Paris1972-Versailles2003

Again, continuing on my road warrior tours and discovering new towns in my lovely Bretagne, we came to Carantec. Of course, the impressive monument we first saw was its wonderful Church Saint Carantec! This is a must to see here. Let me tell you about the Church Saint Carantec of Carantec !! Hope you enjoy the post as I.

The Church Saint-Carantec is in neo-Gothic style, dates from 1867. It was built on the site of the old 16C church, The bell tower is of the Leonard type with two galleries, The monumental door, from the neighboring manor of Kerangoaget dates from the 17C. The apse contains a beautiful processional cross of 1652 in silver and another simpler one in front of the altar.

It is said to be difficult to specify the time when the parish church was built, the old demolished in 1867. The old church was rebuilt in 1657,had a choir and transept ,The bell tower alone did not lack a certain character, with its staircase turret, its rooms bells adorned with galleries and balustrades. It is regrettable that the dimensions of the current church did not allowed it to be preserved, Above the transept rose a graceful campanile.

The current Church Saint Carantec was built in 1867 as said; it is in the style of the 13C. External length 37 meters. ; interior length 31 meters, width of the nave and side aisles 14 meters; length of the transept 24 meters; the choir is 9 meters. Long, 6 meters wide. The interior of the church presents a striking aspect; the pillars of the nave are cylindrical and adorned with finely carved capitals; the four pillars of the transept are formed of small columns in bundles, on which rest the pointed arches of the vault. The windows and arcades of the choir present an imitation of the Sainte Chapelle in Paris. The bell tower is 37 meters; it presents itself well with its two bell chambers, its double gallery, with its balustrades decorated with quatrefoils and warheads.

The baptismal fonts date from the 17C, The Kerrot Chapel was added in the 16C. The bell tower (16C) was remodeled in the 17C, Among the statues, one can see a Saint Carantec. There is also a box of holy oils from 1747. The supreme preeminence is that of the Rohan house of Brittany.

The city of Carantec on the church : https://www.ville-carantec.com/cpt_tourisme/eglise/

The Bay of Morlaix tourist office on Carantec : https://www.baiedemorlaix.bzh/en/?s=carantec

There you go folks, a marvel to be visited, the Church Saint Carantec is wonderful indeed. Glad we made it over and would look forward to come back, eventually. Again, hope you have enjoy the post as I. With the post I bid farewell for now to Carantec.

And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all !!!

So told you came here for the first time ! and was impressed ! This is my Bretagne indeed , the coast, the beaches oh the beaches well let me tell you about the ones saw in Carantec !! Hope you enjoy it as I.

The plage du Kélenn beach is certainly the most famous of the Carantec beaches. The one that enjoys the maximum of entertainment in season with its restaurants, its beach club and its nautical center. This large and beautiful beach is ideal for families. Games for children, diving board. Bathing equipment for people with reduced mobility. Showers and toilets. Beach huts for hire from the tourist office. Free parking. Motorhome parking. Nearby: cafes, restaurants, nautical base, sailing and sea kayaking school, sea garden, playground, children’s carousel, bi-cross field. Walk accessible to pushchairs and people with reduced mobility along the beach.

The Bay of Morlaix tourist office on the beaches of Carantec : https://www.baiedemorlaix.bzh/en/discover/the-most-beautiful-beaches-in-brittany/

The plages tv site on the Kélenn beach : https://en.plages.tv/detail/kelenn-beach-carantec-29660

The official nautical center of Carantec : https://www.carantec-nautisme.com/

From the Kélenn beach you can see and access the Château du Taureau ! A rock in the sea ! The Château du Taureau castle is an island-fortress that depends administratively on the town of Plouezoc’h. It was built by the bourgeois of Morlaix in 1542 to defend the entrance to the Rivière de Morlaix from English invasions. It is a fort renovated by Vauban and later by Amédée François Frézier between 1690 and 1745 on a rocky islet in the open sea. Regardless of the tidal coefficient, it is not never walkable, only by boat.  After having been a prison, the Château du Taureau became a second home owned by Mélanie Lévêque de Vilmorin who gave lavish receptions there in the 1930s, then a sailing school in the 1960s, before being abandoned for a time. and to close its doors in 1980, for lack of maintenance. Restored by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Morlaix and nine neighboring towns, this Breton “Fort Boyard” can be easily visited again by boat from Carantec. When docking, a staircase bathed by the waves and a drawbridge provide access; you can see the old rooms where the troop was housed, dungeons and vaulted vaults. From the upper platform, the panorama extends over the entire Bay of Morlaix. Why built?  In 1520, following the failure of the meeting at the Camp du Cloth d’Or, relations between the kingdoms of France and England deteriorated and led to a rapprochement between the latter and the Spain of Charles V. Thus, in 1522, an English fleet attacked Cherbourg then headed for Morlaix where it arrived in early July. Following this event, it was decided to build a fort in the bay of Morlaix. For three centuries, the Château du Taureau has been a key player in the history of Brittany and France, like the Château d’If (Marseille harbour), Saint-Malo, the corsair city and the arsenal of Brest. It ceased to fulfill its military role in 1878 and was decommissioned in 1883. In 1889, the beacon was permanently extinguished. the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Morlaix, after conducting significant historical research on the castle, has chosen a museographic orientation focusing on daily life in the Château du Taureau in the 18C.

The official Castle of Taureau : https://chateaudutaureau.bzh/

The Bay of Morlaix tourist office on the castle: https://www.baiedemorlaix.bzh/en/agenda/chateau-du-taureau-visite-decouverte-depuis-carantec-fmabre029v539lhq-3/

One of the best here is to walk, bike or drive the low tide passage to Callot island !! A wonderful sublime experience ! Callot Island, accessible from the mainland by a submersible causeway which allows you to cross the passe aux moutons or sheeps pass, extends over 2 125 meters long and measures from 150 to 300 meters wide.

Île Callot is a special spot that becomes an island at high tide but can be accessed by foot at low tide; it offers a number of fine sandy beaches and also some well-protected rocky creeks. Peace and quiet guaranteed! Check the tide times to be sure you have enough time to get to and from l’Île Callot. Access to the island , at the port, check the crossing times before taking the submersible route that takes you to Île Callot. Allow 6 km to travel this island from end to end to admire the 360° view towards St Pol de Léon, Plouézoc’h and Plougasnou. The ornithological reserve is open to you. Don’t forget your binoculars.

The city of Carantec on the Callot island :https://www.ville-carantec.com/cpt_tourisme/lile-callot/

The Bay of Morlaix tourist office on Carantec : https://www.baiedemorlaix.bzh/en/?s=carantec

There you go folks, a dandy in my Bretagne ! You should be in Carantec ! We were glad to go and find it, always somethin new and wonderful in our road warrior tours of the world! This is the beaches and sea of Carantec! 

And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all !!!