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[Presqu´ ile de Crozon]

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Presqu´ile de Crozon:

like a hammer, this peninsula faces the open atlantic and often has to take heavy beatings from raging storms. Winter is for sure the wildest time but spring and autumn also bruise the area with defty winds and shatter the beaches with solid waves. Nature is still wild here, steep cliffs domiate most of the head of the hammer and only the most wind and weather resistant plants grow at the ocean frontier. East of that first line at the west coast there is some shelter from the forces of the ocean and trees grow taller, fields are more often to be seen and less resistant plants can survive.

Human settlements also prefere to hide behind the western cliffs. Morgat, Crozon, Camaret and Roscanvel at the head, St. Nic, Landévennec and Le Faou at the base of the peninsula are the most important - but still small - towns. Especially Crozon and Morgat are the best basecamps if You stay on the peninsula for a longer time as they offer most of the essential things like supermarkets, accomodation, restaurants and, very important, plenty of bars. Near the large beaches, there is plenty of small houses that can be rented.

Besides the stunning nature, there is some historic and cultural sites to be found here. Be it stone age megalithes / menhires, middle age churches and Calvaires, the typical breton stone houses or the omnipresent bunkers from WWII, these places are not the absolut highlights but blendet into that impressive landscapes, they´re still worth the visit.

Typical for a peninsula, the sea is never far away. The west coast is rough and gets a lot of wind and waves. For the experienced windsurfer / surfer / kitebarder it offers some fantastic playgrounds. La Palue, Lost Marc´h, Baie de Goulien and some hard to find places at the Cap de la Chèvre and near Camaret offer the best options. But be aware, that these places face a very powerfull ocean with sometimes strong currents, huge waves and very heavy winds.

The south side of the peninsla faces the Baie de Douarnenez and gets some protection from the raging ocean by the Cap de la Chèvre. This is very helpfull, when You search some less challenging beaches. Especially when westerly gales shut down the west coast, this area offers some really nice waves. In summer the area is good for some flat water fun sailing or kiteboarding. Sailors love the bay too.

The northern tip of the presqu´ile only leaves a very narrow channel before the firm lands of Finistère beginn. So the bay of Brest is very protected from the open ocean. Too bad, that the french Navy olso found out about that and took a big part of the northern areas of the peninsula, which means, that they are off limit. More east to the base of the peninsula access to the beaches is less restricted, but this area is very shallow, which means, that big parts of it fall dry during low tide. Tidal currents are also strong here.

Besides surfing, windsurfing and kiteboarding plenty of other ocean related activities can be practised here. Sailing, diving, canoeing or fishing is very fine here.

And if You bring a mountainbike You will have fun riding the tricky trails along the coast. Bring some strench as it´s a constant up and down. Chances are good, that on a bike trip You not only find enjoyable rides but some secret surfspot too.

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