Sillon de Talbert

The Sillon de Talbert is a spit of shingle and sand about three kilometres long and thirty to a hundred metres wide, built where two tidal currents meet and drop what they carry, and it is one of the largest formations of its kind in Europe. It moves: storms shift material and the spit migrates slowly, and a gravel extraction operation in the twentieth century weakened it before being stopped. Walking it means crossing loose shingle out to a low tide field of rocks and islets with seals and seabirds around. A protected reserve covers it, with restrictions on where visitors may go during the bird breeding season.

The landscape

• The spit - three kilometres of shingle running out into the sea.
• The rock field - islets and reefs exposed at the far end at low tide.
• The seabirds and seals - wildlife using the reserve around the spit.
• The shifting form - a landform visibly reshaped by storms.

When to go

April to October; access restrictions apply during the bird breeding season in spring and early summer. Tides matter, and the far end should not be reached on a rising tide.

Practical notes

Walking on loose shingle for three kilometres each way is tiring. The tide can cut off the far end. Parts are closed for nesting birds. There is no shade or shelter.

Nearby

Brehat lies east; Paimpol is southeast.

Key facts