Gîtes and Villas near Concarneau

Concarneau is a working fishing port on Brittany's southern coast, famous for its fortified Ville Close — a medieval walled town built on an island in the harbour. The granite ramparts and slate-roofed houses date from the 14th century, and the stone streets inside still host fishmongers, crêperies and workshops turning out Breton striped jerseys. Outside the walls, the modern town spreads along a natural harbour where trawlers land mackerel, sardines and langoustines throughout the year.

The self-catering gîtes near Concarneau put you within easy reach of the Finistère coastline and the art villages of Pont-Aven and Beg-Meil. It's a practical base for families and couples who want beaches, seafood markets and coastal walking without the coach-tour crowds of Brittany's larger resorts.

About Concarneau

Concarneau grew wealthy on sardine fishing in the 19th century, and the canneries that once lined the quays have been replaced by yacht chandlers and auction halls. The port remains one of France's busiest for fresh fish, and the morning fish market on the Place Jean Jaurès is the real thing — restaurateurs and locals buying direct from boats that docked before dawn.

The Closed City of Concarneau sits on a tidal island reached by a short footbridge, its ramparts enclosing about 350 metres of cobbled lanes. You can walk the walls for views over the harbour and the Bay of Biscay beyond. The town expanded in the 1900s when marine biologists established a research station here, and the Marine Biological Station and Concarneau Marinarium still operates as both a working lab and a small public aquarium focusing on local species.

Inland, the countryside is a patchwork of hedged fields and stone hamlets. The Château de Keriolet, a neo-Gothic pile built in the 1860s for a Russian princess, stands a few kilometres north. To the west, the artist colony of Pont-Aven — where Gauguin painted in the 1880s — is now home to the Musée des Beaux-Arts de Pont-Aven, which holds works by the Pont-Aven School. The coast either side of Concarneau alternates between sandy bays and granite headlands, with Beg-Meil and Pointe de Beg-Meil offering quieter stretches of beach within a short drive.

Things to do near Concarneau

The Closed City of Concarneau is the main draw — a genuine medieval fortification with working shops, galleries and restaurants inside the ramparts. The walls themselves are open for a circular walk with harbour views. The Marine Biological Station and Concarneau Marinarium offers tanks of Breton marine life, from spider crabs to conger eels, and explains the science behind local fishing.

A half-hour drive west brings you to the Musée des Beaux-Arts de Pont-Aven, which covers the Post-Impressionist movement that flourished here in the late 1800s. The town itself is pleasant for an afternoon stroll along the Aven river. For coastal scenery, head to Pointe de Beg-Meil, a rocky promontory with coastal paths and views across to the Glénan archipelago, or La Cale de Beg-Meil, a sheltered slipway and small beach popular with families.

Further afield, Saint Corentin Cathedral in Quimper — about 20 kilometres northwest — is a Gothic monument with stained glass spanning five centuries and a nave that famously bends slightly off-axis. The town of Quimper also has a traditional pottery quarter and a compact old centre. For a family outing, Odet Loisirs near Quimper offers adventure activities and river trips along the Odet estuary.

Food & drink

Concarneau's fish market is the place to see the day's catch — turbot, monkfish, sea bass and shellfish sold from stalls near the port. The surrounding region produces cidre fermier (farmhouse cider) and Breton butter with its distinctive yellow colour and slight saltiness, both staples in local cooking. Crêpes and galettes (buckwheat pancakes) are on every menu, often filled with andouille sausage or local cheese.

For self-catering, the E.Leclerc CONCARNEAU hypermarket stocks regional products including Breton biscuits, canned sardines from nearby factories, and cheeses such as Tomme de Rhuys. The weekly market in the town centre runs on Monday and Friday mornings, with stalls selling vegetables, charcuterie and live shellfish. If you're dining out, the restaurants around the Ville Close specialise in plateau de fruits de mer — tiered platters of oysters, whelks, crab and langoustines served on ice.

Getting there

If you're travelling by ferry, Roscoff is 96 kilometres north of Concarneau — about 90 minutes by car via the N165. Brittany Ferries sails to Roscoff from Plymouth and Rosslare. Saint-Malo, served by Brittany Ferries from Portsmouth, is 165 kilometres away, roughly two hours' drive through central Brittany.

The nearest airport is Nantes Atlantique, 191 kilometres southeast with flights from various UK and European cities — allow two and a half hours by road. If you're coming by Eurostar, take the train to Paris Gare du Nord (477 kilometres) then connect via TGV to Quimper, from where Concarneau is a 20-kilometre drive. Driving from Calais takes around seven hours.