Glenan Islands

The Glenan are a low scatter of islands about eighteen kilometres off southern Finistere, arranged around a shallow central lagoon called La Chambre; the sand is broken shell and maerl rather than quartz, which is why it is white and the water over it reads turquoise, and the comparison to the Caribbean is made constantly despite the temperature. Saint-Nicolas is the island visitors land on. The Glenan narcissus, a small white daffodil, grows on Saint-Nicolas and nowhere else in the world, protected in a reserve and flowering in April. The islands hold a well-known sailing school and a diving centre.

The landscape

• The lagoon - shallow water over white shell sand between the islands.
• The Glenan narcissus - a flower endemic to a single island, blooming in April.
• Saint-Nicolas - the one island open to landing, walked in an hour.
• The sailing school - the long-established Glenans centre on the water.

When to go

May to September for boats and water; the narcissus flowers in April when the reserve is at its most restricted. Boats do not run in rough weather or winter.

Things to know

Only one island can be landed on and the reserve is fenced. Boats are seasonal and weather-dependent, with time ashore fixed. There are no facilities beyond a couple of seasonal places. The water is cold.

Nearby

Concarneau lies north; Benodet is northwest.

Key facts