Camaret-sur-Mer and the Crozon Peninsula – a pearl in Brittany

Writer: Helena Bergström

Updated: September 2026 | Camaret-sur-Mer is located at the tip of the Crozon Peninsula in Brittany, surrounded by a dramatic coastline with cliffs, beaches and the Atlantic Ocean as far as the eye can see. When we arrived here in our camper van, we were completely taken. Can it really be this beautiful?

Camaret-sur-Mer on the Crozon Peninsula

There are places that surprise us a little bit. When we arrived in Camaret-sur-Mer, we had already traveled around a lot of France, but here there was something about the combination of the small harbor, the sea, and the dramatic landscape that made us stop the camper again and again, go out and take photos, and just look.

We hardly knew what to say. This was one of the most beautiful places we had visited. Ever.

Camaret-sur-Mer is located at the westernmost point of the Crozon Peninsula in Brittany. The old fishing port is a great starting point for exploring the peninsula, but Camaret also has several attractions that are worth stopping at. Here are some of the experiences we think you should least miss.

1. Stroll along the port of Camaret-sur-Mer

When we arrived in Camaret-sur-Mer in the evening, we parked the camper on the outskirts of the town. The next morning we walked down to the harbor. Old boats were moored along the water and people were sitting in the cafes drinking coffee. It was exactly the kind of French coastal environment you hope to find when traveling through Brittany.

Camaret has a long history as a fishing port and shipping still shapes the environment. Today, fishing boats coexist with pleasure boats, restaurants, cafes and colorful houses along the quays. For us, it was actually quite far to just walk around and soak up the atmosphere.

2. See the Tour Vauban – a World Heritage Site in Camaret

At the far end of the harbor pier stands one of Camaret-sur-Mer's most famous landmarks, the Tour Vauban. The ochre-colored defensive tower, also known as the Tour Dorée, the Golden Tower, was built in the late 17th century as part of the defense of the entrance to Brest.

The famous French military engineer Sébastien Le Prestre de Vauban, who worked under Louis XIV, was behind its construction. Since 2008, the tower has been included in the UNESCO World Heritage Site ”Fortifications of Vauban”, which includes twelve groups of fortifications in various locations in France. The small tower in Camaret is therefore part of a much larger piece of French military history.

3. Look into Notre-Dame-de-Rocamadour

Very close to the Tour Vauban is the chapel of Notre-Dame-de-Rocamadour. The old sailor's chapel is intimately linked to the maritime history of Camaret. Inside the chapel are models of ships left as votive offerings.

The combination of the chapel, Tour Vauban, the sea and the harbor makes this part of Camaret particularly nice to walk around.

4. See the old boats at the ship graveyard

One of the more unusual sights in Camaret-sur-Mer is ship cemetery, the ship graveyard. Here, old fishing boats lie on the beach and are slowly broken down by weather, wind and salt water.

It may not be ”beautiful” in the traditional sense, but together with the harbor and the barren coastal environment, the old boat hulls create a special atmosphere and at the same time tell the story of Camaret's history as a fishing port.

5. Discover the stone rows at Lagatjar

Just outside Camaret is a much older attraction. The Alignements de Lagatjar consist of a large number of standing stones, menhirs, that stand in rows in the landscape. Bretagne Tourisme states that the area today includes around a hundred stones, some of which are more than three meters high.

The prehistoric remains are yet another reminder of how many different layers of history there are in this small part of Brittany.

6. Experience Pointe de Pen-Hir

It was above all the nature that made the strongest impression on us during our visit. A few kilometers from Camaret-sur-Mer lies Pointe de Pen-Hir, one of the most spectacular places on the Crozon Peninsula.

Here the cliffs drop about 70 meters down to the sea and off the cape lies a series of rocky islands called Tas de Pois, roughly "pea heap". But the name sounds much more modest than it actually is.

Out here you really encounter the Atlantic. Rocks, waves, wind and a sea that seems to go on forever. It was this type of landscape that made us stop time and time again during the trip.

Also nearby is Pen Hat Beach, a fantastic sandy beach surrounded by cliffs. The landscape is almost postcard-perfect, but the sea here is treacherous. Due to strong currents, swimming is prohibited. For us, it was instead another place where we wanted to stop, take photos and just take in the view.

7. Head out to Pointe du Toulinguet

On the other side of Plage de Pen Hat lies Pointe du Toulinguet, another dramatic headland just outside Camaret-sur-Mer. Here too, you are greeted by cliffs, sea and sweeping views of the Iroise Sea. The GR34 coastal path runs through the area and it is a great place to experience the landscape on foot.

At the far end of the cape there is a lighthouse and a semaphore station, but the outermost part is a military area and not accessible to visitors. It doesn't matter much. It is above all the coastal landscape and the views along the road that are the experience

8. Head out to Cap de la Chèvre

At the southernmost point of the Crozon peninsula lies Cap de la Chèvre, another place for those who want to experience wild Brittany. Here the cliffs rise in places about a hundred meters above the sea and from the headland you have a sweeping view of, among other things, the Bay of Douarnenez.

The landscape consists of cliffs, heaths and coastal vegetation, and the GR34 also passes here. We think that it is the whole that makes the Crozon Peninsula so special. It is not a single viewpoint that is fantastic. You keep driving and discover another bay, another cliff and another view that makes you want to stop.

Camaret-sur-Mer with a motorhome

We arrived in Camaret-sur-Mer by camper van and stayed overnight on the outskirts of the town. When we made our trip it was December and considerably quieter than during the summer. It suited us well.

We could wake up in the morning and walk down to the small harbor and then continue with the camper out towards the dramatic nature of the Crozon Peninsula.

There are currently both campsites and special opportunities for motorhomes in the area, but the range, rules and opening hours can change between seasons. Therefore, check current options before your trip, especially if you are traveling outside the summer season.

The Crozon Peninsula is great to explore by motorhome, but on smaller roads and along the coast it can be narrow in places. Take it easy and choose your parking space with a little care.

When is the best time to visit Camaret and the Crozon Peninsula?

Summer provides the largest selection of open restaurants, campsites and activities, but is also the most visited period.

We were here in December. This meant that some businesses were closed and of course we didn't get any classic beach weather. However, we did get to experience a much quieter Camaret and a coast that felt almost entirely our own.

And perhaps this landscape was especially suited to winter. Brittany's dramatic coastline doesn't actually need sunshine to be beautiful.

Is Camaret-sur-Mer and the Crozon Peninsula worth a visit?

For us, the answer is very simple. Yes. When we first wrote about Camaret-sur-Mer, we had a hard time finding the words. We had driven around in the camper, stopped at different places, gone out, photographed and gasped for breath.

We wrote that this was one of the most beautiful places we had ever visited. Ever. More than ten years later, it almost feels silly to try to edit out that spontaneous reaction and replace it with something more well-formulated. Because that's exactly how it felt.

Camaret-sur-Mer was charming. But it was when we continued out among the cliffs, beaches and windswept headlands of the Crozon Peninsula that we really fell for this part of Brittany. We would very much like to come back.

More to see in Brittany

Want to discover more during your trip to Brittany? Here you will find more reports and tips:

• Cancale
• Pointe du Raz
• Concarneau