Few places have captured my soul like Bretagne...
I’ve spent a lot of time in France—years, in fact—and I’ve explored a lot of places in this amazing country. I love Paris and the Ile-de-France region. I also love the entire Loire Valley. It just sort of feels like home to me. But, like any place that becomes or feels like home, there is a bit of banality to it. Le Mans, for example, doesn’t feel like a magical place to me; it feels like home, which is special in its own right. Paris doesn’t feel particularly magical to me, either.
Bretagne (Brittany), however, is one of the most magical and enchanting places I’ve ever been. It has an ethereal energy and soul that is unlike any place I’ve been in France. It has a culture, rich with history and traditions, that is unique. It has a rugged wilderness that feels somehow even more untamed than the Ardeche mountains. The violent winds, rugged coastline, unending rain, gnarled trees, and opaque Celtic history all combine to make a place that feels truly special and magical, like something out of the fairy tales of old.
It’s strange, because despite my love for Bretagne and how strongly it has captured my soul and imagination, I am not sure I would want to live there. The lack of public transportation and inaccessibility of the smaller coastal cities make it less-than-ideal if you don’t have a car. There also aren’t many decent sized cities to choose from that have the magic and wonder that the more rugged and untamed coastline have.
Pointe de Bilfot
Pointe de Bilfot is an especially rugged piece of coastline in Brittany. It is very rocky and especially dramatic. It is a steep walk down stairs to the rocky beach. There is a very old natural harbor amongst the rocks below. I found it to be one of the most photogenic areas of Brittany.
Plouha and Plage de Bréhec
I especially enjoyed Plouha and the surrounding beaches and areas, especially Plage de Bréhec. It's a sleepy little village that has a rugged and raw coastline. It is extremely photogenic. Plage de Bréhec has a harbor where at night the tide recedes and the boats are beached on the sand, only for the water to return again next morning. It makes for a dramatic and captivating sunrise tableau.
There's even a fascinating abandoned summer camp near Plouha and Plage de Bréhec. You can read more about it here. It makes for some very interesting photographs.
Plage Bonaparte
A dramatic and somber beach with historical significance in World War II. It has stunning scenery and many specific elements to that can be isolated photographically.
Paimpol and Ploubazlanec
These are two smaller, but still somewhat relatively substantial, cities. Along the Brittany coast. Between and around them lies some of the most beautiful coastline in Brittany. All photos in the gallery below were taken with the iPhone 15 Pro Max as part of a test.
La Roche aux oiseaux
This is a beautiful little vista point with a very short nature trail. It has beautifully wooded, rocky coastline and nice vistas of the surrounding areas.
Saint Malo
This is one of my favorite towns in Bretagne. It has much more of a tourist vibe, though. It's quaint, but doesn't have the same wild and rugged feel that many of the other smaller and more remote villages and cities have. I love the beaches in Saint Malo and the energy that the old town has.
A word about photography...
I struggled quite a bit with landscape photography here. I quickly realized that I am not used to taking landscape photos in the overcast, yet bright, conditions that so often occur here. It was difficult to nail down a proper exposure. The sky was often devoid of details, as the specific type of overcast quality lack defined clouds. It was challenging. There was also a distinct lack of shadows as a result of the extremely diffused yet still very bright light. As a result, I am not that happy with many of the photographs and found it difficult to come up with an editing strategy. It's just a note that I thought I would mention if you're planning your visit. I would research this point specifically before going back again.
