Naturist beach in Brittany: the areas to know and our advice

With its thousands of kilometres of coastline, its pink granite coves, its large sandy beaches and its islands, Brittany has some thirty beaches and coves frequented by naturists. Few are officially designated: most rely on long-standing customs and tolerance, away from family beaches.

Here is an overview of Brittany’s naturist areas, department by department, the rules to follow, the precautions to take around the tides and the naturist campsites in the region.

Naturist beaches of Brittany at a glance

Morbihan, the most fruitful department

Morbihan accounts for a good share of Brittany’s naturist areas. On the wild coast between Quiberon and Étel, the large dune-lined beach of Kerminihy, at Erdeven, is one of the best known in Brittany, as is Sainte-Barbe beach at Plouharnel. The Rhuys peninsula, with Kerver beach at Saint-Gildas-de-Rhuys, and the islands of Groix and Belle-Île-en-Mer also offer fine, secluded coves.

Finistère, between Audierne bay and the north coast

In the south of Finistère, Audierne bay stretches out as an immense wild beach, where several sectors frequented by naturists lie around Tronoen, Kermabec and Kerbinigou. To the north, Perharidi beach at Roscoff and the Guillec cove at Plougoulm are also mentioned, as is the Charrettes beach at Plouarzel, in the Pays d’Iroise.

Côtes-d’Armor and Ille-et-Vilaine

On the Côte de Penthièvre, Lourtouais beach at Erquy, nestled at the foot of pink sandstone cliffs, and Nantois beach at Pléneuf-Val-André are the best known. On the Pink Granite Coast, naturists frequent the coves of the Île d’Aganton at Pleumeur-Bodou, reachable at low tide. In Ille-et-Vilaine, Verger beach at Cancale and La Fourberie beach at Saint-Lunaire complete the list.

Rules to follow

• Settle away from family beaches and textile areas.
• Stay discreet and respectful, with no exhibitionist attitude whatsoever.
• Never photograph other bathers.
• Get dressed again to leave the beach and reach the car parks.
• Respect the dunes and protected natural areas, which are very numerous along the Breton coast.
• Check with the town halls: customs evolve and there is no up-to-date official list.

Tides, currents and swell: our safety advice

The Breton coastline is superb but demanding. Large tidal ranges can cut off a cove or an islet within minutes: this is the case of the Île d’Aganton, which is only accessible at low tide. On exposed coasts, such as Audierne bay or the wild coast of Quiberon, swell and currents make bathing dangerous.

• always check the time and coefficient of the tides;
• watch for bathing ban signs, which are common on wild coasts;
• never swim alone on an unsupervised beach;
• enter the water gradually: it stays cool, even in summer.

Where to stay at a naturist campsite in Brittany?

Our selection includes several naturist campsites in Brittany. At Belz, in Morbihan, the La Pinède naturist campsite, a non-profit campsite founded in 1971, is 6 km from the Kerminihy naturist beach. At Cléguer, near Lorient, Les Bruyères d’Arvor spreads over 7 hectares of woodland, with a swimming pool facing due south. In the Côtes-d’Armor, Le Bois de Penhoat, at Plourivo, is a small, friendly club near Paimpol and the Île de Bréhat.

Our verdict

Brittany offers naturism landscapes of great variety, from the dunes of Morbihan to the pink sandstone cliffs of Erquy. Beaches are rarely supervised and customs vary: check locally, always keep an eye on the tide and favour sheltered areas for swimming. For a relaxed stay, rely on a campsite or naturist club in the region.