Un dibenn-sizhun hep ma c’harr… dispar !

A weekend without my car... a real treat!

Quimperlé les rias, a naturally inspiring destination
Inspiration in South Finistère, France
A weekend without my car | Destination Quimperlé les rias

Do you want to leave your everyday life behind, skip the car and take it easy for a long weekend? When you arrive at Quimperlé station, treat yourself to a weekend exploring the rias of South Finistère! First thing's first: book your train ticket!

#1 to discover the Laïta - Friday

From Quimperlé station, walk to your hotel in the lower town. The port has been active since the Middle Ages, importing wine, salt, limestone and slate; grain, honey, meat and wood were also exported. Drop off your suitcases and join the canoeing club a few hundred metres upstream. Embark on a trip* down the Laïta for around fifteen kilometres, lasting between 3 and 4 hours. From the river, you can see the Manoir de Carnoët in the forest and the Château de Bothané on the left bank. Near the abbey of Saint-Maurice, the Laïta meanders through the countryside, where you can take a break on the sandbanks or at the crêperie of the same name - a must! Arriving at Bas-Pouldu, you'll be treated to a panoramic view: the sea on the horizon, the Morbihan dunes on the port side and the little port on the starboard side, where Vincent and the minibus will be waiting for you. Back in town, dinner at the restaurant with suggestions: don't miss Friday's fish & ship at Chez Chouchou!

* The canoe route can be taken in the other direction depending on the tides.

Le GR34 au bords de la Laïte en Finistère Sud offre des points de vue majestueux.

#2 In the footsteps of the painters at Le Pouldu - Saturday

After breakfast, depart by taxi for Le Pouldu, where you will follow in Gauguin's footsteps with a visit at 11am to the Maison-Musée Gauguin, where he stayed with his painter friends from 1889 onwards. After this plunge into the Belle Epoque, you can enjoy a meal in one of Le Pouldu's restaurants, unless you opt for a picnic, served with your feet in the sand or on the cliffs overlooking the pretty coves with their transparent waters.

Follow the coastal path past the Kerou beach, a popular spot for surfers, to the Porsac'h cove and the Roche Percée cove with its characteristic natural arch. Continue on across the moorland and you'll see the calvary at Doëlan. You've reached the end of the road and can already see the ria and port of Doëlan, its lighthouses and traditional houses. The café terraces along the slipway will catch your eye, so sit back, you deserve it, and admire... Return to Quimperlé by taxi at your request, dinner at a restaurant on suggestion and a well-deserved night's sleep.

Tip: Head to the right bank in the late afternoon to watch the fish and shellfish being unloaded.

Gauguin et les peintres de l'Ecole de Pont-Aven ont séjourné au Pouldu, dans le Finistère sud.

Le Chemin des Peintres retrace l'histoire des peintres de Pont-Aven venu séjourner au Pouldu, en Finistère sud

La LaÏta se jette dans l'océan entre Le Pouldu et Guidel.

#3 Quimperlé, historic town - Sunday

After breakfast, take the town map and explore the historic quarter. Quimperlé reveals itself through its cobbled streets, stairways, bridges and footbridges. Don't miss the prestigious 10th-century Abbatiale Sainte-Croix, whose circular plan and original crypt make it a unique monument in an exceptional state of preservation. Go to the Pont Fleuri, the ancient entrance to the town dating back to the Middle Ages, and stroll along the banks of the Isole in the footsteps of the washerwomen before reaching the Halles and their small Sunday market. Don't hesitate to drop into the Maison des Archers to visit the current exhibition, if you feel like it. Then it's time to collect your luggage before a leisurely walk back to the station in the upper town.

NB: You can swap the Friday activity with the Sunday one depending on your arrival time, the tides, the weather conditions.

La rue Dom Morice à Quimperlé avec la Maison des Archers.

Le Pont Fleuri est le plus ancien pont de Quimperlé, en Finistère sud.

Les ruelles de la ville de Quimperlé se découvrent à pied.

La Laïta
Les peintres du Pouldu
La ville de Quimperlé