With its wonderfully diverse geography and abundance of adventurous activities, Brittany is a paradise for outdoor explorers. We enjoy taking walks or going on hikes while we’re in Brittany. The circuit de Neiz Vran was one of our favorite hiking trails because it follows a gentle route and offers a lovely blend of countryside and sea.
This beautiful loop trail has a 9.5 km length, a 133 m elevation gain, and a 25 m maxim altitude. It has three options to start the trail: (1) the parking lot behind the Neiz Vran campsite, marked number 1 on the map; (2) the Lanhir car park (Petit Paris), marked number 6 on the map; and (3) the parking lot of the SNSM of Boutrouilles, marked number 10 on the map. We took the first option.
In English, Neiz Vran means “The Crow’s Nest”, which is why the main trail markers are black. The black hatched up with white means for variations and shortcuts.
We started off the trail in the parking lot behind the Neiz Vran campsite, proceeded counterclockwise, and followed the coastal path. When the coastline was inaccessible, we walked along the sides of the road. We came back to the coastal path after walking 1.3 km. When we reached Poul Feunteun, we learned that fresh water was coming out of the buzzard on the beach. We then went by the covered Pors Huel walkway, which is home to the vestiges of prehistory that are only visible at low tide in Tresseny Cove. Along the way, we passed by a private property; however, we were still able to walk around and admire the migratory birds that land in the marshes.
As the trail led us further inland, we passed through a lively neighborhood known as “Petit Paris”. As we went on, we came across the buried fountain of Feunteun Zu, which has 24 steps down to reach the water. Our next stop on the trail was the Pagan Surf School, which is open from April to December. We then made our way to Boutrouille SNSM station, which has two boats for rescue and surveillance.
From the inland, we retreated into the coastline and came across Karreg Hir seaweed oven. This oven is part of the last remnants of the seaweed industry on the Kerlouan commune. From here, we can see Enez Amann Ar Rouz to the northwest, the lighthouse on the Virgin Islands to the west, and the entire coast all the way to Pontusval to the east. Although Enez Amann Ar Rouz (the island of Hamon le Roux) is privately owned, we were able to wander around and find amazing rocks. We learned that these rocks are more admirable in bad weather.
It was the ideal summertime stroll that took us two hours and twenty-five minutes. On a bright day, as we walked along the coastal path, we felt the cool summer breeze, heard the ocean waves crashing onto the rocks below, and smelled the salty sea air. We frequently had the chance to pause on the beaches, sit on a rock, and take in the scenery as we wondered how the world could be so breathtaking and beautiful! When we were done, we felt refreshed, and it was worth every step.
Little Lilly Meets the World 