CAMARET is a sheltered port, at the very tip of the peninsula. Its most distinguishing feature is the pink-orange Château de Vauban, standing four-square at the end of the long jetty that runs back parallel to the main town waterfront. Walled, moated, and accessible via a little gatehouse reached by means of a drawbridge, it was built in 1689 to guard the approaches to Brest; these days it guards no more than a motley assortment of decaying half-submerged fishing boats, abandoned to rot beside the jetty. There are two beaches nearby – a small one to the north and another, larger and more attractive, in the low-lying (and rather marshy) Anse de Dinan. In summer Penn Ar Bed (tel 02.98.80.80.80, www.pennarbed.fr) operates an irregular ferry service from Camaret to the islands of Ouessant (€26 return) and Sein (€26 return), while Finist'Mer sails to Ouessant only (tel 02.98.27.88.44, www.finist-mer.fr; €26 return).A little walk away from the centre, around the port towards the protective jetty, the quai du Styvel contains a row of excellent hotels. Both the Vauban (tel 02.98.27.91.36; €30–40; closed Dec & Jan) and Du Styvel (tel 02.98.27.92.74; €30–40; closed Jan) are exceptionally hospitable, with rooms that look right out across the bay, but only the Styvel has a restaurant. There are also various campsites to fall back on, such as the four-star Le Grand Large (tel 02.98.27.91.41, www.campinglegrandlarge.com; closed Oct–March) and the two-star municipal Lannic (tel 02.98.27.91.31; closed Oct–Easter). Back along the quayside in the centre of town, La Voilerie, 7 quai Toudouze (tel 02.98.27.99.55), is an excellent fish restaurant.
| 