The cutest towns and best sights in Finistère, Brittany

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Latest update: 7 June 2023

Focus! It’s easy to lose focus in the French region of Brittany. Too much to do in too little time. With a heavy heart, my girlfriends and I ignore about 98% of Brittany and focus on the Finistère area. And that’s a good choice, I can tell you!

The ultimate France feeling

Brittany is about 35,000 km² in size. That is only 6,000 km² smaller than the whole of the Netherlands. Way too big for a long weekend. That’s why we choose the westernmost department of the region to explore: Finistère.

We visit several lovely towns by car. Driving around is an activity in itself. We conquer hairpin bends, marvel at the white-painted houses with cute shutters, get carsick on the winding roads, pass spontaneously organized markets with local products, admire the endless fields, enjoy people watching, come across flea shops in the middle of nowhere, see purple and pink flowers grow out of the tiniest holes in walls and meet French people who collect their groceries in wicker baskets. This is France, mon cherie!

Tip! Rent a car. Rent one in Quimper or Rennes. Try Sunny Cars or EasyTerra, for example.

Typically ‘Breton’ in Finistère

We mainly see older people on the street. The youth exchanges the villages for cities, such as Rennes. We hope to spot older ladies dressed in black, but they also seem to have moved to the cities while we’re there. These ladies wear black clothing for six years after a death in the family. Because someone else usually dies within those six years, they are condemned to a sober wardrobe.

We do find and taste typical Breton specialties. Pommeau de Bretagne, for example. An alcoholic drink made from apple brandy and apple juice. Or what do you think of Britt beer? Bière Britt Blanche is very popular with us. As always in France, we have to get used to the cappuccinos made with whipped cream, but it’s tasty, so it’s all good!

Typical Breton food comes mainly from the sea: fruits du mer, fresh fish, and even canned fish. It looks like the locals love canned food: we find canned pâté on many charcuterie shelves. Many dishes also contain algae or seaweed. Often so subtle that someone really needs to tell you. In Finistère, you can find no less than 700 types of seaweed! Well… that is if you have the time to go look for it.

And you must, of course, eat a crêpe, get a sandwich and a cake at the boulangerie, order many cheese plates, taste the kouign-amann (a round butter cake), try the salted Breton butter … And be sure to wear trousers with elastic so that you have enough space for all those goodies.

Tips for visiting the Finistère

Fancy a visit to the Finistère? I get that. But you also have to make choices. Always tricky. So that’s why I’m taking you to the nicest places in Finistère in entirely random order.

Mousterlin in Finistère

Mousterlin is on the coast and popular for walkers and cyclists. If you park your car at Bar Brasserie Le Grand Large (here), you are at the starting point of several walking routes. The trails of different levels are indicated with color coding: from a pleasant walk to a full day’s activity. Nature mainly consists of swamps, dunes, and fields inhabited by various birds and ducks.

The lagoon behind Pointe du Mousterlin is called Mer Blanche, the white sea. The sand is white, but the water is turquoise. This is because the ocean and the marsh meet here, and the Mer Blanche has different types of algae and plankton. If you want to see this, plan your visit well. You must visit during high tide. We didn’t know and arrive at low tide, when people are entering the area to look for crabs and oysters.

Lesconil in Brittany

The coastal town of Lesconil is calm and easy. Not only do the streets seem deserted, but most houses are still deserted in May. Many homes are holiday homes, so it is probably pleasantly busy at the outdoor cafes in the harbor in the summer months. Lesconil has traditionally been focused on fishing: the fishing itself and the canning of the fish. When the fishermen moor in the harbor in the late afternoon, small groups move to the mooring area to get fresh fish for dinner.

We stay in Lesconil at Camping La Grande Plage at the invitation of Flower Campings. At this 3-star campsite, we stay in a luxury mobile home at a short 200 meters walk from the beach. Within ten minutes, we make it to the harbor. It’s a beautiful walk along rock formations and through the dunes. The campsite and Lesconil are exactly what we are looking for: a break from the busy life in the Netherlands. No work for a while, nothing to do, not too much distraction: casual chilling. An additional advantage: it is ideally located to discover the Finistère by making short half-day trips.

Quimper in Brittany

Quimper is located on two rivers and has a beautiful historic center. Many medieval houses have been preserved. While shopping in Quimper, the beautiful houses outperform the shop windows. If you want to stock up on some local food, pop into the covered market Halles Saint-François. Quais du Steir is nearby, where beautiful pastel-colored houses line the quay.

The Place au Beurre is the place to be for a crepe. All of the city’s crêperies seem to be here. On a sunny day, you may have to wait a while for a table at the crêpe square, but your wait will be richly rewarded with sweet or savory crêpes.

Google Maps location

Pointe du Raz

Pointe du Raz is the westernmost point of France. I look out over the Atlantic Ocean and see the small island of Île de Sein. The cliffs are immense. The water gushes and sloshes in all directions. What a force of nature! And it’s crazy how few people are actually here. Perhaps that is different in the summer months, but in mid-May, the tourist masses do not seem to have found Pointe du Raz yet.

The hiking trails are well-maintained, and there are a few souvenir shops and restaurants. But if you want to have lunch, do so at one of the lunch places along the road just before the parking lot. You’ll have a beautiful view, and it is less commercial.

Google Maps location

Pointe du Van

We drive a short distance to Pointe du Van. This spot is less known and at least as beautiful as Pointe du Raz. You can also take a short walk – or a very long one. Because Pointe de Raz and Pointe du Van are both on the GR34 hiking route. The total path is 2000 kilometers long. The stretch between Pointe du Raz and Pointe du Van takes about an hour.

Google Maps location

Sainte-Marine in Brittany

The small fishing village of Sainte-Marine is the perfect place for an extensive lunch. From the large parking lot, we walk past a little park with a house with cute shutters. This route takes us to the small harbor. The word picturesque is appropriate. A small chapel, a pink home, and small-scale cafes. We settle down at Café de la Cale. We taste the local Britt beer and charcuterie (the latter with varying degrees of success).

Google Maps location

Versatile visit to Finistère in Brittany

The Finistère is a beautiful part of France. Ideal if you want to live in first gear for a while. Or not. Because the region actually has much more to offer. Because if you want, you can also go paragliding, diving, hiking, surfing, and try other water sports.

Note: I stayed free of charge at Camping La Grande Plage. In exchange, I promised Flower Campings a mention on my blog. But what I write about it, is entirely up to me. No censorship!

First published: May 2018. The article has been updated since.