Paimpol

Paimpol is one of the liveliest fishing ports in the area and a good base for exploring the pink-granite rocks that have made this part of the coast famous. The town itself has a maze of narrow streets edged with shops, restaurants, and souvenir boutiques—all of which seem to inevitably lead to the harbor. Today most fish are caught in the channel, but fishermen once unloaded their catch from far-off seas here. For centuries, they sailed to Newfoundland each spring to harvest cod—a long and perilous journey; their endeavors are still honored annually on the third Sunday in July during the Fête des Terres-Neuvas, a celebration of the Breton fleet’s traditional return from those New World fishing grounds.