PhilipStapleton
Well-Known Member
We are chartering a Dufour 36 from Lorient for 10 days in a week or so. Can the forumites recommend places to visit / avoid or know of any good restaurants?
South Brittany / North Biscay recommendations?
- Thread starter PhilipStapleton
- Start date
duncan
Well-Known Member
pip if you do a South Brittany search on all forums over the last month you will find a number of extensive threads on exactly this (well maybe not so much on the resteraunts and more on anchorages but....)
here's a good one......... south brittany
here's a good one......... south brittany
PhilipStapleton
Well-Known Member
Yes, done that and there are a couple of useful threads - but any additional info would be most welcome.
spidercomm
New Member
Concarneu is delightful, but avoid the expensive restaurants on the walled 'island' unless you are rich!
jhr
Well-Known Member
Sounds like you are heading in the other direction, but the Belon River is peaceful and pretty and the Auberge de la Mer at Kerfany is a typical, good value and unpretentious French Restaurant.
Auray is also a personal favourite, though a bit touristy and priced accordingly.
If heading East, the Vilaine River is worth a detour through the barrage.
Auray is also a personal favourite, though a bit touristy and priced accordingly.
If heading East, the Vilaine River is worth a detour through the barrage.
TigaWave
Well-Known Member
If you make it to Belle Isle, which I love, its worth locking in to the bassin a'flot to the right of the town. The visitors bouys in the harbour are subject to massive wash every time a ferry leaves and they get very busy....the little harbour inside is quiet and narow so never more than 3 boats deep.
Port de la pointe on the eastern side of the entrance at Lorient was nice, short walk to beaches and some good places to eat.
Port de la pointe on the eastern side of the entrance at Lorient was nice, short walk to beaches and some good places to eat.
Scillypete
Well-Known Member
Iles De Glennan are definitely worth a visit for a couple of days if the weather is settled enough if not a couple of days exploring the Odet river is also very worthwhile some good restaurants in Benodet reasonable prices at least they were last week they might go up during the French holidays.
dk
Well-Known Member
Did that area last year - it's beautiful. Try Port Tudy on Isle de Groix - it's busy but entertaining! Best anchorage I found was on the SE side of Isle Houat. Fantastic beach, good holding and very pretty island. La Trinite is a nice spot, especially if you wander on or two streets behind the touristy seafront. If you go into the Morbihan we found the best/safest anchorage was on the E side of I d'Arz. You can get out of the main currents there, go swimming safely and it's nice ashore. Auray is also a good stopover. Vannes is worth seeing and great if you need supplies, banks, supermarkets, broadband internet etc, but you have to lock in and there can be a few problems with drunkards/druggies hanging around the marina.
If you are going E then Doelan is pretty, as is Concarneau & the Odet River. We found Ste Marine on the W side nicer and less commercial than Benodet itself - besides there's a passenger ferry between them if you want to visit Benodet.
Sadly we didn't have time to sail the Glenans, but we were told they are unmissable if you have the time.
Have a good one!
Duncan
If you are going E then Doelan is pretty, as is Concarneau & the Odet River. We found Ste Marine on the W side nicer and less commercial than Benodet itself - besides there's a passenger ferry between them if you want to visit Benodet.
Sadly we didn't have time to sail the Glenans, but we were told they are unmissable if you have the time.
Have a good one!
Duncan
PhilipStapleton
Well-Known Member
Many thanks, everyone
Sybarite
Well-Known Member
If I had 10 days from Lorient (which is often the period that I leave for ) I would go right for half the time and left for the remaining time. Which you choose first would depend on the prevailing winds at the time. A stop-over at Port Tudy is OK if you want a short hop to get settled before leaving. Interesting pubs and the restaurants are OK without being spectacular.
Heading west, I would make first stop at the S. end of Penfret in the Glénan Islands. Penfret is the largest island but the tour boats don't stop there. Then Ile St Nicolas where there is a good fish restaurant (but you need to book early in the day for a meal in the evening). Otherwise there is a small bistro with average fare but a good ambiance. From the Génan I would head to Bénodet and up the Odet. Near the top just before the river opens out there is a narrow passage to the right which you could almost miss. This opens out into a delightful tree surrounded pool. Depth is OK as long as you do not enter at very low water.
Descending again you could visit Benodet or the chaming little port of Ste Marine opposite. Then into Concarneau and visit the Ville Close (walled city) constructed by Vauban. Contrary to what somebody else said I don't think the restaurants are particularly expensive - mainly 'crêperies'
The Aven river is very interesting but you need to judge the tide well. Go up with the flood and down with the ebb otherwise you will need to dry out alongside the wall. I got within 10m of it the last time and then touched the bottom but got off alright. Pont Aven is very pretty and was where Gauguin was based for a while.
From Concarneau or the Aven you could then have a long sail to Belle Ile or stopover again in Groix. On Belle Ile I prefer Sauzon to Le Palais as it is much more picturesque. You raft up to buoys in the outer harbour. To be avoided however if there are strong Northerly winds. At this time of the year it is crowded (as is Le Palais) so you need some give and take. There are several good bistro type restaurants on the waterfront but if you go a few hundred metres up the hill to the right of the church there is a suberb restaurant. Try their "bar grillé".
What is also worth a visit is the cove of Stir Wenn ("Stir Venn")on the west coast. You enter a cove and then take a right angled turn to enter another very well protected 'fjord.' Boats anchor in the middle and take a stern line to the rocks to port. Passing between Sauzon and Ster Wenn there are off-lying semi-submerged rocks. In good weather you can go inside these staying about 50m from the shore.
After Ster Wenn I would go to Houat (pronounced 'Wot') . There is a large east facing beach about 2 km long which gives reasonable shelter from westerlies.
However, because of the number of boats and the somewhat less-than-hygienic practices of the campers at this end of the island, I have tended to look at other anchorages. There are several little bays tucked into the NW corner which I now prefer. There is also a lovely anchorage on the west end if the winds are easterly.
There are a couple of restaurants on the island attached to hotels which are - ok.
After Houat, I would visit Hoëdic ("Eddick") where, in calm weather, you can anchor off the disused lifeboat shelter. On the island there is a little hotel again with a superb restaurant.
After Hoaut/Hoëdic you could head for the Golfe de Morbihan. The two main islands are both picturesque : Ile aux Moines and Ile d'Arz. If you anchor to the east of Arz beware of poor holding in a blow. I spent a night motoring around in circles (as did several others) because the anchor would not hold at all and there were no free moorings. As for swimming, I find the water inside the Golfe a bit brackish after the clear water on the islands.
After the Golfe, La Trinité is worth a visit as the "Mecca of Sailing" but, unless you like crowds, probably not worth staying too long.
Personnaly I prefer the islands and would probably spend the great majority of my time on them but then I have already seen the other places. You will find that 10 days is not too long to cover this itinerary. My personal choice would be to skip Morbihan and spend more time at say Houat or the Glénan islands.
FWIW
John
Heading west, I would make first stop at the S. end of Penfret in the Glénan Islands. Penfret is the largest island but the tour boats don't stop there. Then Ile St Nicolas where there is a good fish restaurant (but you need to book early in the day for a meal in the evening). Otherwise there is a small bistro with average fare but a good ambiance. From the Génan I would head to Bénodet and up the Odet. Near the top just before the river opens out there is a narrow passage to the right which you could almost miss. This opens out into a delightful tree surrounded pool. Depth is OK as long as you do not enter at very low water.
Descending again you could visit Benodet or the chaming little port of Ste Marine opposite. Then into Concarneau and visit the Ville Close (walled city) constructed by Vauban. Contrary to what somebody else said I don't think the restaurants are particularly expensive - mainly 'crêperies'
The Aven river is very interesting but you need to judge the tide well. Go up with the flood and down with the ebb otherwise you will need to dry out alongside the wall. I got within 10m of it the last time and then touched the bottom but got off alright. Pont Aven is very pretty and was where Gauguin was based for a while.
From Concarneau or the Aven you could then have a long sail to Belle Ile or stopover again in Groix. On Belle Ile I prefer Sauzon to Le Palais as it is much more picturesque. You raft up to buoys in the outer harbour. To be avoided however if there are strong Northerly winds. At this time of the year it is crowded (as is Le Palais) so you need some give and take. There are several good bistro type restaurants on the waterfront but if you go a few hundred metres up the hill to the right of the church there is a suberb restaurant. Try their "bar grillé".
What is also worth a visit is the cove of Stir Wenn ("Stir Venn")on the west coast. You enter a cove and then take a right angled turn to enter another very well protected 'fjord.' Boats anchor in the middle and take a stern line to the rocks to port. Passing between Sauzon and Ster Wenn there are off-lying semi-submerged rocks. In good weather you can go inside these staying about 50m from the shore.
After Ster Wenn I would go to Houat (pronounced 'Wot') . There is a large east facing beach about 2 km long which gives reasonable shelter from westerlies.
However, because of the number of boats and the somewhat less-than-hygienic practices of the campers at this end of the island, I have tended to look at other anchorages. There are several little bays tucked into the NW corner which I now prefer. There is also a lovely anchorage on the west end if the winds are easterly.
There are a couple of restaurants on the island attached to hotels which are - ok.
After Houat, I would visit Hoëdic ("Eddick") where, in calm weather, you can anchor off the disused lifeboat shelter. On the island there is a little hotel again with a superb restaurant.
After Hoaut/Hoëdic you could head for the Golfe de Morbihan. The two main islands are both picturesque : Ile aux Moines and Ile d'Arz. If you anchor to the east of Arz beware of poor holding in a blow. I spent a night motoring around in circles (as did several others) because the anchor would not hold at all and there were no free moorings. As for swimming, I find the water inside the Golfe a bit brackish after the clear water on the islands.
After the Golfe, La Trinité is worth a visit as the "Mecca of Sailing" but, unless you like crowds, probably not worth staying too long.
Personnaly I prefer the islands and would probably spend the great majority of my time on them but then I have already seen the other places. You will find that 10 days is not too long to cover this itinerary. My personal choice would be to skip Morbihan and spend more time at say Houat or the Glénan islands.
FWIW
John
Robin
Well-Known Member
Hi John
Agree with you. The campers however are no longer on Houat I think after the 'mini-tornado' August before last, certainly we didn't notice them at all last year, no tents visible from that anchorage.
Superb restaurant in Concarneau is Le Buccin in a side street by Voilerie Rose chandlers. Go for the top menu at 35 euros +/- which is 5 courses and exceptional, worth saving up for!
Robin
Agree with you. The campers however are no longer on Houat I think after the 'mini-tornado' August before last, certainly we didn't notice them at all last year, no tents visible from that anchorage.
Superb restaurant in Concarneau is Le Buccin in a side street by Voilerie Rose chandlers. Go for the top menu at 35 euros +/- which is 5 courses and exceptional, worth saving up for!
Robin
Roberto
Well-Known Member
[ QUOTE ]
and up the Odet. Near the top just before the river opens out there is a narrow passage to the right which you could almost miss. This opens out into a delightful tree surrounded pool. Depth is OK as long as you do not enter at very low water.
John
[/ QUOTE ]
Hi John,
I think that is called Anse de Toulven, I once tried with my 2m draft and gently touched the bottom at the very beginning of the inlet, I had to come out in rear gear as it seemed too narrow to allow the boat to turn -.)
is the water deeper in the "tree surrounded pool" ? ie is there a sort of bar at the beginning of the anse ?
thanks
and up the Odet. Near the top just before the river opens out there is a narrow passage to the right which you could almost miss. This opens out into a delightful tree surrounded pool. Depth is OK as long as you do not enter at very low water.
John
[/ QUOTE ]
Hi John,
I think that is called Anse de Toulven, I once tried with my 2m draft and gently touched the bottom at the very beginning of the inlet, I had to come out in rear gear as it seemed too narrow to allow the boat to turn -.)
is the water deeper in the "tree surrounded pool" ? ie is there a sort of bar at the beginning of the anse ?
thanks
jhr
Well-Known Member
There's an article about the Odet in July YM, written by Ken Endean. Of the Bras de Toulven, he says: "The entrance is a ridiculously narrow gap in the river bank, then the creek widens slightly and has a couple of anchorages in about 2m, hemmed in by dense woodland". He also recommends the Anse de Combrit, about a mile north of Benodet on the lh side of the river: "Most skippers find their way in by eye, plus echo sounder" /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif
His boat is a Sabre 27 which, I'd guess, draws about 1.5m?
His boat is a Sabre 27 which, I'd guess, draws about 1.5m?
Roberto
Well-Known Member
thanks jhr,
next time I think I ll give it another try sending swmbo + lead sounder in the dinghy Cook's style /forums/images/graemlins/ooo.gif
next time I think I ll give it another try sending swmbo + lead sounder in the dinghy Cook's style /forums/images/graemlins/ooo.gif
Sybarite
Well-Known Member
Yes it is the Anse de Toulven.
I touched only once (with 1m70) at a spring low. This was on the way out just before the very narrowest part. Once you are inside there would be no problem I believe with 2m draft provided you stayed fairly nearly in middle of the pool. Even if you touch it would be in mud and because the pool is so sheltered you are not going to have wave or sheering problems.
Once in there are interesting dinghy runs up the river.
John
I touched only once (with 1m70) at a spring low. This was on the way out just before the very narrowest part. Once you are inside there would be no problem I believe with 2m draft provided you stayed fairly nearly in middle of the pool. Even if you touch it would be in mud and because the pool is so sheltered you are not going to have wave or sheering problems.
Once in there are interesting dinghy runs up the river.
John
rwoofer
Well-Known Member
Was in there two weeks ago. Found it very poor holding and only a tiny hole sufficient for my 2.01m draft. Gave up and got a mooring buoy on the Odet.