Region guide
What to do in the Pays des Abers and on the Côte des Légendes
The Île Vierge lighthouse, the Aber Wrac’h, Aber Benoît and Aber Ildut, the village of Meneham and white sand beaches: the guide to the Pays des Abers and the Côte des Légendes.
6 min read
North west of Brest, the coast is cut by three abers, estuaries where the sea runs far inland. Further east, the Côte des Légendes lines up dunes, rocks and white sand beaches.
The Île Vierge lighthouse
More than eighty metres high, it is the tallest dressed stone lighthouse in the world. The island is reached by boat from Plouguerneau in the summer season for guided tours; the small lighthouse next to it has become a holiday rental.
Lighthouses and museum
LighthouseÎle Vierge LighthousePlouguerneau · 2 hours to half a day, depending on the option.The tallest lighthouse in Europe and the tallest cut-stone lighthouse in the world, 82.50 m and 397 steps, closed to climbing in 2026 for restoration.
MuseumMusée du Léon, LesnevenLesneven · 1 hour to 1 hour 30In the former chapel of the Ursuline convent in Lesneven, a human-sized museum tells the story of the Pays de Léon from prehistory to today: rural and maritime life, costumes, economy and society.
LighthouseKermorvan LighthouseLe Conquet · 1 h to 1 h 30.The westernmost lighthouse on land in France, 20.35 m high, with 77 steps, guided visits and a new exhibition opened in July 2026.
The three abers
The Aber Wrac’h, with its marina in Landéda, is the liveliest. The wilder Aber Benoît can be followed on foot. The Aber Ildut, in Lanildut, is the leading seaweed port in Europe: boats unload the seaweed harvested offshore.
Meneham and the Côte des Légendes
In Kerlouan, the village of Meneham nestles its stone and thatch houses among huge boulders, around a former guardhouse. In Plounéour-Brignogan, the Men Marz menhir and the white sand beaches round off the walk.
Unusual stays
- Unusual stayLes Dômes du PonantPlouguerneau · 2 nights outside the holidays, a week recommended during school holidaysIn Plouguerneau, this 70 m² bioclimatic dome sleeps four in two bedrooms, with a full kitchen, a bathroom, a wood stove and the sea five minutes away on foot.See prices and bookPartner link Booking.com
- Unusual stayLes Dunes de Tréompan - Ty BullePloudalmézeau · 2 nights minimum, a week is ideal in summerIn Ploudalmézeau, Les Dunes de Tréompan offer a stay with your feet in the sand, with a renovated fisherman’s house, sea views, a garden and direct access to one of the finest dune systems in north Finistère.
The markets
- MarketMarché de LannilisLannilis · 1 to 2 hoursOn Wednesdays from 8 am to 12.30 pm, the Lannilis market brings together 25 stallholders in winter and around fifty in summer, with Breton dancing in July and August.
- MarketMarché de LesnevenLesneven · 1 to 2 hoursOn Monday mornings, more than 200 traders and producers gather on Place du Général-Le-Flô, in Lesneven: the biggest market on the Côte des Légendes.
- MarketMarché du bourgPlouguerneau · 1 to 2 hoursOn Thursdays from 8.30 am to 1 pm, all year round, the Plouguerneau market livens up the village centre, with a few stallholders in winter and around sixty in summer.
- MarketMarché de PloudalmézeauPloudalmézeau · 1 to 2 hoursOn Friday mornings, until 1 pm, all year round, the Ploudalmézeau market livens up the centre of this town in the Pays d’Iroise, near the beaches of Portsall.
Where to stay in the Pays des Abers
Stay in pays des Abers
Places to stay that are still available, with current prices, compared across the main booking platforms.
Partner link: a booking made from this map may earn us a commission, at no extra cost to you.
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