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Headquarters : 5 Hent Meneyer, 29 950 Gouesnac'h, France. Postal address : 2 impasse de Kervégant, 29 350 Moëlan sur mer, France.
The island's fishing port
One of the island's beaches, by the jetty
Le Phare du Stiff lighthouse
Phare du Stiff lighthouse
View from the most westerly point
One of Ouessant's lighthouses watching over the 'Rail' passage into the Channel
Classed as a biosphere reserve by UNESCO, the island of Ouessant is part of the Armorique Regional Park. To get there, take a ferry from Brest, or from Le Conquet, a superb 45 minute ride during which you will be able to admire: Saint Mathieu cape, the Chenal du Four channel, the Pierres Noires and Pierres Vertes reefs, and the Molène archipelago. Hiring a bicycle is a must in order to explore the island… especially its prestigious lighthouses, which light the famous Rail d’Ouessant, one of the busiest and most dangerous shipping lanes in the world. As well as the lighthouses themselves – Créac’h, Jument, Stiff, Nividic – there is also a museum dedicated to them, Le Musée des Phares et Balises.
Other things to see are the Ecomuseum and the Saint-Paul-Aurélien church, there are the many local specialities such as mutton stew to taste, and with its drystone walls Ouessant has a look of Ireland about it… Beautiful beaches of differing sizes and a stunning granite coastline.
The charming village of Lampaul is the main settlement on the island, which is 7km long and 4km wide. Traditionally the menfolk were fishermen, and the women tended the land, the sheep and the home. A unique and special atmosphere emanates from this territory, which is like a sentinel looking out over the northern Atlantic, and one cannot remain untouched by the force of the elements here at the very western edge of the continent.