Roscoff Overview

With a bevy of seafood restaurants, a central port, and several beaches, Roscoff (ross-koff; pop. 3550) is a city of the sea. The town has been everything from a base for pirates and smugglers to the birthplace of thalassothérapie (sea-water therapy), a treatment popular in France today. Roscoff’s strong nautical character and proximity to Île de Batz make it worth a quick stop.

Transportation And Practical Information. SNCF trains and buses run via Morlaix (30-45min., 4-6 per day, €5.30) to Brest (2hr., 5 per day, €15), Paris (5hr., 4 per day, €69), and Rennes (4hr., 4 per day, €34). The station is open daily 8:15am-6:40pm. Penn-ar-Bed buses (☎02 98 76 24 58; www.viaoo29.fr) leave from stops in the centre-ville and at the ferry terminal for Morlaix (1hr., M-Sa 5 per day, €2) and Quimper (2hr., 1 per day, €2). Ferries depart from the Port du Bloscon, outside of town. Brittany Ferries (☎08 25 82 88 28; www.brittanyferries.com) serves Plymouth, ENG (5-6hr., 1-2 per day, €124), and Cork, IRE (10-11hr., 1 per week, €309). Irish Ferries (☎02 98 61 17 17; www.irishferries.com) serves Rosslare, IRE about twice per week. Irish Ferries offers Eurail discounts up to 30%. Clear signs mark the way to the centre-ville from the train station or ferry terminal.

The tourist office, 46 rue Gambetta, offers transportation schedules, maps with suggested walking tours, a visitor’s guide, a list of chambres d’hôte, accommodations booking, and Internet access—all free. (☎02 98 61 12 13; www.roscoff-tourisme.com. Open July-Aug. M-Sa 9am-12:30pm and 1:30-7pm, Su 10am-12:30pm; Sept.-June M-Sa 9am-noon and 2-6pm.) There is a laundromat at 3 rue Jules Ferry. (Wash €4-8, dry €1 per 10min. Open daily 7:30am-9pm.) Free public toilets are near the tourist office, at the train station, and at the ferry terminal. Police are at 16 rue Jules Ferry (☎02 98 19 33 74). Internet is available at the tourist office and at Boulangerie Centrale, 6 rue Gambetta, with purchase. (☎02 98 69 72 61. Open July-Aug. daily 7am-7pm; Sept.-June M and W-Su 7am-7pm.) The post office, 19 rue Gambetta, offers currency exchange. (☎02 98 69 71 28. Open July-Aug. M-F 9am-12:30pm and 1:30-5:30pm, Sa 9am-12:30pm; Sept.-June M-F 9am-noon and 2-5pm, Sa 9am-12:30pm.) Postal Code: 29680.

Accommodations And Camping. At   Hôtel d’Angleterre , 28 rue Albert de Mun, a delightful staff offers large rooms with Breton furniture in an old mansion. A sunroom with wicker chairs looks over a backyard garden. Enjoy the restaurant, TV room with pool table, and sunny sitting room with chessboards. (☎02 98 69 70 42; fax 69 75 16. Breakfast €7. Reception 8am-11pm. Open Mar.-Oct. July-Aug. singles and doubles €35, with toilet €45, with bath or shower €57; Sept.-Oct. and Apr.-May €28/37/50. Demi-pension €38 per person, with toilet €41, with bath or shower €48. Extra bed €16. MC/V.) Roscoff’s only campground is Camping de Perharidy “Aux 4 Saisons” , near allée des Chênes Verts, 30min. from the train station. From the station, turn left on rue Ropartz Morvan, right on rue des Capucins, left on rue Laënnec, and right on rue de la Baie. Turn left at the coast, following route du Laber past the Jardin Louis Kerdilés, and then right; the campgound will be on your left. About 200 spots by the beach have access to a volleyball court, minigolf, bowling, hot showers, and laundry. (☎02 98 69 70 86 or 06 07 41 28 53; www.camping-aux4saisons.com. Reception daily July-Aug. 9am-noon and 2-8pm; from Sept. to mid-Oct. and Apr.-June 9-11:30am and 5:30-7:30pm. Reserve ahead. Open from Apr. to mid-Oct. July-Aug. 2 adults, car, and tent €11; €3.10 per extra person, children €1.80. From Sept. to mid-Oct. and Apr.-June 2 adults, car, and tent €8.70; €2.80 per extra person, children €1.70. Electricity €2.60-4.30. Cash only.)

Food. Restaurants serving seafood menus (€13-25) line the port. There is a market (W 9am-1pm) on quai Auxerre and a Casino supermarket a 15min. walk out of town on the right side of rue du Pontigou. (Open M-F 9am-12:30pm and 2-6pm, Sa 9am-6pm, Su 9am-noon; longer hours July-Aug.) One of Roscoff’s most distinctive crêperies, Ti Saozon , 14 rue Amiral Réveillère, dishes up fresh seafood in a simple but elegant interior. (☎02 98 69 71 89; www.jalima.fr. Plat du jour €9. Seafood plats €14-19. Lunch menu €11. Dinner menus €16-27. Open July-Sept. M-Th and Sa-Su noon-2:15pm and 7-9:30pm, F noon-2pm and 6:30-9:30pm; Oct.-June M-Tu, Th, Sa-Su noon-2:15pm and 7-9:30pm, F noon-2pm and 6:30-9:30pm. AmEx/MC/V.)

Sights. Boasting a panoramic view of the Bay of Morlaix, Le Jardin Exotique is a well-tended jungle featuring over 3000 species of tropical flora. From the tourist office, walk to the dock and turn right. Follow quai d’Auxerre, bear left on rue Jeanne d’Arc, and continue through pl. de Keradraon onto rue Plymouth. Turn right on rue de Great Torrington and then left, following the signs. (☎02 98 61 29 19; www.jardinexotiqueroscoff.com. Open daily July-Aug. 10am-7pm; Sept.-Oct. and Apr.-June 10:30am-12:30pm and 2-6pm; Nov. and Mar. 2-5pm. Guided tours July-Aug. W at 3pm. €5, students and seniors €4, ages 12-18 €2.) The 16th-century Église Notre Dame de Croaz-Batz looks like an enormous sandcastle with turreted spires and a Renaissance-style belfry. Twin stone cannons carved into the church’s main tower point toward the sea, symbolically defending the city. (Open daily 9am-noon and 2-6pm.) On the far right side of the port is the Pointe Sainte-Barbe, with spiraling stone steps that lead to a white chapel. Look out over a local shellfish farm for a view of Roscoff’s port and the rocky islands of the Bay of Morlaix. The Circuits Pedestre guide on the back of the tourist center map suggests pleasant walking tours (6-12km, 1-3hr.).