Walk to the Pointe du Raz

What it is

The Pointe du Raz is the rock spur at the far west of the Cap Sizun, in Plogoff, and one of the emblematic landscapes of Finistère. It holds the Grand Site de France label and is a natural site of the Finistère département. From the point you see opposite the Île de Sein, the La Vieille lighthouse on its rock and, further off, Ar-Men. Between the point and the island runs the Raz de Sein, a passage of currents that can be seen breaking from above and which gives the place its name.

On the way there is a statue of Notre-Dame des Naufragés, the semaphore, a small fort and viewpoints over the heath and the cliffs.

Parking and shuttle

You leave the car in the Maison de site car park. From April to the end of October you pay:

• Car or motor vehicle: €8 a day.
• Night in the car park, any vehicle: €18.
• Annual pass for a car: €20.

From the car park to the point it is 800 m. You can walk it along the central path, in about 15 minutes, or take the electric shuttle, which runs regularly from 10:30 to 13:00 and from 14:00 to 17:30, from April to the end of October. It costs €1 per trip and is free for under-10s and people with reduced mobility, who have priority. There is also a secondary path of 1.7 km, about 30 minutes.

What to do at the point

• The walk to the end: the central path is suitable for wheelchairs and pushchairs as far as the viewpoints. The last stretch over the rocks is not.
• The loop of the point on the GR 34: 4 km, an hour and a half, difficult level.
• Guided visits from the Maison de site: "Au Raz de la Pointe", of 1 hour, leaves from the semaphore at 14:00 and 16:00 (Monday to Friday in April, May and October; every day from June to September). It costs €5, €2 reduced and is free for under-10s. The sunset visit, of 2 h 30, leaves the Maison de site on Tuesday afternoons from April to October, and also on Thursdays in July and August: €9 and €6 reduced. Book at the Maison de site or the tourist office.

Maison de site and facilities

The Maison de site is open from April to the end of October, every day from 10:00 to 18:00, and until 19:00 in July and August. It has free information and exhibitions. Next to the car park there are restaurants, shops, toilets and left-luggage. For cyclists, the site has direct access to the véloroute La Littorale (V5/V45), bike racks and a repair kit.

When to go

In good visibility: in fog you cannot see Sein or the lighthouses. In May, June and September there is heather, long light and fewer people. In August, from mid-morning, the car park and the shuttle have queues. In winter, in a storm, the sea is the show; outside the season the car park is not charged and the Maison de site and the shuttle do not run.

With children or with a dog

With children, the shuttle is free up to age 10 and the central path allows a pushchair. Hold them at the viewpoints. With a dog, keep it on a lead and on the paths.

To round it off

From the point, the GR 34 goes down to the Baie des Trépassés in 2.5 km and continues to the Pointe du Van; it is all in the entry on the GR 34 from the Raz to the Van. To sleep nearby, the Hôtel de la Baie des Trépassés.