Overview
The Glénan Islands are a string of small islands and islets about ten miles off Concarneau and the mouth of the Aven. Grouped around a shallow inner stretch of water — the “mer Blanche” — the islands form a lagoon of remarkably clear water, which in fine weather has earned the place its reputation as Brittany’s little Caribbean. The archipelago is known worldwide for the sailing school that was founded here, but it is also a major cruising stop: you don’t come here for a harbour, you come for an anchorage.
The main islands are Saint-Nicolas, the liveliest in season, Penfret with its lighthouse, Cigogne with its fort, Drénec and Bananec. The area is partly protected and is home to protected wildlife and plants: anchor with care, respecting the seagrass beds and the birds.
Approach & anchorage
The approach calls for rigour: the archipelago is surrounded by shoals and rocks, and the inner stretch of water is shallow. Enter by the buoyed channels, with the chart and the buoyage in front of you, and allow for the height of tide.
Practical pointers — La Chambre anchorage, between Saint-Nicolas, Bananec and Cigogne, is the most popular: sandy bottom, good holding, but very crowded in summer, and the tidal range must be allowed for when choosing your length of chain. Shelter is reasonable in moderate winds; in a strong blow or a swell the archipelago offers no real protection, and you are better off making for a harbour on the mainland (Concarneau, Bénodet, Loctudy). Watch out for regulated anchoring zones and seagrass beds.
Anchoring options depending on the wind:
- La Chambre — the reference anchorage, at the heart of the archipelago, on mooring buoys or at anchor depending on the zone.
- Off Penfret — anchorages possible further east, depending on the wind direction.
- Anchoring off — choosing the island to windward for shelter, and keeping an eye on any forecast wind shift.
Services ashore
The Glénan Islands are a nature stop: don’t expect the facilities of a marina.
- No deep-water harbour and no conventional visitors’ pontoons: this is an anchorage.
- Saint-Nicolas: in season, simple places to eat and passenger launches from Concarneau and Bénodet.
- No fuel and no provisions to be had: everything is prepared before leaving the mainland.
- Top up water and supplies in Concarneau, Bénodet or Loctudy.
Things to see & do
- The lagoon of the mer Blanche — turquoise water and sandbanks at low tide, the archipelago’s signature scenery.
- Saint-Nicolas island — footpaths, beaches and the marine biology laboratory.
- Fort Cigogne — an 18th-century fort in the centre of the archipelago.
- Penfret lighthouse — the landmark on the eastern side of the archipelago.
- Swimming and the dinghy — in fine weather, one of the most beautiful stretches of water in Brittany.
During the course — The Glénan Islands are an excellent training ground for anchoring off: choosing your spot according to wind and tide, calculating depth of water and length of chain, anchoring and weighing anchor, picking up and slipping a mooring buoy. You also practise careful navigation among the rocks, chart and buoyage to hand — a very instructive stage of a South Brittany course.
In pictures
