Where is this beach? Half-way along the northern coast of Brittany

Who's it good for? Families with children, lovers of mysterious landscapes

What is there to do? Visit the beach, coastal walks, bird watching

What makes it special? The Pink Granite Coast has rock formations and sands in hues seldom found elsewhere

For its entire length, the shoreline of Brittany is extravagantly indented, with each successive little inlet concealing another wooded cove or sandy beach. It’s at its most spectacular halfway along the northern coast, in the section known as the Côte de Granit Rose, or “Pink Granite Coast”.

The village of Ploumanac’h is the pick of several delightful seaside resorts that lie in this surreal rockscape of glistening rose-tinted crags, cliffs and misshapen boulders. Arrive when the tide is high, and you’re faced with an exquisite little crescent beach, overlooked by a couple of hotels, and facing west across an estuary that’s scattered with tiny islets. As the sea withdraws, the sands stretch farther and farther out, solitary outcrops emerge to stand as sturdy monoliths, and the islets become islands. The centrepiece of this tableau is the small chateau that pokes from the chaos of jumbled rock atop the largest. Strangely, this was where Polish author Henryk Sienkiewicz wrote Quo Vadis, a saga of ancient Rome that won him the Nobel Prize. It’s now the property of a German comedian, and not open to visitors.

See our full interactive map-guide to Europe's best hidden beaches

Originally a place of prayer – in Breton, “plou” means parish and “manac’h” means monk – Ploumanac’h still holds a medieval chapel, while a part-submerged rock right on the beach is topped by an ancient shrine. These days, though, it’s very much a family resort. The one road in dead-ends just before the beach, amid a cluster of hotels and restaurants, while the headlands beyond are only accessible on foot.

The most popular walk from Ploumanac’h starts from the main beach and undulates along the Sentier des Douaniers, the former customs officers’ path, for three miles. In other parts of the world, granite can seem a grim and forbidding stone. Here, weathered into soft dreamlike shapes, and glowing with ruddy warmth as the sun goes down, it’s positively enchanting. Many of the landmark rocks along the way have been baptised with names ranging from the obvious – like the big bare Foot, complete with toes, and the Pancake – to the offbeat, as with the Tortoise and the Torpedo. There’s also an edge-of-the-world lighthouse, as well as countless little hidden bays. The coastal footpath, part of the long-range GR34 hiking trail, leads to the sedate but much larger town of Perros-Guirec, which holds the various necessities that are lacking in Ploumanac’h, such as shops, cafés, and a market, as well as a large marina.

The Pink Granite Coast around Ploumanac’h

Like many Breton coastal communities, Ploumanac’h consists of two distinct sections. The beach area is Ploumanac’h-Plage, while the village centre a short way south is officially Ploumanac’h-Bourg. The headland in between holds an appealingly wild public park, again scattered with bizarre red-rock formations, including the unmistakable Napoleon’s Hat. In summer, boat trips set off from the little fishing harbour that adjoins the bourg. Their destination is the Sept-Îles seabird sanctuary not far offshore, where seven craggy islands shelter species including puffins – present between March and July – gannets, and guillemots.

DID YOU KNOW?
Brittany only became part of France in 1532; over 200,000 of its inhabitants speak the Breton language.

The estuary beside which Ploumanac’h stands was created by two neighbouring streams, the Grand and Petit Traouïéro. Small watermills are recorded as using tidal energy to grind flour at the mouth of each as far back as 1375, and the 19th-century replacement on the Petit Traouïéro now serves as the starting point for a peaceful stroll along the valley upstream.

As most of the visitors romping on the sands and walking the footpaths of Ploumanac’h are day-trippers from elsewhere, it’s a pleasantly sleepy little place at night, even in midsummer. Don’t come here expecting the high life; return to your hotel any later than 9.30pm, and you’ll have to tiptoe down the hallways to avoid waking your fellow guests. By the same token, walking out before breakfast, when there’s no one around, is a treat.

Ploumanac'h is on the Pink Granite coastEurope's best hidden beaches: Secret Seaside

Essentials

GETTING THERE

Brittany Ferries (0871 244 0744; brittany-ferries.co.uk) sails year round from Portsmouth to St-Malo (one overnight crossing daily; 9hr 30 min–11hr), and from Plymouth to Roscoff (one–two daily; 6–8hr). Return rates for a car with two passengers range from about £160–450. Ploumanac’h is roughly 45 miles east of Roscoff, and 105 miles west of St-Malo. To reach it by car, leave the N12 autoroute at Guingamp; drive 25 miles northwest to Perros-Guirec; and then follow the D788 for three miles north.

WHERE TO STAY

Hôtel du Parc £

Ten-room, family-run hotel on the main square of Ploumanac’h. The rooms are simple but newly furnished, and there’s a decent restaurant. Closed December and January (0033 0296 914080; hotel-duparc-perros.com; doubles from €68, excluding breakfast).

Hôtel St-Guirec et de la Plage ££

Although it’s more of a traditional seaside hotel than the neighbouring Castel Beau Site, this beach-facing option has been nicely modernised to include features like wetroom showers and, for some rooms, large private terraces. Ideal for families (296 914089; hotelsaint-guirec.com; doubles from €140, excluding breakfast).

Castel Beau Site, Ploumanac’h £££

It’s all in the name; this up-to-the minute luxury hotel stands alongside gorgeous St-Guirec beach. Almost all its 33 bright, colourful rooms enjoy floor-to-ceiling sea views, and many have balconies (296 914087; castelbeausite.com; doubles from about €129).

WHERE TO EAT

Coste Mor £

The Breton name, meaning ‘sea shore’, may sound unfortunate to English speakers, but this beachfront bistro is in fact very reasonably priced. Mussels and chips from £9 (Hôtel St-Guirec et de la Plage; 0033 0296 916555; daily noon–9pm).

Restaurant des Rochers ££

Popular, good-value seafront restaurant in prime position facing the little port. The menus are strong on fresh local seafood, including oysters and crabs, but they also offer imaginative vegetarian alternatives. From £24 without wine (Port de Ploumanac’h; 296 465 008; closed Monday and mid-Nov to early Feb).

La Table de Mon Père £££

The chic, somewhat spartan furnishings of this upscale hotel dining room do little to distract attention from the beachfront panorama immediately outside. The food too is minimal but exquisite, with fish to savour. Menus from €41 (Hotel Castel Beau Site; 296 914087; dinner nightly, lunch on Sunday only).

Plage de Trestraou

THE BEST BEACHES

The main beach of Ploumanac’h, at road’s end and known as the Anse St-Guirec, is a sheltered little semicircle of pure soft sand. For children especially, it’s a magical spot, with sandcastles to build, rock pools to explore, and plenty of glorious swimming and paddling to be done.

There’s another slightly smaller but similarly sandy beach, La Bastille, a short walk around the adjacent headland, which can only be reached on foot and thus tends to be less crowded. At the far end of the Sentier des Douaniers, roughly an hour’s leisurely stroll along the coast, the bigger Plage de Trestraou is the principal beach of Perros-Guirec, lined with snack bars and mini-golfs.

THE INSIDE TRACK

To capture the definitive picture-postcard image of Brittany, of a tiny seafront cottage squeezed between two mighty pink-granite boulders, head to Plougrescant, 20 miles east of Ploumanac’h.

Friday’s market in Perros-Guirec provides the perfect opportunity to sample Brittany’s greatest culinary invention, the fresh-cooked crêpe, hot from the griddle.

With its tiny beaches, lush gardens and colourful heather, the Île de Bréhat, accessible on frequent ferries from the Pointe de l’Arcouest, 30 miles east of Ploumanac’h, makes a wonderful family excursion.

Read more

France summer holidays guide 2014
Rachel Khoo's Brittany: Gourmet Getaways
Brittany's best restaurants, by Rachel Khoo
How Brittany's coastal delights keep teenage boredom at bay
Brest, Brittany: Celebrating the sea at the world's end

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