April 26 and 27, 2022
I arrived in Binic, settled into my wonderful third floor studio apartment with a view of the sea, and then headed out to explore the beach and port. The tide was way out which is typical of the beaches and bays on this coast. Saint Malo to the west has the highest tides in Europe and the water can rise 13 metres between low and high tide.
This coast is famous for the harvesting and cultivation of shellfish such as clams, mussels, oysters and scallops. As I got closer to the low tide line, the sand was peppered with clam holes and the evidence of marine worms.
Here is a view looking back towards the town. This is just one corner of a very big beach!
I walked towards one of the two long jetties that protect the harbour. There is a seaside outdoor pool here that must delight families during summer vacations, and I saw several more as I walked up the coast.
I walked out to the end of the first jetty to take this photo looking out to the lighthouse at the end of the second jetty. The surface of the beautiful green sea looks calm but up on the jetty the wind was blowing in strong gusts and I had a hard time steadying the camera!
I walked back down the length of the jetty and towards the second arm. To reach it I had to cross a little bridge above a lock. When boats want to enter the marina from the harbour, they need to use the lock and the bridge can be raised to allow sailboats with tall masts through.
I walked out onto the second arm towards the lighthouse. What a beautiful place on a beautiful day!
Back at the foot of the jetty there was a small rocky hill with this view over the jetty and harbour,
and this view of the next-over, gorgeous, beach.
The next day, I would be starting my walk onto and along that headland! Speaking of which, my path would start exactly here, with a somewhat daunting staircase – a portent of things to come!
I headed back towards town, but not before saying hello to two old friends on the rocks by the beach that I hadn’t seen since Northumberland, sea thrift and sea campion.
I walked back along the shops and restaurants that lined the marina and past the centre of town to a pedestrian bridge that led to a small civic park and a war memorial (each French town that I have visited has had one).
As well as the houses and yards being tidy and well-kept along this coast, the civic and public spaces have also been attractive and welcoming with gardens, benches, picnic tables, and other facilities for residents and tourists. My afternoon walk in Binic was certainly a wonderful introduction to my time here, and it had been exciting to see the beginning of the GR trail, despite it starting with stairs! I shopped for groceries for the week, did a load of laundry at the apartment, and perused my maps, guidebook, and bus schedules. I worried that I might not sleep well because I was so excited and nervous at the same time but I slept soundly (all that sea air!) and awoke early, ready to start my long distance walk!
Interruption: Yes, yes, I know – that was lots of text and way more than 6 photos. Oh well, I did say I would ”try”!
Second interruption: Feel free, if you like, to start a little drinking game each time I use the words ”beautiful” or ”wonderful” or ”lovely”. Warning: you will get tipsy very quickly! Don’t even try it with my exclamation marks!! (Dear Brent, you know who was famous for those.)
Day One on the GR 34
Distance: 13.5 km from Binic to Plage Saint Marc, plus 1.5 to access the bus at Tréveneuc back to Binic.
I awoke early and headed out to a sea that was gray this morning instead of green, and the wind was blowing strongly. The tide was way out and the boats in the harbour were sitting on the sand.
I climbed the staircase easily and quickly to rise above the beach and onto the trail which was a very pleasant surprise, a dirt path instead of an expected street. On my right was the sea and on my left was either a wild patch of vegetation or sometimes someone’s large and verdant back yard garden.
As I climbed higher, I had this view back towards the jetty. The wind was very evident as it pushed those waves toward the shore!
Soon I had left the houses and town behind me and new views opened up as I walked along the top of the headland.
This view back shows how the strong winds here affect the growth of the vegetation.
Below, on the rocky Pointe de Trouquetet, a cross was silhouetted against the sea, likely to memorialize mariners lost, or perhaps to help ensure a safe return.
I kept stopping to look at the beaches that stretched behind me and in front of me, and the trees on the clifftop trail offered a beauty of their own.
Sometimes the trail would veer a little more inland from the cliff edge and the vegetation on both sides of the sides of the trail would surround me. Here I enjoyed my first swath of bluebells and a leaning-over chestnut tree in bloom.
The birds were very busy and vocal in the trees and shrubs all along this trail, the wind was still blowing, and I was nothing short of exhilarated as I walked along! After 4.5 kilometres, the trail descended to the Plage des Godelins. For some reason the panorama function on my camera is not working so here is my sad attempt to capture the expanse of the beach.
The trail rose up again to travel along another headland and soon there were views down to the next beach, the Plage du Moulin, and beyond it to the long arms of the harbour jetties at St-Quay-Portrieux.
Another descent, and another up and over (which would become a recurring pattern), and I reached the town and harbour of St-Quay-Portrieux. Here too the boats were beached by the low tide.
I walked along the harbour-front street to the port area where a convenient picnic bench offered a sunny but windy place for a small break and snack. Beyond the harbour the next beach over was very striking and I couldn’t resist walking down toward the water’s edge.
This town is very popular with tourists and it is very easy to see why!
Because I was drawn to walk out onto this beach, I lost track of the GR trail (which is really well signed) but I reasoned that it is very hard to go wrong if I just keep walking forward with the sea on my right. Back below the cliffs my guess at the trail location was wrong but it was easy enough to navigate with my guide book and my cell phone and soon I was back on the correct path or rather street. The amount of street walking that exists on this section of the GR is minimal and is easily managed, especially with sights like this to keep one interested and happy.
After negotiating a small headland via streets and trail, more St-Quay-Portrieux beaches came into view!
Staircases led me down to a promenade over the beach where a large swimming pool was awaiting summer families.
I carried on down the long promenade, stopping to look back,
and then forward to the next little cove.
This was next! The beauty of this place was unending!
By this time I had walked over ten kilometres and I was beginning to feel a little tired, perhaps more from the excitement than from the walking – it was a lot to take in! The coastal path said goodbye to the town and began to rise up to anther headland with the shore below becoming very rocky.
At the top of the cliff the path cut a swath through the thick vegetation. You can see the line of the path ahead in the photo on the right as it tracks along the top of the headland.
The trail continued along past brambles twined with ivy and bright yellow gorse until finally I could see the beginning of the inward curve of the beach at Saint-Marc. Almost there!
A dip down, a new up, and then the path took me across a wide open field with one last descent to the 15th century Chapel of Saint-Marc.
I paid a very quick visit to the beach,
and then I said goodbye to the GR 34 and walked along a pleasant path to the town of Tréveneuc where I had unfortunately just missed a bus with the next one not for another three hours! The bakery and convenience store were both closed (darn Wednesday) and I had no pen and paper with me (lesson learned). I took photos of the lovely church, chatted with a couple of teen boys, read ahead in my guide book, and then in the last hour resorted to entertaining myself with youtube videos on my phone. I was tired but very very happy – the GR 34 had exceeded my expectations and I couldn’t have hoped for a better first day on my long distance walk.
