Small whaling station linking sea and land, Plouha is a charming little town with 4.477 inhabitants situated between St BRIEUC and PAIMPOL.

"PLOU" means parish in Breton (local language similar to Welsh) and "HA" almost certainly comes from "ADDA" or "AZA", a saint or chief breton from the 6th or 7th century AD.

PLOUHA is a parish rich in religion, history and nature.

You can visit the seven chapels including the Kermaria An-Isquit chapel (house of the mayor who gives health). Classified an historic monument, it dates back to the 12th century and serves as a necropolis and you can find paintings dedicated to death: The macabre dance.

The Cliffs of Plouha are the highest in Brittany and dominate the bay of St BRIEUC for 14Km. They are easily accessible by car but you can also discover them thanks to the GR34 which follows the path of the customs, spoiling you with grandioses sites, the majestic flight of the silver gulls and diving cormorants.

GWIN-ZEGAL (rye wine), which is a natural shelter for boats, is the last ancient type of moorage in Europe. Today its 8 to 10 meter-high trees that were planted in the sand with their roots are used as moorage for sailing boats : definitely worth seeing.

You will be spoilt for choice with five magnificent beaches which can each be discovered through the moving tides (Palus, Gwin-Zegal, Port Moguer, Bonaparte and Bréhec beaches). The Bonaparte beach was a historical place of the resistance in World War Two from which 135 allied airmen were evacuated.

Whatever type of outing you choose (walks, mountain biking, horse-riding or driving), the footpaths, roads and shorcuts will lead you to beautiful villages that are abundantly decorated with hydrangea.

All water-sports may be practised (sailling, canoeing, sea fishing or low water fishing, etc.). Furthermore, many sports and cultural activities will be on offer from the CAP ARMOR association which is at the Tourist Office.

For their part, the shopkeepers (mostly tradesman) will help you discover the food produce from both sea and land.

Be sure not to miss the Wednesday morning market (120 traders).

In July and August the Plouha associations organise various events for your enjoyment (festoù-noz, tradional Breton fete, bowling contests, etc.).

You can visit the charming market towns which surround.

An example of such a town is BINIC which has had the good sense to preserve authentically its central port.

You can also stop off at SAINT-QUAY-PORTRIEUX, a town divided in two with one side the home of the deep water port and all the fishing activity and the other with the commercial and sea-side attractions with Casino and restaurants.

Approximately 20 minutes the other side of PLOUHA, you will discover several small but diverse towns and villages- certainly the most well-known of these is PAIMPOL because of its festival of maritime songs. There is also a pleasure and fishing port right in the heart of the town.

Last but definitely not least is the ISLE OF BREHAT- it is a must. An island of contrasts will be a delight for those who love beauty, and those looking for calm and serenity in an idyllic setting. Its history is strewn with battles and changes starting with the construction of a monastery on the neighbouring island by St Budoc who came from England in the 5th century. Many times in the 15th and 16th centuries the island was ransacked by the English and Spanish but its most heroic period remains the time of the naval battles between France and Great Britain at the cusp of the 18th and 19th centuries with the brillant epic of the pirates.

Fishing from the shore or boat.

All water sports: dingy sailing, catamarans, diving, windsurfing, jet skiing, beach volleyball...

All more "normal" sports: horse riding, mountain biking, golf, minigolf, tennis...

For everything else there's CAPARMOR

For more information, you can find websites for lots of these activities in the links menu.