LPO Station at Île Grande

Who they are

The LPO, Ligue pour la Protection des Oiseaux, is the great French bird protection association, with national headquarters in Rochefort. On the coast of the Trégor, in Brittany, it manages the Sept-Îles nature reserve, off Perros-Guirec, and has its base ashore at the LPO Station at Île Grande, in Pleumeur-Bodou, on the rue de Castel Erek. The station is at once an exhibition space, the departure point for excursions and a wildlife care centre.

That centre was created in 1984, after the successive oil spills that hit this coast: the Torrey Canyon in 1967, the Amoco Cadiz in 1978 and the Tanio in 1980. It specialises in seabirds soiled by oil, but receives close to a thousand animals a year: seabirds, birds of prey, hedgehogs, pigeons and other small wild animals. It has laboratories, rehabilitation pools and aviaries, and is funded mainly by donations and members. At the station you can also see, thanks to a camera, live images of the bird colony on the island of Rouzic.

What outings it organises

Outings are guided by LPO staff and are always by reservation, on 02 96 91 91 40. In summer there are boat trips towards the Sept-Îles, of about two hours and without landing, to see the gannet colony on Rouzic, the grey seals and, until mid-July, puffins, razorbills and guillemots; they leave from the Trestraou maritime station, in Perros-Guirec, three times a week in July and August.

From the station itself leave the walking outings, of 1 h 45 to 2 hours: Trégor bird watching, discovery shellfish gathering in the tidal zone (bring boots), coastal flora and a playful family nature outing. In July and August there are several a week from Île Grande; outside summer the meeting point changes to the Pink Granite Coast. In August it has also scheduled dusk outings. The full calendar appears each year in a leaflet that can be consulted on the LPO website.

Prices, ages and tips

Walking outings cost about €8 per adult and €5 reduced rate (under-18s, students, unemployed and people with disabilities); in July and August the shellfish gathering one rises to €8.50. The boat to the Sept-Îles costs €22, with a reduced rate of €16.50 for under-12s. Under-3s do not pay. Unaccompanied minors are not admitted. The LPO sets no minimum age, but the family outings are designed precisely for children.

The boat trip does not land: the Rouzic colony is seen from the water. For seabirds the best time is spring to mid-summer; the puffins leave from July. Bring binoculars if you have them, warm clothes for the boat and shoes that can get wet for the beach.

Times and languages

The LPO does not publish a fixed opening time for the station to the public on its website, and in August 2025 it announced a closure for works; before going it is wise to call 02 96 91 91 40 to confirm that it is open. Outings are advertised in French only and the website mentions no other languages; if you do not speak it, ask when booking.