Roscoff

Roscoff (Breton: Rosko) is a commune in the arrondissement of Morlaix in the Finistère département, in the region of Brittany in France.

Understand

Roscoff is a characteristically Breton city. Situated on a peninsula in the Bay of Morlaix, this former city of corsairs features salt breezes, sandy beaches, and a particularly clear sea. There are opportunities here for sailing, thalassotherapy, nature, festivals, and other activities for the whole family.

Get in

By boat

Brittany Ferries provides services from Rosslare and Cork, Ireland, as well as from Plymouth in the UK.

By train

The rail link to Morlaix has been indefinitely suspended since 2018 due to track damage. Replacement buses now run to Morlaix, which is served by the TGV from Paris and Brest, as well as some TER regional services.

By plane

The nearest airport is that of Brest, from which Air France flies short-haul flights to Paris for around €50.

By road

Roscoff is some 560 km from Paris via the A11 motorway and then the Route Nationale 12.

Get around

You need a car if you want to travel freely. Although there is a bus service, there are few buses on the roads.

There is an Avis agency in Roscoff.

See

• The harbour, with lots of fishing boats, including seaweed harvesters (look for a long pole on the deck, which they twist the seaweed up with).
• Saint Barbara's Chapel (chapelle sainte Barbe): Dating from 1619, it offers excellent views over the town of Roscoff and especially the whole Bay of Morlaix. There are guided tours from spring to autumn.
• The church of Notre Dame de Croaz Batz: Built in the 16th century

Do

• For an outing you can catch a boat across to the Isle de Batz (pronounced 'eel de bah') this is only a short distance across the bay.
• Thalassotherapy. As Brittany is the cradle of French thalassotherapy, it is not surprising for a seaside city like Roscoff to offer such oceanic spa facilities. Relaxation, treatments for backache, and mother/baby remedies are on offer.