I do have to talk about the sea here. As you might know, Bretagne is really a sort of peninsula nedge on a tip extending on the west of France into the Atlantic ocean. Therefore it is sorrounded by water as a peninsula by three bodies of water, the English channel or mer de la Manche, the Celtic sea or mer Céltique and the mer d’Iroise or Iroise Sea, and baie de Biscaye or Bay of Biscay all going into the Atlantic ocean.
Therefore, as you can read, we are the sea! and one of the best seaman of Europe , are the Bretons. And of course, the Finistére department 29 or fin terre or end of the earth is nudge right next to these three or four seas ,right in the westernmost corner of Bretagne. There is another smaller peninsula name Crozon right below Brest ,and right at its westernmost tip you find Camaret sur Mer!
Camaret-sur-Mer is 80 km from Brest by road and 65 km from Quimper and is located in the far west of the Crozon peninsula. Surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, more precisely the Iroise Sea, at the entrance to the Gully of Brest.
More on its history from the city of Camaret sur Mer: City of Camaret sur mer on its history
The port of Camaret is located in a cove oriented to the north, protected by the Pointe de Roscanvel to the east and by the Pointe du Grand Gouin to the west, which is quite deep and further protected by a natural bead of pebbles giving the site the shape of a semi-circle which makes it an excellent haven for boats, which was later developed by Man.
Along the sea to reach the furrow, the Toudouze quay, the main quay of the port, crosses the city center of Camaret . Construction began in 1842. It was 350 meters long and 30 meters wide and had four holds. In 1895, it was enlarged. At the end of the latter, it is the Styvel quay with its launching block built after 1926.
The port’s current capacity is 500 berths for residents and 250 additional berths for visitors. Due to its natural shelter, accessible from the sea, halfway between the chenal du Four and the Raz de Sein , the port of Camaret-sur-mer is frequented by sailors from all countries. After having experienced a great fishing activity throughout the 20C, Camaret has currently become an essential stopover for boaters and travelers.
The port is protected by the cliff at the Pointe de Grand Gouin and by a long pebble groove on which a granite embankment has been built. The Camaret furrow has become the symbol of the port; you see all its beauty when entering the city by the departmental road from where a bird’s-eye view allows you to take in the whole of the “urved port as Camaret in Breton says Kameled: the curved port.
The different marinas or ports are:
The port of Notic, a veritable port in the city is very popular with holidaymakers for its direct access to the quays with reception of visitors on external outages A and E, capacity for around 40 boats, and its shops and entertainment. The Captain’s office here is open all year from 8h30 to 12h30 and 14h to 18h
The port of Styvel or port of the train path only welcomes boaters on an annual contract in Camaret. The Port Vauban or port de la pointe, can accommodate larger draft vessels, and larger tonnage on the heavy pontoon. The Captain’s office here is open July and August 8h30 to 13h and 15h to 20h and on the water has a spot from 7h to 12h and 14h30 to 22h
You can have more info in French on the city of Camaret port webpage here: Port de Camaret
And on the passport scales webpage in French here: Passport scales ports on the Port of Camaret
A bit more on the history and what is there now
The port of Camaret-sur-Mer has developed on a site protected from ocean swells by a pebble groove 900 meters long. This body of water sheltered at the entrance to the Goulet de Brest, an arm of the sea that is difficult to practice at ebb tide due to the strong tidal currents, has naturally become a privileged spring break on the route to Brest. Its strategic location, at the end of the Crozon peninsula, also allows it to capture the flows between north and south of Brittany, in particular by serving as a refuge for sailors in difficulty during violent gales at sea of Iroise.
The Place Saint Thomas, in the heart of the fishing and ship owning district of Notic, is the city’s commercial center. Today, the Téphany quay hosts some businesses, the summer passenger transit to the Ponant Islands and is now the mooring area for the few remaining fishing boats. Pleasure boats now make up the bulk of the Camaret fleet.They anchor on pontoons in the ports of Notic and Styvel, at the bottom of the cove, or the port Vauban, at the end of the Sillon.
Several heterogeneous built complexes, which already existed at the end of the 19C, can emerge from the port area of Camaret. These are the Sillon, which houses the Rocamadour Chapel, the Vauban tower and construction sites in particular; the hamlet of Styvel, at the base of the Sillon; the homogeneous Toudouze harbor front dating from the middle of the 19C; the Notic district, an urbanized area behind the Toudouze port front at rue Dixmude, rue de Reims, rue de Bruxelles; etc; – the Kléber port front, east of the Toudouze port front. To these groups, can add several isolated elements such as the Abri du Marin sector and the Téphany port area, at the eastern end of the port, built later.
And why not the beaches, we love them too even for me now is just the views and the ambiance as well as beautiful natural setting. Camaret sur Mer has some nice ones of course.
The plage de Pen Hat beach is one of the most exposed on the Crozon peninsula. The rolls can be very impressive there; swimming is moreover prohibited there because of the presence of baïnes. These are fluctuating depressions which dig in the sand, more or less deeply, never in the same place. At low tide, they seem to be ideal pools for wading, but at the rising tide the contours are no longer visible; a careless walker can feel the sand suddenly giving way under his/her feet and fall into the baine (the depth can reach 3 meters) by being instantly sucked out by the very strong swirling currents that form there. However, walks, picnics and making sandcastles are highly recommended. We go only for the splendid view and natural setting just gorgeous! More from plages tv here: plages tv on plage de pen hat at Camaret sur mer
The other two worthwhile beaches in Camaret sur Mer are
The plage de Corréjou: At the entrance to the Sillon de Camaret and a stone’s throw from the port, Corréjou Beach is the ideal place to relax while watching the boats at the entrance to the bay. Family beach, it is also at low tide the unmissable meeting place for lovers of shore fishing. And the plage Veryac’h beach: Véryac’h beach is located near the Pointe de Pen Hir south of city center/downtown Camaret. It offers a vast expanse of sand in a preserved environment with a beautiful view of the Pointe de Pen Hir which protects this cove. On the left, at low tide, several small sandy coves are discovered ;you need to watch the tide times well before venturing out so as not to get stuck. To get to this beach, take the direction of Pointe de Pen Hir. Before arriving on the point, take the small road on the left following the indications of the holiday center and the crêperie. There is a small parking lot. Plages tv on these beaches in English: plages tv on beaches of Camaret sur Mer
The city of Camaret sur Mer on its beaches in French: City of Camaret on its beaches
And there you go now I feel better telling you and documenting in my blog these beautiful places of Finistére dept 29 at Camaret sur Mer in the Crozon Peninsula of my lovely Bretagne. Hope you have enjoy the post.
And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all!!!
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