The beach of Port Manec’h – St Nicolas
This small seaside resort, which enjoyed its heyday in the Belle Epoque, is located along the Aven estuary. Here, the beautiful properties, which have become secondary houses, stand side by side with fishermen’s houses.
You can admire the Dalmore Manor which overlooks the beach. Built in 1926, by an art lover of Scottish origin. Today it is a boutique hotel with 10 rooms, run by the same family for 4 generations.
The old-fashioned charm of the beach owes a lot to its small white cabins, dating from the Belle Epoque . They evoke the time when artists, such as Paul Gauguin or Henri moret , came to relax away from Aven bridge , to paint the ocean and be inspired by landscapes.
The beach is sheltered from the wind, and a small rocky islet is accessible on foot at low tide. It’s a delight for adventurous children.
To feast, or just have a drink, stop at The chestnut grove , unmissable address in Port Manach which enjoys a sublime view of the ocean.
Departing from this beautiful white sand beach, you follow the GR 34 path which runs along the coast towards the Port Manech lighthouse . This is where Villa Julia stood, annex to the famous Hotel Julia de Pont Aven, where Jean Gabin and Arletty once stayed.
On a clear day, you can see the island of Groix to the east and the Glénan Islands West.
Continue the path to the cove of Rospico, to discover its beach, sheltered from the wind. If you are planning a picnic, this is the place! Otherwise, we recommend a quick stop at the beach cafe.
The thatched cottages of Kerascoët in Nevez
In Kerascoët, dive into the past by walking through a hamlet of carefully restored thatched cottages dating from the 15th century. It is not about a reconstituted village but well of the first village of Nevez, which was formerly made up of about forty dwellings. Half of them disappeared during the war. The houses are inhabited. In the past some tourists thought it was a reconstituted village, and entered the houses, hence the presence of signs all over the village …
A peculiarity of the region: you can find two stone lean-tos standing. These standing stones date from the 18th century, they were extracted from the surrounding fields during the demographic boom during which it was necessary to extend the cultivable land.
The sailors helped the farmers of the time and were able to recover this granite block to build their houses at a lower cost.
In summer, Wednesday at 6 p.m. the hamlet welcomes Place aux kids festival with free shows for children: clown, magic, dance …
Tahiti in Brittany?
No need for a plane to go to Tahiti 😉 just continue your walk along the GR34 to find this beach with an evocative name.
For the record, this beach was previously called Corn Lorn Beach. In the 1960s, the owner of the adjacent land had built a straw hut there. The locals had fun and gave the beach the nickname Tahiti Beach. Today the straw hut, built without authorization, has been demolished. The nickname has become the official name of the beach, in tribute to Gauguin who moved to Tahiti after staying in Pont Aven.
At the end of this magnificent beach, you can see the island of Raguenez, one of the 80 private islands in Brittany. It is a small island of three hectares with two houses.
The owners allow access at low tide, on condition of respecting the flora and the indications: no fire, no smoking and no going to the top of the island.
In the middle of the 19th century, seaweed was collected and then burned to make soda. The island housed a factory which then transformed soda into iodine, used as a disinfectant in the medical field and for the development of the first photographs.
Between history, nature and relaxation, we hope to have made you want to discover this little corner of paradise that we love so much.
Distances between the different sites:
Port Manac’ h lighthouse – Anse de Rospico: 2.6 km (32 min on foot)
Anse de Rospico – Les Chaumières de Kerascoët: 1.2 km (16 min on foot)
Les Chaumières de Kerascoët – Plage de Tahiti: 1.4km (17 min on foot)
Plage de Tahiti – Anse de Rospico: 2.3 km (30min on foot)
