Steep cliffs, volcanic rocks and secret coves: hiking in Belle-Ile, on the “GR 340”
Story The coastal path that circles the largest Breton island has been crowned the French people's favorite long-distance hiking trail. A joyfully athletic journey in harmony with the elements, with an elevation gain of 2,800 meters.
In the commune of Sauzon, the summer residence of Sarah Bernhardt. FRANCIS LEROY/ HEMIS
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"He who sees Belle-Ile sees his island; he who sees Groix sees his joy; he who sees Ouessant sees his blood." Chateaubriand had taken up this Breton saying in his "Mémoires d'outre-tombe" to express the attachment that the largest Breton island inspires in each new visitor. Claude Monet, who executed some of his most beautiful paintings there, spoke of "a superb country of wildness, a pile of terrible rocks and an improbable sea of colors." Also Belle-Ile-en-Mer, of which I had only had a glimpse until then, populated my fantasies as a hiker. So in mid-June I attacked this famous "GR 340", a coastal path of approximately 85 kilometers, which the French distinguished in 2022 as their favorite "long-distance hiking trail".
The adventure requires some preparation: you have to take the train to Auray, then a bus or – in the summer season – the little “corkscrew” train (because it avoids traffic jams) which runs along the peninsula to Quiberon; finally, the boat, which connects in less than an hour to the port of Palais. It is also imperative to book all your accommodation and evening meals, because campsites, gîtes, seasonal rentals and restaurants are…
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