LPO Nature Outings on the Île-Grande

What it is

The Station LPO de l'Île Grande is the land base of the Ligue pour la Protection des Oiseaux on the Pink Granite Coast. It is on the Île-Grande, an island joined to the mainland by a bridge in the commune of Pleumeur-Bodou, and from it the LPO manages the nature reserve of the Sept-Îles, where about 40,000 seabirds breed. Next to the station there is a wildlife care centre.

For the visitor, the interesting thing is the nature outings with an LPO guide: short walks along the Trégor coast to watch birds, look for life on the shore at low tide or get to know the coastal flora. They are small activities, with people who know every rock, and they work well with children.

The outings

• Birds of the Trégor coast: 1 h 45. In July and August, four times a week from the station; the rest of the year, at various observation points on the coast. €8 and €5 reduced.
• Shore foraging and life on the shoreline: at low tide, all year. 1 h 45 outside the season (€8 and €5) and 2 h in July and August (€8.50 and €5.50). Boots are essential.
• Coastal flora: 1 h 45, €8 and €5.
• Family nature: 1 h 45 activities designed for children with their parents, €8 and €5.
• Boat to the Sept-Îles with an LPO guide: about 2 h without landing, three times a week in July and August, from the Trestraou maritime station, in Perros-Guirec. €22 and €16.50 for under-12s.

The reduced rate is for under-18s, students, jobseekers and people with disabilities. Under-3s do not pay. Minors cannot go without an adult.

How to book

All outings are booked by phone, on 02 96 91 91 40. In July and August places run out: call a few days ahead. The calendar of specific dates is published in the LPO's annual leaflet for the Île-Grande; ask for it when booking or at the station.

Getting there

The Île-Grande is west of Trégastel, in Pleumeur-Bodou, and is reached by car over the bridge. The station is the meeting point for almost all the outings in summer; outside the season, the LPO tells you where to meet when you book.

What to bring

Binoculars if you have them, warm clothes and a windcheater even if it is sunny, and wellies for shore foraging. Footwear that grips on wet rock. Water and something to eat for the children.

When to go

In summer there are more outings and more variety. In spring, the birds are breeding and there is more activity on the coast. Outside the season the bird and foraging outings continue, with fewer people and scattered dates.

To round it off

A few minutes away is the Cité des Télécoms and, to the east, Trégastel's beaches such as Coz-Pors. If you want to see the gannets of Rouzic, the boat leaves from Trestraou.