A Small Selection of Places and Activities Nearby
Carhaix-Plouguer:
Carhaix is the nearest town and has three supermarkets, all easy to find. It has a busy high street as well with lots of independent shops and bars. The best reason for visiting Carhaix, perhaps, is the plentiful supply of restaurants that are not too far from home.
Without giving specific recommendations, we've had excellent meals in La Ronde des Mets in Place de la Mairie (just tucked behind the high street in a small square) in La Rotonde (behind the main church) and in Ty Gwechell (creperie, close to La Rotonde). There are business cards from these and other good places to eat in the holiday home.
Carhaix is the nearest town and has three supermarkets, all easy to find. It has a busy high street as well with lots of independent shops and bars. The best reason for visiting Carhaix, perhaps, is the plentiful supply of restaurants that are not too far from home.
Without giving specific recommendations, we've had excellent meals in La Ronde des Mets in Place de la Mairie (just tucked behind the high street in a small square) in La Rotonde (behind the main church) and in Ty Gwechell (creperie, close to La Rotonde). There are business cards from these and other good places to eat in the holiday home.
Not far from Trébrivan, high in the Monts d'Arrées is the magical, Arthurian town and forest of Huelgoat (you pronounce it 'oo-ell-go-at', including the "t" at the end; it's Breton, not French). The town is delightful, bordering a lake and surrounded by forest, easily accessible from the town centre, which is filled with scenes like the one on the photo above. The walking is easy (unless you fancy one of the more strenuous routes, which are there for the more intrepid). Huelgoat is a must.
For the younger (or, as in our case, the not-so-young, but up for anything), the Nantes-Brest canal has many canoe hire places along its length nearby to Trébrivan. The one shown above has a run of fourteen chutes in an hour-long paddle - very exciting and tremendous fun. You can find this place near to Gourin, only about 5 miles from the house.
Perhaps more than anything, though, a holiday in rural Brittany is all about strapping on the walking boots and getting out into the beautiful countryside. At Le Bout de Sac, you'll find some walking books with maps and directions for some of the circuits in and around Côtes d'Armor, Finistère and the Monts d'Arrées National Park. You'll have to judge your own level of fitness, though - most walks are easy enough, but ignore the suggested timings in the guides - we always end up taking longer! The photo above shows the view from the Chapelle St Michel, the highest accessible point in Brittany - looking out over the Yeun Elez.