Villas in Finistère

Kerlouan and Plouescat suit beach walkers, Crozon suits cliff walkers, and Bénodet and Concarneau suit families wanting calmer water. Most of our villas are on the north coast, within an hour of the Roscoff ferry. This is the far west of France: expect wind and rain in any month and a cool sea, alongside wide beaches and a long coast path.

Where

Villas: 383
From, per week: £147
Cheapest month: October
Nearest airports: Brest is the closest airport, with flights from London Gatwick taking around an hour and a half, but UK routes to Brittany are limited and change by season. Many visitors take Brittany Ferries from Plymouth to Roscoff, which puts the north coast within an hour, or Portsmouth to Saint-Malo, around two and a half to three hours' drive away.

Where to stay in Finistère

The Côte des Légendes (Kerlouan, Brignogan, Plounéour-Trez, Guissény, Plouguerneau)

This is where we have the most villas. Granite boulders rise out of pale sand and shallow water along a coast of coves and dunes. At Kerlouan, the cottages and old guard house of Meneham are built in among the rocks, and Brignogan has a lighthouse and a standing stone near the beach. Plouguerneau looks out to the tall Ile Vierge lighthouse. Brest airport is around 40 minutes away, Roscoff about 45.

Best for: Walkers and families who want pale sand coves between granite boulders

Not for you if: You want shops and cafés on foot: villages are small and spread out.

Plouescat, Cléder and Santec (near Roscoff)

Plouescat has a big sandy bay, an old timber-framed covered market and tidal inlets for rock-pooling. Cléder's beaches run along a low shore of dunes and vegetable fields, and Santec has a long pine-backed beach right next to Roscoff. From Roscoff a boat crosses to the Ile de Batz in about 15 minutes. The ferry port is 10 to 25 minutes' drive, Brest airport around 45 minutes.

Best for: Families who want long sandy beaches close to the ferry

Not for you if: You want warm water: the Channel stays cold here even in August.

The Crozon peninsula (Crozon-Morgat and Pentrez)

The cross-shaped Crozon peninsula has some of the most dramatic coast in Brittany. Morgat has a sheltered sandy beach and boat trips into sea caves, and the Pointe de Pen-Hir near Camaret ends in sheer cliffs and offshore rocks. Pentrez, on the Bay of Douarnenez, is a long open beach below the Menez-Hom hill. Brest airport is about an hour away.

Best for: Walkers and kayakers who want cliffs and sheltered bays

Not for you if: You plan lots of day trips: the peninsula is a dead end, around an hour from Brest by road.

South Cornouaille (Bénodet, Fouesnant, Concarneau, Trégunc, Névez, Le Pouldu)

Bénodet has a marina at the mouth of the Odet and sandy beaches, and in summer boats run from there and Concarneau to the Glénan islands. Concarneau's walled Ville Close stands on an island in the harbour. Further east, Trégunc and Névez have rocky coves and thatched cottages at Kerascoët, and Le Pouldu has sandy beaches near Pont-Aven, where Gauguin painted. Brest airport is over an hour away.

Best for: Families who want sheltered sand, sailing and summer boat trips

Not for you if: You came for the wild far-west scenery: this coast is gentler and busier.

Pays Bigouden and Cap Sizun (Loctudy, Penmarc'h, Le Guilvinec, Plozévet, Audierne)

The south-west corner is flat, windswept and still busy with fishing. Le Guilvinec's boats land their catch in the afternoon, and you can watch the auction from a viewing gallery. Penmarc'h has the tall Eckmühl lighthouse, and Loctudy a sheltered estuary with family beaches. Further west, Audierne is about 20 minutes from the Pointe du Raz and has boats to the Ile de Sein. Brest airport is around an hour and a half away.

Best for: Surfers, walkers and anyone who likes working fishing ports

Not for you if: You want sheltered swimming everywhere: Penmarc'h and Plozévet face the open Atlantic swell.

Locquirec and Plougasnou (Bay of Morlaix)

Locquirec sits on a small peninsula with sandy beaches facing different ways, so one is usually out of the wind, and a little harbour at its tip. Plougasnou has rocky coves and the coast path round the Pointe de Primel. Nearby, the Cairn de Barnenez, a long stepped stone mound above the Bay of Morlaix, is one of the oldest monuments in Europe. Roscoff is about 45 minutes away, Brest airport around an hour.

Best for: Couples and families who want small sandy beaches and a harbour village

Not for you if: You want a wide choice of restaurants: Morlaix is the nearest town of any size.

The Iroise coast west of Brest (Plougonvelin, Plouarzel, Ploudalmézeau, Locmaria-Plouzané, Plougastel-Daoulas)

At Plougonvelin the lighthouse and ruined abbey of the Pointe Saint-Mathieu stand together on the cliff, and neighbouring Le Conquet has boats to Ouessant and Molène. The Pointe de Corsen at Plouarzel is the westernmost point of mainland France, and Ploudalmézeau has wide sandy beaches. Plougastel-Daoulas, across the Brest roadstead, is known for its strawberries. Brest airport is 20 to 40 minutes away.

Best for: Walkers and island-hoppers who want the end-of-France feel close to Brest

Not for you if: You dislike wind: this coast faces straight into the Atlantic weather.

When to go to Finistère

July and August are the warmest months and the only time everything is open, with daily boat trips and Breton music festivals such as the Festival de Cornouaille in Quimper. June and September are quieter and often bright, good for the coast path. Expect wind and showers in any month, and a sea that stays cool all summer. Out of season the smaller villages go very quiet, and many crêperies and boat services cut their hours or close until spring.