church. Needless to say, the island can only be explored on foot.
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This intriguing place, 8km west of Le Faou on the D791, is abuzz with live bees that you can view in its honey museum. Depending on the season, you might also see busy-bee apiculteurs (beekeepers) Irène and Stéphane Brindeau using environmentally friendly cold-extraction methods to draw out the all-natural honey from giant combs. There's honey tasting and you can buy honey, nougat and other homemade honey products like hydromel ( chouchen in Breton; a fermented alcoholic drink made from honey and water).