🏝️ Île de Batz — The Island Ferry from Roscoff
Ferry fare
€11 adults return
The Île de Batz is by far the most popular day trip from Roscoff — and for good reason. This car-free island sits just 15 minutes across the water from the Vieux Port, and its Gulf Stream microclimate allows tropical and southern hemisphere plants to flourish at a latitude of 48° north. The result is a botanical garden in the middle of the Channel that stops visitors in their tracks. Combine it with the island’s 198-step lighthouse, its coastal walking circuit (12km, fully flat), its beaches, and its crêperies, and you have a near-perfect day out.
Ferry: €11 adults (12+) | €7 children (4–11) | €2 under-4s | Dogs €2 | Bikes €18. No booking required. Cash/cheque only on board. High season (Jul–Aug): every 30 min. Spring/autumn: roughly hourly. Important: At low tide, ferries currently depart from Port de Bloscon (not the old port) due to infrastructure works until at least 15 June 2026 — check vedettes-ile-de-batz.com for current departure point.
Top things to do: Jardin Georges Delaselle botanical garden (2,500+ species, work began 1897) | Lighthouse climb: 198 steps, 360° views of Morlaix Bay | Coastal walking circuit around the island | Grève Blanche beach on the north shore | Crêperies in the harbour village. See our full Roscoff guide for complete Île de Batz information.
Ile de Batz Guide →
🏙️ Morlaix — The Town Under the Viaduct
Morlaix is the most essential day trip from Roscoff and the most useful practical stop. The town is dominated by its two-storey railway viaduct — built in 1861 to carry the Brest–Paris line 62 metres above the valley floor. It is one of the great pieces of railway engineering in France, and standing beneath it in the old town square looking up is one of Brittany’s most unexpectedly powerful moments. The old quarter below contains Duchess Anne’s House and the Maison de Pondalez — two outstanding examples of the carved half-timbered maisons à pondalez unique to Morlaix, with internal wooden staircases rising through several floors.
Getting there: Drive D58 south (~35 min, toll-free). BreizhGo bus Ligne 29 from Roscoff takes approximately 35 minutes — bikes allowed on board in July and August. Morlaix’s TGV station connects to Paris in under 4 hours.
Top things to do: The two-storey viaduct — can walk the lower level for views | Duchess Anne’s House and Maison de Pondalez | Saturday market (best in the area) | Riverside restaurants in the shadow of the viaduct | Église Saint-Melaine (Flamboyant Gothic) | Morlaix Museum. The town also has a good supermarket, pharmacy and cash machines if you need practical supplies before heading further south.
Morlaix Guide →
🪨 Cairn de Barnenez — Europe’s Largest Megalithic Monument
Best for
History & walking
Twenty minutes south-east of Roscoff on the Kernéléhen peninsula, the Cairn de Barnenez is the largest megalithic burial site in Europe — a Neolithic monument 70 metres long and almost 8 metres high, containing 11 dolmen chambers, built in stages from around 4,500 BC. André Malraux called it the “Prehistoric Parthenon.” The site stands on a headland above Morlaix Bay with panoramic views across the estuary, the headlands, and the Château du Taureau on its rocky islet below. It is one of the most extraordinary — and least crowded — historic sites in northern France.
Admission: €7 adults | Free under-18s | Free EU residents 18–25 | Free parking on site | Dogs not permitted. Guided tours available at no extra cost — register on arrival at reception. Address: Presqu’île de Kernelehen, Plouézoc’h 29252. Check barnenez.fr for seasonal opening hours.
💡 Tip: Combine with the Château du Taureau cruise — a full-price ticket at Barnenez gives a reduced admission on the Château du Taureau cruise (and vice versa). Check with the ticket office. Morlaix is only 15km south — easy to combine all three in one day.
Cairn de Barnenez Guide →
⛵ Château du Taureau — Morlaix Bay Cruise & Island Fortress
Departs
Roscoff Vieux Port
Best for
Maritime history
The Château du Taureau is a small fortress built on a rocky islet in Morlaix Bay, constructed in the 16th century to defend Morlaix from English attack and later modified by Vauban. Les Vedettes de l’Île de Batz operate 2-hour bay cruises and 3-hour tours that include a guided visit of the castle itself — departing from Roscoff’s Vieux Port at 14:30 on selected dates from June to September 2026. The 2-hour Morlaix Bay cruise passes the Île Louët with its lighthouse and keeper’s cottage, Île Noire and Île Callot, and the marine reserve — home to seals, gannets, oystercatchers and cormorants.
Prices (2026): Adults (12+) €21 | Children (4–11) €14 | Under-4s €5 | Booking essential: vedettes-ile-de-batz.com or by phone. Check the current 2026 schedule before visiting as dates are limited. Note: Barnenez ticket holders receive a reduced price at Château du Taureau — ask at the ticket office.
Château du Taureau Guide →
🌊 Carantec — Beaches, Coastal Walks & Château du Taureau Views
Carantec sits on a peninsula in the heart of Morlaix Bay — 23 minutes east of Roscoff — and is well worth a half-day visit for its beaches and coastal path. The town itself is small and unhurried, with a good crêperie and a baker. The main reason to come is the walk: the coastal path from Chemin des Huîtres around the peninsula to Plage du Kélenn (known locally as Tahiti Beach) is a classic short Breton coastal walk, with views across the bay to Île Callot, the Île Louët lighthouse, and Château du Taureau on its rocky islet. On the southern side of the peninsula, the tidal island of Île Callot is accessible on foot at low tide — check tide times before attempting the crossing.
Getting there: Drive via D73 (~23 min). BreizhGo bus line 929 from Roscoff takes approximately 28 minutes and runs every 4 hours — useful for foot passengers but car gives more flexibility. Combine Carantec with Cairn de Barnenez (10 min apart by car) and Morlaix (15 min south) for an excellent full day in Morlaix Bay.
Carantec Guide →
🏖️ Locquirec — Brittany’s Quiet Beach Secret
Best for
Hidden beach gem
Locquirec is one of those corners of Brittany that most visitors drive past — and the ones who stop are invariably glad they did. A small traditional village on a peninsula in Lannion Bay, east of Morlaix, Locquirec has typical Breton granite and whitewashed houses, a harbour, a 17th-century church, and several excellent beaches. The Plage des Sables Blancs (White Sands) is the largest — a crescent of pale sand with calm, clear water — and the beach at Moulin de la Rive is similarly good. The headland viewpoint from the tip of the promontory reaches west to the Monts d’Arrée and east towards the beginning of the Pink Granite Coast.
Getting there: Drive east via D786 to Morlaix then D64/D42 (~40 min from Roscoff, toll-free). No direct bus without a long change at Morlaix — car strongly recommended. Combine with Morlaix (on the way) or as a standalone beach day. The GR34 coastal path passes through Locquirec — the stretch from Locquirec to Plougasnou along the cliffs has been described as one of the finest sections in northern Finistère.
Locquirec Guide →
⛪ Saint-Pol-de-Léon — 5km, Two Extraordinary Churches
Best for
Quick culture stop
At just 5km from Roscoff, Saint-Pol-de-Léon is the easiest cultural stop of any day trip from the port. The town holds two of the finest religious buildings in Finistère side by side: the Gothic Cathédrale Saint-Paul-Aurélien (13th century, built on the site of Saint Paul Aurelian’s 6th-century monastery) and the Kreisker chapel, whose 78-metre granite spire is the tallest in Brittany — modelled on the flèche of Notre-Dame de Paris and described by Vauban as “the boldest piece of architecture he had ever seen.” The tower can be climbed in July and August. Saint-Pol is also the vegetable capital of Finistère, responsible for 90% of French artichoke production.
Getting there: 5km south of Roscoff via D58 — 8 minutes. Easy to add to any southbound journey. Small town, easily walkable in 1–2 hours. Combine with Roscoff itself as a half-day on arrival. No admission charge for either church.
Saint-Pol Guide →
🌸 The Pink Granite Coast — Côte de Granit Rose
Best for
Walkers & photographers
One hour east along the toll-free D786, the Côte de Granit Rose is one of the most visually extraordinary stretches of coastline in Europe — 16km of rose-pink granite formations sculpted by wind and tide into bizarre shapes: arches, towers, balanced boulders, and tidal pools glowing pink in the afternoon light. This phenomenon of iron-oxidised granite exists in only three places on earth: Brittany, Corsica, and China. The most famous section runs between Trégastel and Perros-Guirec, peaking at Ploumanac’h where the iconic rose-red lighthouse stands among the formations. The area around Ploumanac’h is the most photographed coastal landscape in Brittany.
Getting there: Drive D786 east via Lannion (~1hr 10min, toll-free). Car is essential — public transport from Roscoff to Perros-Guirec takes over 4 hours by bus. Free parking at Ploumanac’h Plage Saint-Guirec.
The GR34 walk at Ploumanac’h: The 8km loop from Trégastel to Perros-Guirec via Ploumanac’h along the Sentier des Douaniers (GR34) is the finest short coastal walk in northern Brittany. Follow the red-and-white GR34 markers past the lighthouse, the rocky headlands, and the famous Plage Saint-Guirec. Best visited at low tide for the full display of rock formations. Allow 2.5–3 hours.
Pink Granite Coast Guide →
🐠 Brest — Naval City at the End of the World
Brest is France’s westernmost city of any size — a naval port that suffered almost total destruction in WWII and was rebuilt in a striking post-war style. It is not conventionally pretty, but it has genuine character, an excellent waterfront, and one exceptional attraction: Océanopolis, Europe’s largest aquarium complex, with three distinct sections covering Atlantic, Polar and Tropical marine environments, 77 aquariums, Europe’s biggest penguin habitat, and sea otters. For families, or anyone interested in marine life beyond what the National Marine Aquarium at Plymouth offers, Océanopolis alone justifies the 55-minute drive.
Key attractions: Océanopolis aquarium (admission charged, free parking) | Château de Brest — 17th-century naval castle and maritime museum on the harbour | Cours Dajot — panoramic promenade above the vast harbour, overlooking naval vessels | Recouvrance lift bridge (1954, for decades Europe’s largest) | The Capucins cultural centre in a converted 19th-century naval workshop.
Getting there: Drive D58 south to Landerneau then N12/D712 west (~55 min, toll-free). Also the starting point for the spectacular Crozon Peninsula — if you’re making the drive to Brest, an extra 40 minutes south takes you to one of the finest coastal landscapes in France.
Brest Guide →
🚶 GR34 — The Coastal Path That Ends in Roscoff
Total length
624km to MSM
Best for
Walkers & cyclists
The GR34 — the Sentier des Douaniers (Customs Officers’ Path) — is France’s most famous coastal long-distance trail. It follows 624km of the Breton coast from Mont-Saint-Michel all the way to Roscoff, where it ends. This means the trail literally finishes at your doorstep. Any walk you take eastward from Roscoff along the coast is on the GR34. The sections closest to Roscoff — through Carantec, Plougasnou, and around Locquirec — are among the most scenic, and they can all be done as out-and-back day trips or one-way walks with a bus or car return.
Best sections from Roscoff: Roscoff → Carantec via the coast (~18km, 4–5 hrs) | Locquirec → Plougasnou clifftop walk (spectacular, 8km with ~900m ascent/descent) | Roscoff → Saint-Pol-de-Léon inland variant (~7km loop). Look for the red-and-white painted waymarkers. The trail is free, well-maintained, and passes through several villages with cafés and crêperies. Good walking boots recommended — rocky in sections. Download a section of the trail as a GPX from the French Hiking Federation (ffrandonnee.fr) before you go.
GR34 Guide →