Perros-Guirec travel guide

Visit Perros-Guirec (Brittany, France)

Perros-Guirec is a seaside resort on the northern coast of Brittany and in the Cotes-d'Armor department that is best known for its beaches and for being at the centre of the Coast of Pink Granite.

Explore Perros-Guirec

France This Way review: there is a great deal to discover in Perros-Guirec including sandy beaches, beautiful coastal scenery and a pleasant town centre, and it is probably the best base for a family exploring the Coast of Granite Rose

The town is quite spread out, with the town centre a few hundred metres from the beaches, which are themselves about one kilometre apart and the part of the town called Ploumanac'h is a few kilometres north-west of the centre of Perros-Guirec. No problem but you might need to check when you visit that your accommodation is where you want it to be!

Beaches in Perros-Guirec

There are two main beaches in the town, both on the north side of the peninsula and quite different in character.

The main beach, called the Plage de Trestraou, is a long sandy beach sheltered by the rocky outlets of land on both ends of the beach that have some charming villas built on them. There is a modern promenade behind the beach and a selection of hotels and restaurants.
The other beach, called the Plage de Trestignel, is also sandy but is shorter and with less facilities than the Plage de Trestraou, although it is also picturesque and also protected by rocky promontories at both ends of the beach and overlooked by beautiful villas.

I think most visitors will want to spend more time on the Plage de Trestraou but will certainly also want to vist the other beach during a visit. Parking can be a challenge but drive around long enough and something should turn up!

The beach photo of Perros-Guirec that you will often see in tourist marketing materials and in our main picture above is of the Plage de Trestignel, taken from the belvedere on the hill (on Boulevard Georges Clémenceau) about 100 metres west of the beach.

Perros-Guirec town centre

Perros-Guirec is not perhaps an exciting town from a historical point of view, having developed largely as a resort due to its great location. However, the town centre is pleasant and during the summer the centre of Perros-Guirec is lively and you will find several cafes, shops and a wide range of choices of places to stay.

The church of Saint-Jacques in the centre of Perros-Guirec is interesting to visit, and as well as rows of stone arches in the romanesque style separating the nave from the side aisles you can see an impressive altar and several painted wooden statues.

Another church in the town is the Chapel Notre-Dame-de-la-Clarté which also contains several painted wooden status from the 17th century as well as wooden doors with ancient carvings among its highlights.

In the part of Perros-Guirec between the town centre and the beach the streets are lined with palm-trees and stone villas with slate rooves. You will see on maps of the town that there is a port to the east, but this is not a major tourist attraction.

Note that because Ploumanac'h is a few kilometres away we have treated it as a separate location - see the Ploumanac'h guide for information.

Attractions nearby

You can take the coastal path which runs from the beach (Plage de Trestraou) in Perros-Guirec around to the fishing village at Ploumanac'h and on to Pointe de Squewel. This will be one of the highlights of your trip to Brittany - not to be missed! The walk meanders around the cliff revealing lots of the beautiful pink rocks the coast is named after. This particular stretch has lots of rocks sculpted into fabulous shapes by the sea.

If you are ever in Perros-Guirec in early summer you really must take a boat trip out to the Sept Iles which has become an amazing bird sanctuary. The sight of the seabirds that meet you on arrival at the main island is absolutely amazing and not to be missed. We took the trip in early June and were privileged to also spot a few puffins as unfortunately they tend to migrate from the islands about mid-summer onwards.

While most of your visit to Perros-Guirec will be based along the local coast and beaches we also recommend you take the time to visit the coastal village of Tregastel to the west, and the historic town at Lannion, a few kilometres south of Perros-Guirec and among the most popular sites of the Coast of Pink Granite.

See more seaside resorts in France. You can find more travel ideas in the Cotes-d'Armor guide and the Brittany guide.