If the weather is nice, we go to the beach. That of Sables Blancs or those of Cabellou? It depends on the mood of the moment and especially the direction of the wind! The first, more family-friendly, deploys fine sand and entertainment sheltered from winds and currents. The second, interspersed with rocks along a peninsula, are a perfect playground for shrimp fishing. It's gray ? We go to the Thalasso Concarneau Spa Marin (concarneau-thalasso.com) to book the signature massage, a "Balade à Concarneau" designed to pamper our 5 senses, or wade in the marine spa open to the nearby ocean through large bay windows .
This is the ideal time to visit this fortified city of the 15th and 16th centuries, far from the dense crowds and the heat of summer. We have lunch on a buckwheat pancake on the terrace at the crêperie Le Pentii (6, place Saint-Guénolé) or we give in to the delights of tea time at the Maison du Kouign Amann (18, place Saint-Guénolé), before setting off again to beat the pavement between the drawbridge and the airlock.
Impossible to miss the Gloux Gallery on the marina (22, av. du Docteur-Pierre-Nicolas), recognizable by its astonishing half-timbered red wooden facade inspired by Scandinavian houses. Former painters' studio since 1880, it is now the essential starting point for anyone who wants to follow the painters' route in Cornouaille, and why not leave with a bronze crab by Lemonnier or a fish by Jean-Pierre Guilleron. We then push on to Pont-Aven to discover the brand new museum and its first exhibition, “The Rouart, from impressionism to magical realism” (until 18/09). Or we stay in town to visit the workshop of the ceramist Valérie Le Roux and shop for a stylized bottle, plates to mismatch, but also table linen or embroidered cushions.
Courageous? Head to the fishing port to watch purse seiners unload their cargo and visit the auction market (Thursday at 6 a.m., registration on 02 98 97 01 44). Another option:watch (and taste) the making of fish soup at the Conserverie Courtin, the oldest in the city, also known for its scallop confit and its pretty canned sardines. Next door, sit on the terrace at La Coquille, a recently renovated institution, and enjoy the view of the back of the walled city. We end with a visit to the Fishing Museum and especially its trawler to put yourself in the shoes of a fisherman. Storytelling evenings are organized there in summer in the old fish hold. A stone's throw away, the Admiral, in front of the walled city, is still the headquarters of the local sea dogs.
We embark for the island of Saint-Nicolas, on the Glénan archipelago, the Breton Seychelles, which we walk through in the middle of the narcissus in bloom on a guided tour or in a glass-bottomed boat. We take the opportunity to learn about sailing at the ultra-renowned nautical centre. And as there is no hotel on the island, we take the last boat of the evening (the Vedettes de l'Odet) to go back to sleep in Concarneau.
To sleep. Zen, uncluttered and with your feet in the water at the hotel Les Sables Blancs****. Or as
on the open sea (storm lamps, porthole doors, etc.), right next door, at Kermor***.
To eat. At the restaurant Le Flaveur (4, rue Duquesne). Fresh, local products (mackerel with escabèche, buckwheat fries…), top plates and a respectful addition.
More info:tourismeconcarneau.fr.
