Pointe du Raz
Rocky Headland At The Western Tip Of Brittany Facing The Raz De Sein Currents And The Lighthouses Toward The ÎLe De Sein; A Grand Site De France · Plogoff, Brittany
The Pointe du Raz is the rocky end of Cap Sizun, the peninsula at the far western tip of Brittany in Finistère. It is a narrow ridge of granite cliffs that runs out into the Atlantic toward the Raz de Sein, a strait of fierce tidal currents between the point and the low Île de Sein, feared by sailors for centuries. Offshore stand the lighthouse of La Vieille on its rock and, further out, the Tévennec light and the Île de Sein itself. A statue of Notre-Dame-des-Naufragés, Our Lady of the Shipwrecked, watches over the water near the path. Visitors leave their cars at a paid car park and small visitor village inland, then walk out on a path of roughly a kilometre over the heath to the point, where marked trails continue close to the cliff edges. In a storm the waves are huge and spectacular, and genuinely dangerous. The site is a Grand Site de France, and the Baie des Trépassés beach and the wilder Pointe du Van lie just to the north.
Pointe du Raz, 29770 Plogoff, Finistère, Plogoff, Brittany, France
The headland, the footpaths over the heath and the coastal path are open at all hours, all year, and there is no gate on the point itself. The car park at the visitor village is paid, at least during the main season, and is the only practical parking; it has had a barrier or ticket system, so confirm the arrangements and charges. The visitor centre, shops and cafés in the visitor village usually open daily from spring to autumn and reduce their hours or close in winter. A shuttle between the car park and the point has run in summer for those who do not want to walk, but it is not guaranteed every year, so check. Boats to the Île de Sein leave from Audierne harbour on a timetable that is daily in summer and reduced in winter, and crossings can be cancelled in bad weather. Guided nature walks run by the site staff are offered on some summer days. In storms the site stays open, but paths near the edge may be closed or signposted as dangerous, and visitors should follow any instructions from staff. The light is best in the early morning and in the evening, and the car park is busiest from late morning to mid afternoon.