Camaret-sur-Mer church and harbour

Camaret-sur-Mer – Introduction

Camaret-sur-Mer in Brittany is a small town, some 2700 inhabitants, with a very scenic harbour, enormous dramatic cliffs and a very big monument.

The village/town is old, very old. Traces of habitation can be found as far back as 2500 years BC! In those days, the place was for druides and their magical stone, the menhirs (many can still be seen).

The Cliffs and Park

On both side of the town are enormous cliffs which are part of natural parks (the ‘Parc naturel régional d’Armorique). The whole area is littered with hiking paths, so you can walk alongside these dramatic cliffs.

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Cliffs close to Camaret-sur-Mer in BrittanyCliffs close to Camaret-sur-Mer in Brittany
View towards the other cliffs of Camaret-sur-MerView towards the other cliffs of Camaret-sur-Mer
Cliff formations in the se alongside Camaret-sur-Mer in BrittanyCliff formations in the se alongside Camaret-sur-Mer in Brittany
Narrow passageways alongside the cliffs at Camaret-sur-MerNarrow passageways alongside the cliffs at Camaret-sur-Mer
Ragged edges of the cliffs near Camaret-sur-MerRagged edges of the cliffs near Camaret-sur-Mer
Dramatic looking cliffs at Camaret-sur-Mer in BrittanyDramatic looking cliffs at Camaret-sur-Mer in Brittany

Croix de Pen-Hir

At the furthest point on the Southern cliffs you can find a very big monument which can be seen for miles.

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The 'Croix de Pen-Hir' monument of Camaret-sur-Mer seen from a distanceThe ‘Croix de Pen-Hir’ monument of Camaret-sur-Mer seen from a distance
The 'Croix de Pen-Hir' monument of Camaret-sur-MerThe ‘Croix de Pen-Hir’ monument of Camaret-sur-Mer
Inscriptions on the 'Croix de Pen-Hir' monument of Camaret-sur-MerInscriptions on the ‘Croix de Pen-Hir’ monument of Camaret-sur-Mer
View towards the North/West from the 'Croix de Pen-Hir' monument of Camaret-sur-MerView towards the North/West from the ‘Croix de Pen-Hir’ monument of Camaret-sur-Mer
Rock formations close to the 'Croix de Pen-Hir' monument of Camaret-sur-MerRock formations close to the ‘Croix de Pen-Hir’ monument of Camaret-sur-Mer
One of several beaches of Camaret-sur-Mer as seen from the 'Croix de Pen-Hir' monument One of several beaches of Camaret-sur-Mer as seen from the ‘Croix de Pen-Hir’ monument

The monument is called the “Croix de Pen-Hir” and it’s a monument dedicated to the Bretons (the inhabitants of Brittany) who died during WWII. The monument was inaugurated in 1951 by General Charles de Gaulle.

Several inscriptions adorn the monument:

  • Aux Bretons de la France libre – MCMXL – MCMXLV – La France a perdu une bataille, mais la France n’a pas perdu la guerre. Dans l’univers libre des forces immenses n’ont pas encore donné. Un jour ces forces écraseront l’ennemi” which is in French and means “To the Bretons of Free France – MCMXL – MCMXLV – France lost a battle, but France did not lose the war. In the free universe the immense forces have not yet given. One day these forces will crush the enemy.
  • Kentoc’h mervel eget em zaotra” which is written in Breton and means “Rather death than disgrace
  • Homme libre, toujours tu chériras la mer” in French, which means “Free man, always you will cherish the sea

NOTE: If you look very closely in photo 4 above, to the left of the chapel/lighthouse, in between the left most rocks, you will see a submarine. I only noticed it when I was preparing the photo to be placed here.

The Village

The village/town of Camaret-sur-Mer is very nice and quite. It has a pleasant feel to it, and it’s a nice place to walk around, especially around the beach area.

There are quite a few restaurants alongside the beach area and some small hotels.

The beach area of Camaret-sur-mer
The beach area of Camaret-sur-mer

But the really interesting part of Camaret is to be found alongside the long harbour wall:

Ship Graveyard

The first thing you see is several shipwrecks. This is a ship graveyard where old, mostly fishing boats, have come to die.

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The start of the harbour wall at Camaret-sur-MerThe start of the harbour wall at Camaret-sur-Mer
Shipwrecks at Camaret-sur-MerShipwrecks at Camaret-sur-Mer
Two Shipwrecks at Camaret-sur-MerTwo Shipwrecks at Camaret-sur-Mer
One of the shipwrecks at Camaret-sur-MerOne of the shipwrecks at Camaret-sur-Mer
Nothing left of one of the shipwrecks at Camaret-sur-MerNothing left of one of the shipwrecks at Camaret-sur-Mer
Carcass of some of the shipwrecks at Camaret-sur-MerCarcass of some of the shipwrecks at Camaret-sur-Mer

Here, the mostly fishing boats are beached and then disassembled. There is also a shipyard there where new fishing boats are made (probably using many of the salvaged parts of these shipwrecks).

The Notre-Dame-de-Rocamadour Chapel

A little bit further from the shipwrecks, you will find this amazingly petty and simple chapel. It’s a chapel dedicated to the fishermen and is called the Chapelle Notre-Dame-de-Rocamadour.

The initial chapel dates back to 1183, but was mostly destroyed in the centuries afterwards. Now, the oldest portion of the chapel dates back to the year 1527.

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The Notre-Dame-de-Rocamadour Chapel at Camaret-sur-MerThe Notre-Dame-de-Rocamadour Chapel at Camaret-sur-Mer
Side view of the Notre-Dame-de-Rocamadour Chapel at Camaret-sur-MerSide view of the Notre-Dame-de-Rocamadour Chapel at Camaret-sur-Mer
Main entrance of the Notre-Dame-de-Rocamadour Chapel at Camaret-sur-MerMain entrance of the Notre-Dame-de-Rocamadour Chapel at Camaret-sur-Mer
Side entrance of the Notre-Dame-de-Rocamadour Chapel at Camaret-sur-MerSide entrance of the Notre-Dame-de-Rocamadour Chapel at Camaret-sur-Mer

The inside of the church had been destroyed during a fire in 1910. The chapel’s roof was destroyed including its adorned beams. They were all replaced with standard beams. All sculptures were lost.

Today, the chapel is simple, with several model fishing boats inside the chapel.

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Inside the Notre-Dame-de-Rocamadour Chapel at Camaret-sur-MerInside the Notre-Dame-de-Rocamadour Chapel at Camaret-sur-Mer
The altar of the Notre-Dame-de-Rocamadour Chapel at Camaret-sur-MerThe altar of the Notre-Dame-de-Rocamadour Chapel at Camaret-sur-Mer
Small side chapel of the Notre-Dame-de-Rocamadour Chapel at Camaret-sur-MerSmall side chapel of the Notre-Dame-de-Rocamadour Chapel at Camaret-sur-Mer
Several model fishing boats inside the Notre-Dame-de-Rocamadour Chapel at Camaret-sur-MerSeveral model fishing boats inside the Notre-Dame-de-Rocamadour Chapel at Camaret-sur-Mer

The Vauban Tower

The last part of the harbour walls of Camaret-sur-Mer is dominated by a small fortress. The fortress is called the “Tour Vauban” (the Vauban Tower) after its architect, Sebastien Le Prestre, marquis of Vauban.

The fortified tower, or mini-fortress, was built in the 17th century. The tower is 18 meters high.

The tower has several cannons, which crossfires with the other fortress of Camaret-sur-Mer, the Pointe du Grand Gouin fort.

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The Vauban Tower of Camaret-sur-MerThe Vauban Tower of Camaret-sur-Mer
The drawbridge of the Vauban Tower of Camaret-sur-MerThe drawbridge of the Vauban Tower of Camaret-sur-Mer
The central tower of the Vauban Tower of Camaret-sur-MerThe central tower of the Vauban Tower of Camaret-sur-Mer
Fortified walls of the Vauban Tower of Camaret-sur-MerFortified walls of the Vauban Tower of Camaret-sur-Mer
The moat of the Vauban Tower of Camaret-sur-MerThe moat of the Vauban Tower of Camaret-sur-Mer

The fort had been attacked even before it was finished by the Anglo-Dutch forces in 1694. It was not able to fully defend itself since not all of the artillery has not yet been installed. However, they won the battle.

During WWI, the tower was the base of seaplanes. During WWII, the American Air Force badly damaged the Tower during raids against the German bunkers.

The Vauban tower, and other Vauban fortifications, forms part of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Today the Tower can be visited. It has been turned into a museum of the Vauban defenses.

TIP Do check the website since they are not always open. Click here to access the Vauban Tourist Office website.

Old Lighthouse

Finally, next to the Vauban Tower you will find this beautiful lighthouse.

Lighthouse at Camaret-sur-Mer
Lighthouse at Camaret-sur-Mer

This is an old lighthouse that is no longer used, replaced by two other slightly outside the harbour.

Conclusion

Camaret-sur-Mer is a very nice and scenic town. Not only are the natural parks and monuments are great place to look around and admire the coastline, but the harbour area is worth a detour just to visit.

Between the shipwrecks, chapel and Vauban tower, you will find enough things to keep you occupied.

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