The Île Renote, Trégastel

The Île Renote is not really an island: it is joined to Trégastel by a low neck of sand and rock you can walk across, and it makes a compact circuit of about half an hour with the sea on three sides. The granite here is the same pink as at Ploumanac'h but the ground is gentler — short turf and heath between the boulders, with clear pools left behind at low water and pale sand in the coves on either side.

It is the quiet alternative to Ploumanac'h, a couple of kilometres east along the shore, and the better choice when the main site is busy. The path is level enough for a family session and there are natural rooms between the boulders — sheltered pockets that hold light and cut the wind, which matters more than it sounds on this coast.

The island points north-west, so it takes both sunrise on one side and sunset on the other, and the pools at the northern end reflect the sky when the tide is out. Look east and Ploumanac'h and its lighthouse close the view; look north and the Sept-Îles sit on the horizon.

The neck can be covered on a big spring tide, so the crossing is not always available — check the tide table before planning to be out there. Parking is at the Grève Blanche end of Trégastel and fills in August; out of season it is empty, which is when this spot is at its best.