Rocking it out in Brittany's Armorique Park

We’re envious because Tony has a canoe with which to explore the Aulne. Most nights he swaps tales of his adventures with Jean-Yves, Ty Provost’s friendly owner, over a tisane (herb tea) or Breton cider.

Jean-Yves offers gites, cottages or mobile homes to rent throughout the year as well as seasonal camping pitches. Jean-Yves overwhelms us with advice about what to see. He sweeps his arms expansively; the Monts d’Arrée, Montagne Saint-Michel, Ménez Hom, Ménez Meur, the Crozon peninsula, the beautiful beaches of Pentrez and walks through the woods. So much to see and it’s all within very easy reach.

We’ve chosen three bases in the park, less than an hour apart, to get to know this land of myths, moorland and monts. Each site offers a distinct theme. From Camping le Panoramic at Telgruc-sur-Mer the highlights are the craggy coastline and dramatic rock formations of the Crozon peninsula. There are miles of marked trails with cliff paths to drop us down to whichever golden crescent of sand takes our fancy. From Ty Provost it’s the hills. At Camping de la Rivière d’Argent at Huelgoat it’s the lush, boulder-strewn forest with its Arthurian legends.

We’d entered the Armorique park at Sizun, stopping to admire the triumphal arch and calvary of the church of St Suliau and the rich Renaissance decoration of its 16th century ossuary. Griffons and monstrous creatures run along the outside. Inside, where the bones of the dead of the parish were once stacked, is an array of coiffes, traditional Breton headgear.

Some are tall enough to hold a baguette, while others are distinctly Minnie Mouse-like. By contrast, next day we pass the Alignments of Lagatjar, a group of about 65 standing stones, on our way to the Pointe de Pen Hir. There’s no explanation for these menhirs and there were once hundreds more. The rocks at the very tip of the Pointe de Pen Hir puzzle us even more.

They’re called the Tas de Pois, the pile of peas. They’re not in the least pea-like, but the view over the Atlantic or inland towards a string of inviting coves is enough to whet anyone’s appetite to further explore this part of Finistère.

It’s from the top of the Ménez Hom (330m), the most westerly of the Montagnes Noires (Black Mountains), that we get loads more inspiration. Brittany is full of legends. Up here we’re supposedly following in the footsteps of King Marc’h.

While our daughter, Sophie, goes off in search of a Neolithic tomb which has been ‘converted’ by myth-makers into his burial place, we scan the horizon for places to visit. The panorama takes us from Douarnenez Bay via the Aulne to where the river flows into the Brest Channel, to the end of the Crozon Peninsula. We can even see that pile of peas!

We’re lured to sea level again by the sight of beach after gorgeous beach spread out before us.

The wind is so strong that when we park alongside the beach of Trez-Bellec, near Telgruc-sur-Mer, we struggle to open the door. Sand stings our faces. We almost bend over double, while sand-yachters whiz round in circles on the huge expanse of beach. It’s just as well that I haven’t been sampling Lambig, the 40 per cent proof local digestif.

It’s as we bump along empty roads through the dense Forêt du Cranou, on our way to see the wolves, boars and deer at Domaine de Ménez Meur, that our sat nav goes haywire.

We occasionally spot rocky tors through the trees until we come to one of the highest points from where we can see Montagne Saint-Michel (380m). The tiny 17th century chapel on the top feels empty and forgotten.

It’s far more impressive from a distance, but the prospect from beside it is glorious.

We’d been persuaded to tour Armorique having seen idyllic images of cyclists pedalling alongside the Aulne and of families walking along coastal paths rich with purple heather and yellow gorse. Thanks to the location of our camp sites, we can easily leave our vehicle behind and plod or pedal off. Our tour is easy going and economical. We fill up with fuel just once in 16 days.

Using up quite a lot of energy means we can enjoy guilt-free indulgence in the local specialities.

Cycling up the hill to Ty Provost from Châteaulin becomes a good way to burn off the macaroons of many colours sold in the town’s riverside tea shops. Pedalling alongside the tree-lined Aulne through postcard-pretty Port Launay takes us past the door of Dominique Kermoal’s boulangerie. It’s renowned throughout Brittany as the place to sample the traditional plum dessert, Far Breton.

At Crêperie Le Presbytere, by the beach at Le Fret, our minds boggle at the combinations of ingredients to create our own crêpes.

Our imaginations are really stirred at Huelgoat. From Camping de la Rivière d’Argent we’re told we can “slip in to a magical forest full of myths and legends”.

It only takes a short walk alongside the river Argent to convince cynical ol’ me of those claims. I’m soon spouting brochure-like jargon such as “enchanting” and “fairytale”.

It’s the boulders, huge, random and moss-covered, some tumbled in to the river, others hidden among the trees, that elicit these descriptions.

It’s from beside the old watermill at the end of Huelgoat’s lake that we fall even deeper under the forest’s spell. We edge through tunnels formed by fallen granite. A ladder leads down to La Grotte du Diable to see where the water swirls noisily through the cave. We’re drawn onwards by places with names straight from the pages of story books; La Mare aux Fées (fairies’ pond) and La Mare aux Sangliers (wild boars’ pond). We pass the Grotte d’Artus, where King Arthur is said to have had a bed in the woods.

It’s the most famous of all Huelgoat’s boulders, the 100 tonne La Roche Tremblante, which leaves the biggest impression on Sophie.

She had read that even a child could rock it a little. That’s if they can find exactly the right spot on which to lean.

Everyone wants their picture taken having a go. We watch, highly entertained by one amusing failure after another, until an enthusiastic Dutch dad unlocks the ‘secret’. He confidently presses his shoulder under a niche in the rock and heaves upwards.

Sophie jumps in, copying his technique – and the boulder trembles ever so slightly. Her look of triumph is one of those holiday moments I’ll treasure forever.

Getting there

• Helen travelled from Plymouth to Roscoff return with Brittany Ferries. www.brittanyferries.com
  
  These peaceful sites offer a variety of mobile homes, holiday homes, chalets, caravans or tents, as well as touring pitches. English spoken.
  
   
• Camping le Panoramic
  Penquer, Telgruc-sur-Mer, Brittany.
  www.camping-panoramic.com
  
   
• Camping Ty Provost
  Dinéault, Châteaulin, Brittany.
  www.typrovost.com
  
   
• Camping de la Rivière d’Argent
  La Coudraie, Huelgoat, Brittany.
  www.larivieredargent.com
  
   
• The tourist office in Crozon has designed a marked trail around the peninsula’s 200 or so fortifications, including towers from the Napoleonic wars and German WWII blockhouses. Visit the Vauban tower (1693) in Camaret-sur-Mer. www.tour-vauban.e-monsite.com.
  
   
• At Domaine du Ménez Meur, an estate which safeguards regional breeds, there are four waymarked trails to see wolves, cows, pigs, deer and horses. Some are suitable for people with reduced mobility. Fantastic views. www.pnr-armorique.fr
  
   
• The church of St Germain in Pleyben is renowned for its magnificent calvary, splendid panelling, stained glass windows and decorated roof beams. Free museum. Guided tours.
  
   
• Take a boat from Morgat to see the Cap de la Chèvre from a different angle. There’s the much-photographed cove of l'île Vierge and the 26ft-long Altar Cave, the giant funnel known as the Devil’s Chimney and the Devil’s Bedroom. You may also see seals. Vedettes Rosmeur www.vedettes-rosmeur.fr
   
• www.brittanytourism.com
   
• www.pnr-armorique.fr