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A few figures | Climate

The cliffs

The most evocative image of Brittany is a high cliff battered by waves, even though this type of landscape is not continuous along t he entire coastline. However, the whole of the peninsula is bordered by rocky coastal outcrops of which the colours and shapes vary from north to south. The highest cliffs (over 100 m) are in the Crozon Peninsula, at the Point of Finistère. The cliffs at Goëlo and at Cap Fréhel in the Côtes d’Armor rise up and overhang the sea at a height of more than 70 m. From Douarnenez to the Pointe du Raz, the cliffs form an uninterrupted barrier dominating the Bay. Elsewhere, the cliffs are not so high, between 10 and 20 m, frequently hollowed out by creeks and beaches, as on the Quiberon Peninsula or the Concarneau coast. In addition, the cliffs are a breeding ground for sea birds: cormorants, gannets, petrels, etc. Covered in lichens and mosses, they are also carpeted with plants resistant to the marine air, such as anemones, sea campion, gorse or broom.

The beaches and dunes

A large area of the Breton coast is covered by dunes and sandy beaches. In Finistère this environment covers 20% of the coastline and in Morbihan, 35%. The action of sea currents has deposited fine sand in the lowest and set back areas of the coast, to form beaches and then dunes. Under the combined action of wind and sea, the dunes evolve and move, sometimes threatening to engulf whole villages. It is thus of prime importance to preserve the grassy vegetation – the only way to fix the dunes. The marram grass (long and straight with deep roots), sand thistles, immortelles and bindweed constitute the traditional flora of dunes, together with maritime pines.

Abers* and Rias

Brittany is also characterised by the abundance of rivers. Streaming over impermeable rocks, they cut deep, narrow enclosed valleys and enter the sea via long estuaries. In Léon, these river mouths are called abers. Further south they are called rias, such as the Etel ria. These estuaries are tidal and the effects are felt far inland (10 to 15 km for small rivers). For example, the movements of water have sculpted the wild countryside of the coast in north Finistère such as Aber Wrac’h, Aber Benoît and Aber Ildut. Naturally sheltered from strong swells, the abers and rias collect the finer sediments and mud. The mud flats are home to a specific flora and fauna – mud worms, cockles, razor clams and microscopic algae. The section of the coast affected by high tides and storms is covered with a special vegetation adapted to a saline environment (salicorne, sea asters, etc). This zone is sometimes used as pasture for sheep, such as the maritime meadows in the bay of Mont-Saint- Michel. (* aber = Breton word for river mouth, cf Welsh Aber - translator)

The Marshlands

A coastal marsh is a non tidal wetland. The marshes are formed in depressions, behind a coastal belt of sand or stones, or a manmade dyke. The degree of salinity of the water varies depending on infiltration of the sea underground and affects the vegetation and the fauna. The marshes are favoured nesting sites for many birds. Reed warblers, bitterns, moorhens, stilts and types of duck all nest here. They are also used by migratory birds who have no problems finding food in the shallow salty water. The reserve of Falguérec at Sené, is particularly favourable for observing these species. Some marshes were established by man for a specific purpose, the harvesting of salt. At Brière, traditional activities such as hunting or fishing are carried out.