Finistère, the ultimate spot for water sports
With its coasts wide open to the swells, Finistère is renowned as the top spot for water sports. In the area of Pays Bigouden, La Torche is a world-famous surf spot, where surfers, windsurfers and kite-surfers come from far and wide to catch legendary waves in an equally legendary setting. Without wishing to spoil the surprise, you’ll get an absolutely amazing view of Audierne Bay from here. Further north, the surf spots of Locquirec and Le Dossen also offer some pretty sweet conditions if you’re a surfer!
Fans of sand-yachting looking for an adrenaline rush should head to the beaches of Penhors, Saint-Nic-Pentrez, Lestrévet, Goulien or Keremma. These vast sandy beaches leave you plenty of space to whizz along at high speed with the sea at your side.
Those who enjoy diving down to the seabed love the Glénan Archipelago in Fouesnant, an ideal spot for observing the wealth of marine wildlife and even a few shipwrecks. With its white-sand beaches and turquoise waters, the Glénan Archipelago can make you think you’re in the Caribbean. You can’t help but relax when you’re in a place like this…
Sailing
Learn all about the marinas along the Finistère coast and our exceptional sailing areas: Morlaix Bay, the Abers, the Iroise and Glénan Basins, the waters around Brest and the bays of Douarnenez and Audierne.
The marina teams in Finistère will be happy to share their knowledge about the wealth of sailing opportunities nearby:
Sailing base: Pôle France Voile in Brest
Finistère is a breeding ground for champions. Among the many French sailing schools, Pôle France Voile in Brest ranks in the top levels across the country. Within its Centre of Sporting Excellence, it offers year-round training and education. This means that athletes can continue their education while being trained at the highest level for competitions.
Offshore racing
Finistère is the birthplace for offshore racing and also the departure point, arrival point and stopping point for some of the world’s biggest races. Port-La-Forêt is synonymous with offshore racing and home to ‘Pôle Finistère’, a training ground for world-class sailors and competitors since 1993. In Brest, some of the big names in sailing get ready to set off around the globe while Concarneau, Douarnenez and even Roscoff are stopping points for major national races.
Offshore racing
Pépinière de champions
Discovery classes in Finistère: learning about the sea and the environment
Finistère is where children first got to experience ‘ocean classes’. Since the 1960s, generations of school children from infant school up to sixth form have learned about the marine environment, coming to understand this unique ecosystem in all its fragile and wonderful beauty.
It’s certainly a different way to learn, as for a few days or even a few weeks, the class gets relocated to the seaside, helping them to become aware of nature, to learn about local heritage and to try some water sports. Taught by qualified instructors as part of the teaching syllabus, the children also learn more about teamwork and sharing.
The teams in these ‘ocean class’ centres of Finistère are available for more information if you wish to contact them.
