48 hours around Roscoff

Brittany/2023

It's a spur, a point that bristles on the Breton coast of North Finistère. From the seaside town of Roscoff to Carantec, via the charming island of Batz and the vegetable-growing town of Saint-Pol-de-Léon, you'll discover a jewel with a long history.

Roscoff - whose population rises from 3,500 in winter to 20,000 in summer - enjoys an unspoilt location and climate, thanks to the Gulf Stream that softens its coasts. Some say that this great ocean current stops at the island of Batz, just opposite, while others say that it pushes on to benefit the city and its surroundings. But everyone agrees on the mildness of the climate, the richness of the vegetation and the benefits of its cures, the little town of character being a renowned spa (it was here that the first thalassotherapy center was born, in 1899). Roscoff is also a yachting, fishing and commercial port. From the ferry terminal, Brittany Ferries boats set sail for Plymouth in England and Cork in Ireland. This is a business that has been hit by both the Brexit and the Covid-19 epidemic. Roscoff onions, the city's flagship product, have been renowned for two centuries. Ever since a Roscoff farmer crossed the Channel around 1830 to offer his produce to the English. The success grew, and by the early 20th century, more and more "Johnnies" - as the British call them - were crossing the Channel on their bicycles, criss-crossing English roads from village to village with their braids of onions. By 1930, there were more than 1,000 peddlers. Today, the trade may have disappeared, but the Roscoff pink onion has remained, and is known on both sides of the Channel, where it has enjoyed an AOC since 2009 and an AOP since 2013. And you can count on the Maison des Johnnies et de l'Oignon de Roscoff to bring its history to life. Opposite, you can see the island of Batz (don't pronounce the "tz"). Access is by shuttle bus, which leaves from the port at high tide, or at the end of the pontoon at low tide, which walkers use at all hours for the pleasure of walking on the water. Some old-timers even remember reaching Batz on foot, waist-deep in water, during a particular low-tide episode. The microclimate that reigns here thanks to the Gulf Stream allows us to see an incredibly rich vegetation, notably in the extraordinary Georges Delaselle garden, which brings together plants from every continent, with many subtropical varieties. Today, the garden is owned and maintained by the Conservatoire du Littoral, offering visitors the chance to explore the Palmeraie, the Jardin océanien and the Terres australes. The island makes its living from tourism, but also from the cultivation of early crops - notably the famous Batz potato - which benefit from the island's light, sandy soil. Just a few kilometers from Roscoff, Saint-Pol-de-Léon is a pretty town clustered around its cathedral, a fine example of Gothic architecture under Norman influence, with its beautiful rose window in the transept, its sculptures carved in granite as fine as lace and its rich furnishings. The capital of the Golden Belt is also France's leading market-gardening area, exporting thousands of tons of vegetables throughout Europe and producing artichokes, cauliflowers, onions and potatoes. On the other side of the mouth of the Penzé, Carantec is just as popular, a pretty seaside resort with a beautiful beach, footpaths for excursions, a charming, lively town center and a host of curiosities. You can climb up to the Chaise du Curé, a viewpoint offering a magnificent panorama of the Bay of Morlaix, then set off to discover the Château du Taureau, located on an island in the bay. Roscoff, Saint-Pol, Carantec... These are also three gourmet destinations: each boasts a 3-toque Gault&Millau restaurant! M. E.