Plogoff is a coastal town of Finistère, in Brittany, 45 km west of Quimper.
However, the locality which is the "leading figure of Europe" is not the westernmost of mainland France (it is Plouarzel with the point of Corsen in northern Finistère). However, its territory includes the famous Pointe du Raz and part of the Baie des Trépassés, which together with the rugged south coast also form a unique landscape.
This exceptional environment has strongly influenced the history of the borough and the many hamlets forming the commune.
The habitat has thus developed for the most part set back from the coast, on a raised plateau to prevent the consequences of storms and other outbreaks of the ocean.
Fishing, collecting seaweed, raising were the main activities until the 20th century, but remains of human occupation since the Neolithic were uncovered. Then tourism linked to the Pointe du Raz slowly developed, parallel to the decline of traditional fishing.
Marked during the second war by the landing of resistants as early as 1940, the commune was at the forefront of news during the 1970s when the population opposed the establishment of a nuclear power plant, abandoned in 1981.
The development of its exceptional natural sites such as Pointe du Raz (where a shopping mall erected in 1970 has been razed) allows Plogoff (1,300 inhabitants) to offer tourists an unparalleled setting to discover a singular coast and a territory beyond time, rich in legends (that of the city of Ys supposedly engulfed offshore) and marked by maritime dramas. A must for those staying in Finistère!
Before discovering the unique surroundings and landscapes of Plogoff, one can dwell on some notable elements of its built heritage, essentially religious.
The parish church of Saint-Collodan, in the center of the town, dates from the 16th century for its oldest parts (nave), but the transept dates from the 17th century and the bell tower as the 18th century porch. The building whose style evokes the school of Pont Croix has been restored recently, including its stained glass windows. From the belfry, the point of view stretches to the point of the Raz.
Several chapels punctuate the municipal territory, and are worth the look. This is the case of the well-known Chapel of Our Lady of the Good Journey, built in the seventeenth century by the sea and restored in 1986. There are numerous ex-votos in the form of boats.
Also worth seeing is the chapel of Saint-Michel located south of the hamlet of Lescoff. Dating from the 16th century, restored in the 17th and then 19th and 20th centuries, it houses ancient statues. Let us also note the chapel of Saint-Yves, on the hamlet of Roz Kergaouren which leads to the Pointe du Raz. She was transferred there in 1817 after being threatened by the sea at the place called Cougon-sant-Youen. There are interesting statues such as a magnificent Christ on the Cross, restored.
The chapel of Saint-André was also moved because its foundations were threatened by the sea. Recently renovated, it dates from the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries.
Finally, as everywhere in Brittany, many crosses and calvaries mark the territory. The oldest dating from the 17th and 18th centuries.
On the Pointe du Raz, the poignant statue of Our Lady of the Castaways, in Carrara marble, the work of Cyprian Godebski, represents the Virgin appearing to a shipwrecked sailor. It was inaugurated in 1904.
Finally, in terms of heritage, a testimony to the sometimes violent conflict between the population and the authorities in the 1970s, to see in the town the astonishing statue "The stone-thrower", made of granite, depicting a demonstrator with sheep at his feet retaliating against the forces of order. A work of the local sculptor Robert Vaillant.
It is time then to discover the exceptional natural environment of the commune. The most emblematic site is the Point du Raz, labeled "Grand Site de France", composed of 200 hectares of protected natural areas (moors). The coast formed of cliffs and rocks from which you can see the island of Sein, the lighthouses of the Old and Tévennec, is spectacular. The area was largely pedestrianized and the commercial center established in 1970 has disappeared. A Maison de la Pointe du Raz has replaced it, intended to inform hikers and tourists on the site and its specific ecosystem, as well as protection operations. Information on +33 2 98 70 67 18.
This unique panorama extends towards the Baie des Trépassés and its beaches which join to the north on the territory of Cléden-Cap-Sizun.
Including the southern part of the communal coast, where the coast is also rugged (many headlands and tips), we discover several small harbors where once housed the fishermen and which are now occupied by small pleasure boats: " Feunteun Aod ", at the bottom of a creek, Pors Loubous, where Resistance fighters landed in 1940, including Honore d'Estienne d'Orves (plaques pay tribute to their sacrifice) or Bestrée, the most western one, fishermen and lighthouse staff. There was also a connection for Sein. The site is now reserved for boaters and fishermen on foot (crustaceans).
This exceptional ensemble is obviously conducive to hiking, provided of course to respect the rules of caution especially in heavy weather...
Three circuits are traced on Plogoff same (two concentrate on the coastline, another on the inland).
For cyclists, a road bike has been laid out, marked with signs. It connects the hamlets and the most spectacular points of the coast.
For documentation or information, please call +33 2 98 70 67 18. For circuits including Plogoff but to or from neighboring municipalities, please call 0809 10 29 10.
Finally, it is possible to explore Plogoff and its ribs on horseback: the equestrian center Feunteun Aod organizes walks of several hours or simple walks (reception of children from 4 years). Contact us at +33 2 98 70 67 40.
If the weather is suitable, you can also enjoy the pleasures of the beach: the Loch near the village is dotted with creeks. The beach of La Baie, between the Pointe du Raz and the Pointe du Van, in a magnificent landscape is the paradise for surfers. It is supervised in July and August.
For surfing, you can join the local club on +33 2 98 70 07 98. In a different way, it is finally possible to learn the lure fishing from the coast in the company of a guide. For further information, please call +33 6 84 11 84 94.
