Our natural sites

Sensitive natural areas

Cap Fréhel in Plévenon

The well known Cap Fréhel and its 400 hectares of Natura 2000 classified site constitutes a remarkable example of a landscape of steep cliffs, sheltering several dozen species of lichens on a rich and varied moor according to the state of humidity and the nature of the soils on which it develops.
Here, gorse rubs shoulders with cotton grass and small carnivorous sundews. The site is a delight for amateur or passionate ornithologists, since it is home to many species of passing or nesting seabirds. The mark of man is found on this site with its famous lighthouse and the Fort La Latte fortress, a visit to which is worth the detour!

Sables-d'Or-les-Pins to Fréhel

Sables-d'Or-les-Pins is a transition zone between land and sea, with a diversity of environments and a remarkable floral richness.

The Islet estuary and dune arrow are subject to the twice-daily movement of the tides. At high tide the lagoon beach, the only south-facing beach in the Côtes d'Armor, is ideal for families who can enjoy the tranquility of the place and its warm, crystal clear waters which take on a turquoise color with the sun. A natural space of great beauty and always changing, the flora is typical of the dunes: blue thistle and samphires roamed by waders and majestic egrets...

The Valley of the Moulin de la Mer in Matignon

Let's continue east and always by the sea. The Valley of the Sea Mill, in the town of Matignon, from where you can admire the Fort la latte in the distance, offers between cultural heritage and natural heritage a range of sensory experiences to discover. On a small space, multiple natural habitats fit into each other, freshwater wetlands, coastal marshes, forest environments...

The only natural flowering ash population site in Brittany, ornithologists look for the magnificent Belon Shelduck in the mudflats, when the attentive observer spots squirrels or badger tracks. Today, ruined, the mills are the subject of several studies and conservation programs in order to preserve the spirit of the place, reflecting the history of the valley...

Rigourdaine Wood

Still by the sea, the Bois de la Rigourdaine site is an integral part of a string of coastal woods found along the Rance. Remarkable trees along the path which offer beautiful perspectives on the Rance, mark a varied flora and whose environments constitute natural habitats of European interest. Wildlife listens to each other before seeing itself, like the great spotted woodpecker on dead tree trunks. The imprint of man can be read in the plants of the old wooded park of the Rigourdaine manor, Hortensia, Rhododendrons, which are now allowed to regenerate naturally.

The Faluns website in Quiou

 Here, everything is linked to this limestone rock which constitutes the basement, formed a 15 million years and operated for decades until the 1980s, when the last careers. The vestiges of this exploitation are still visible in the form of lime kilns near the old working face of the quarries. Even older, the remains of the Gallo-Roman villa are valued and the 1,5 km marked circuit of the discovery trail teaches us the details of this place of interest. Let us add that the rarity of limestone rocks in Brittany contributes to enriching the region with its share of calcareous plants such as the ophrys bee whose flower imitates the insect, or the elegant ophrys pyramidal. The fauna is not left out here since one of the quarries is home to a population of Greater Horseshoe Bats, bats protected at national and European level.

The Rance Valley

The Rance has its source at Collinee (about 40 minutes southwest of Dinan) and flows into the English Channel between Dinard and Saint-Malo. A peaceful canal which becomes a winding river then a maritime river, the Rance sculpts the valley.
She draws varied landscapes, participates in the activities of the towns and villages that border it, accompanies walkers on foot and on the water, and is home to wildlife and
remarkably preserved flora. The towpaths offer as many pedestrian and cycling routes, the locks follow one another like an invitation to stopovers, the
old towers watch over the Rance... The serenity that reigns over the Rance Valley allows you to discover a host of small villages with unique charm: Léhon, Taden, Saint-Samson, La Vicomté, Pleudihen, Langrolay, Plouër-sur-Rance...

The Arguenon valley

The Arguenon is a ria (or aber in Breton), an old river valley invaded by the sea when the waters rise. Subject to the rhythm of the tides up to Plancoët, it remains a very specific small river which generates remarkable landscapes.

The Arguenon stretches for about sixty kilometers between Le Gouray and its maritime mouth, between Saint-Jacut-de-la-Mer and Saint-Cast-le-Guildo.

Kingfisher, heron, blue arrow, little egret… Binoculars are essential to contemplate the fauna that surrounds this river.

Our other natural sites