Hotel de l’Europe is a small and delightful hotel in the heart of Plumanac’h, the Perros-Guirec district overlooking the beach of Saint Guirec which, with its boulders of strange shapes that light up with wonderful shades at any time of the day, is not only one of the most beautiful in France but also the symbol of the Pink Granite Coast in Brittany.
On the beach of Saint-Guirec
Here, welcomed by Cècile, we let ourselves be lulled by the movement of the waves of the sea which retreats revealing the bottom of the bay and leaving the boats suspended on the beach and which then returns to shine caressing the stones, which vary their colors from turtledove to pearl gray, lilac, purple, immersed in emerald green water.
Walk, breathe, look: the ancient fishing village of Ploumanac’h, today a district of Perros-Guirec and one of the most famous French holiday resorts overlooking the Channel, is the perfect place to combine these infinites. In these parts, the bond with nature is very strong: and the slow, human-scale rhythms of the life of the Breton people cannot fail to conquer even those who stop for a short time like us.
Hotel de l’Europe represents the ideal base from which to discover the Perros peninsula, Pen-Ros in Breton, which means the top of the hill, and the harmony with nature of this magical place where the quartz of the cliff is been transformed into sand by the erosion produced by the waves which smoothed and sculpted the rocks, making them strange monuments, the rochers, up to 20 meters high.
The bizarre beauty of the rocks, the invigorating air, the beaches of this stretch of coast have been attracting tourists since the beginning of the last century, when bathers still wore bathing suits made of heavy wool jersey. Today it continues to attract travelers like us who willingly stop at the Hotel de l’Europe, a family-run hotel that has completely renovated its interiors and has kept its sea front intact with the dormer windows typical of Breton architecture, the roofs in slate and the cladding in pink granite.
There are 24 rooms furnished in a modern and comfortable way and equipped with a double bed or two single beds, a bathroom with shower or bathtub, a flat-screen TV and free WIFI.
The room assigned to us and our Otto, small but cozy, has a small balcony with a superb view of the beach of Saint Guirec: the show at sunset is magical!
On the ground floor a room with large windows, with a large fireplace that once warmed up the winter days when the stormy sea puts on a show in the changing lights and atmospheres.
The outdoor space is ideal for having breakfast outdoors or having an aperitif while waiting for dinner. Convenient parking reserved for guests with direct access to the stairwell leading to the upper floors without having to go through the reception.
In the morning, the breakfast buffet is rich and plentiful with delicious croissants, freshly squeezed orange juice, cakes, pastries, yoghurts, all types of bread, cheeses and cold cuts.
The rest is done by the welcome of this people with an indomitable character who proudly resisted Roman influences: Brittany is Celtic land and the Romans called the inhabitants of these areas Gauls as Cecile reminded us. We have been won over by these people who are proud of their culture and are particularly generous with those who come here and with whom we have found a strong bond.
What unites Puglia and Brittany? The prehistoric megaliths, the dolmens, formed by two vertical boulders that support a flat stone, and the menhirs, just like those of Obelix, the great and big adventure companion of Asterix who lived in these parts.
Opposite the Hôtel de l’Europe begins the GR34 or coastal path from which wonderful hikes depart towards the east, up to the magnificent beach of Trestraou, and west towards Trégastel.
From Trestraou we set off towards the Sept-Îles nature reserve: an unmissable excursion for those who arrive here and want total immersion in wild and unspoiled nature. Having booked a week before the trip between the islands of Rouzic, Costans, Malban, Bono, l’île aux Moines, l’île Plate and le Cerfs, we managed to do it together with our Otto, while we had to postpone one day due to the rain longer walk among the huge pink granite boulders.
After all, in Brittany the weather changes often but clouds and humidity certainly don’t spoil its charm: just take shelter with a hood or under a rain cover. And as the French writer Marguerite Duras used to say: “the rain does not disturb, men and women are not made of sugar”.
In addition, it will be an excellent excuse to return and to walk the most beautiful stretch of the Sentier des Douaniers once again enveloped in the magical atmosphere of these places and this hotel. And to continue discovering the wonders of this coast among stones, lighthouses, churches and mills.
Hotel de l’Europe
Ploumanac’h – opposite the beach of Saint-Guirec, 158
Rue Saint-Guirec – Perros-Guirec – France
Info: +33 02 96 91 40 76 – contact@hoteldeleurope-perros.com
www.hoteldeleurope-perros.com
