Douarnenez, Brittany

Douarnenez island, is a fishing-port in Brittany, north-western France, in the département of Finistère. It lies at the mouth of the Pouldavid Estuary on the southern shore of Douarnenez Bay in the Atlantic Ocean. It still has fish canning facilities (sardines and makrel) although sardine fishing, for which the town became famous, has fallen off in recent years.

Douarnenez has become an attraction for tourists, not only in view of its pleasant location and warm climate but because of its marinas, its maritime museum, its regattas and its sandy beaches. The island of Tristan off Douarnenez has a mysterious past and is accessible on foot at low tide.

Things to See & Do

* Sardine route – historical walking tour
* Boat trip to the sea caves on the north coast
* Locronan - beautifully preserved Breton village
* Walk at low tide to Tristan Island
* Quimper – historic town

General information

Cruise Season – Feb - Dec
Currency - Euro (€)
Language - French
Land Area – 24.94 km’s²
Population – 18,000
Electricity – 2 round pins European style
Time - GMT + one hour
International Country Telephone Code + 33

Port Location – Port of Rosmeur is located to east of the city centre.

Transport Links – Douarnenez is about five and a half hours' drive from Paris via Rennes, Lorient and Quimper. Quimper is also the best destination for air and rail connections to the region. There are regular bus connections between Quimper and Douarnenez, taking about 35 minutes. From Quimper, there are high-speed trains to Paris (4 hours) and to other parts of France. Quimper airport is about 20 minutes by taxi from Douarnenez and has flights to Paris. There are no regular passenger boat services; however those arriving by pleasure craft will find berthing facilities in Douarnenez.
There is a ferry service from Plymouth to Roscoff, less than two hours from Douarnenez by road.
Douarnenez has a number of municipal bus routes.