This rugged but beautiful coastline dramatically expresses its untamed nature and the fear inspired by the area's powerful currents and treacherous rocks displays. Indeed the people of the area have an individuality often at odds with French behaviour and more in-line with Gaelic traditions of Cornwall and Ireland.

While the inhabitants are no longer isolated from the rest of the world, centuries of tradition prevail, houses are painted blue and white for the Virgin Mary, or green and white to symbolise hope, with interiors furnished from driftwood. Gnarled old women make lace crosses to represent the souls of their husbands lost at sea and small black sheep roam freely over the land.

A worthwhile trip is the Isle d'Ouessant, an island 20km from the mainland near Brest, for it is a fascinating insight into this largely isolated region of France. St Malo, further north, is a busier town with an ancient maritime history. Within the parameters of the old city stands the Cathédrale Saint Vincent. Begun in the 11th century, the cathedral is the repository of an excellent collection of medieval and modern stained-glass windows. Squatting south of the old city is the 18th-century Fort de la Cité, once a German stronghold during WWII. Saint Malo is an excellent base from which to explore the Côte d'Émeraude, and the famous abbey at Mont Saint Michel, which can be visited as a day trip.

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