A Whirl Through Perros-Guirec, Brittany

....a few quick suggestions on what to see, do & eat in the "Pink Granite Coast" hub

Startlingly clear blue waters and pink-ish granite rock formations frame a small sailboat in Ploumanac’h, Brittany. Courtney Traub/All rights reserved

It’s already been a year since I and my little family spent a week in Perros-Guirec, a town situated on the “Pink Granite” coast in Brittany’s Côte d’Armor region. I’m just now starting to sift through reams of notes and hundreds of photos, as I prepare to drop a longer (free) guide to the area at Paris Unlocked. As always, I like to give paid subscribers a sneak peek. So stay with me as I recall a few brief highlights from a part of Brittany that feels quite different from others I’d explored in the past.

For one, the landscapes were surprisingly warm and colorful: a far cry from the dramatically craggy, rain and wind-beaten terrains of the extreme Atlantic coastal areas. You know— think neatly painted blue and white lighthouses standing triumphantly against crashing waves and grey skies.

Perros and the surrounding coastal area was a refreshing contrast to those familiar Bréton scenes (as much as I’ve often relished in their crashy-waves-and-bleak-lighthouse vibes). As its name suggests, the Côte du Granit Rose is characterised by landscapes studded with warm pinkish granite, often transparent, gentle blue waters and wide, fine-sanded beaches.

The Walks & Beaches

Chief among the interesting ways to explore the area is walking along its many (mostly gentle) coastal hiking trails. The Côte du Granit Rose stretches for more than 30 km/18 miles on the northern coast of Brittany (along the English Channel), from Plestin-les-Grèves to Louannec. It’s well-known for its temperate conditions, family-friendly beaches, and islands with abundant wild bird colonies, including puffins, cormorants and terns.