The end of the world is a fascinating place: You can feel the power of nature and its ability to sweep away everything that man has built.
This is exactly what you can feel when you go to the Pointe de Pen Hir. With its impressive view in a preserved nature, it is one of the jewels of Finistère.
The Pen-Hir point is located 11 km west of Crozon and a few km from Camaret. It is an ideal destination for a day trip.
To explore this point, you can take a number of different routes. Be careful to respect the markings on site for the preservation of the site and your own safety. Whichever route you choose, you are sure to be rewarded with breathtaking views.
On a clear day, you can see on the left the Pointe du Raz, the Pointe de Beuzec and the Bay of Douarnenez. On the right, you can see the tip of Saint-Mathieu, the island of Molène and the island of Ouessant.
The pile of peas
The most famous feature of the Pointe de Pen-Hir is the Tas de Pois, a series of six rocky islets sculpted by the sea. They each have their Breton name: Grand Dahouët, Petit Dahouët, Penn-Glaz (“green head”), Ar Forc’h (“the fork”), Chelott and Bern Id (“the heap of grain”). The Tas de Pois is a nature reserve and home to many birds, including fulmar petrels, troil guillemots, and crested cormorants.
history of the point of Pen Hir
The name “Penhir” comes from the Breton words “pen” (“head”) and “hir” (“long”).
The Pointe de Pen Hir is a plateau with cliffs 70 m high, located 63 m above the sea. It is composed of Armorican sandstone, which was formed 460 million years ago.
You will find several points of interest that guarantee a walk that is as instructive as it is exotic.
The field of menhirs of Lagatjar
The Lagatjar alignments, also known as the Toulinguet alignments, date back to the Neolithic period. Of the 600 menhirs counted in the 1880s, only a few hundred remain today. They testify that the peninsula was considered a particularly important place of worship.
In his book “Camaret Grand’Garde du littoral de l’Armorique”, published in 1954, Georges-Gustave Toudouze writes that the alignment of Camaret is oriented towards the constellation of the Pleiades, or constellation of the bull.
Other experts in archaeoastronomy have also observed that the two rows of twelve menhirs face east exactly where the sun appears at the winter solstice.
To get there, follow the signs “pointe de Pen Hir” Camaret-sur-mer, then “alignements de Lagatjar”.
The cross of Pen Hir
The cross of Pen Hir is a monument dedicated to the Bretons of Free France. It was erected at the end of the Second World War and was inaugurated in 1960 by Charles de Gaulle. It is the work of the architect Mathon and the sculptor Bazin. It has been classified as a historical monument since 1996.
This place was very strategic during the Second World War. In 1941, German forces seized it to use it as a base to attack Allied ships until 1944. The Germans heavily fortified the point, and you will find the remains of these installations on site.
The Saint Pol Roux manor
Saint-Pol-Roux, a French poet, had the manor house built in the 1900s on the cliff of Pen Hat. He is considered a precursor of modern poetry, and welcomed his friends like André Breton, Max Jacob, or Jean Moulin.
Occupied by the Germans during World War II, the manor was bombed several times and eventually burned down. Today you can see the ruins, which are no longer accessible because they are dangerous. Although you can’t enter, you can approach and walk around it, and admire the exceptional view.
Camaret-sur-Mer
After your visit to the Pointe, why not take a walk in the streets of Camaret-sur-mer? This typical Breton village will seduce you with its colorful houses, its artists’ quarter and its Vauban tower, which can be reached by a drawbridge. You will find the opening hours on the website of crozon.
If you have some free time, don’t hesitate to visit the docks. You will find there something to eat on the go or enjoy a good pancake facing the sea.
Hike to the tip of Pen hir
If you’re a keen hiker, visit the Cirkwi website for a 19km route that takes around 5h30 to complete, and which will give you a good idea of what to do.
It goes around the peninsula passing by the beach of Pen Hat and the point of toulinguet. You can adapt it to your desires and to the participants. Overall it is an easy hiking trail, which follows the coastal path.
However, be sure to wear good shoes. After your walk, don’t hesitate to take advantage of the incredible view from the Veryach bar (at Mémé Germaine’s) to take a break: you won’t want to leave again!
When to go to the Pointe de Pen-Hir ?
We recommend that you go there preferably in good weather, and if you have the opportunity, either in the morning or at sunset to take advantage of the calm and brightness of the site.
How to get there?
By car
It takes about 1h10 from Brest or Quimper to reach the Pen-Hir point by car.
If you stay at Camping les Saules in La Forêt Fouesnant, it will take you about 1h30. In Camaret-sur-mer, the direction of the Pen Hir point is indicated everywhere.
On site, it is possible to park next door but it is advisable to park near the Lagatjar alignments and to walk to the site to enjoy the environment.
By boat
It is also possible to discover the Pen-Hir point and the heap of peas by the sea, with the Sirens company which proposes excursions from the port of Camaret-sur-Mer. An original way to discover this site without getting tired!
Book your holidays in southern Finistère!
4* campsite with direct access to the beach between Fouesnant and Concarneau.
