Canoeing and kayaking

on the Trieux estuary...

Nature, heritage and pleasure for the senses

The Pontrieux boating club is open in July and August, and by request the rest of the year.

Rental - Introduction and tuition - Canoeing and river kayaking trips - it’s your choice!

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The Trieux estuary stretches from Pontrieux to Loguivy-de-la-Mer with the meandering river creating an area of outstanding natural beauty. To fully appreciate it, all you need is a few strokes of your paddle in the water, and the rising or falling tide will do the rest.

The largest coastal forest of north Brittany

We set off from the slipway at the Roche Jagu, below the château, for a trip in the company of Yoann Le Guyader.  He knows the estuary like the back of his hand, and does a fantastic job of sharing his knowledge with us.  “We’re in the wildest part.  It’s one of the most unspoilt in Brittany, with very little construction”  he tells us.  Between the steep, rocky banks, the woods seem to plunge into the water:  deciduous trees to one side, the maritime pines of the Penhoat-Lancerf forest on the other, as far as the eye can see.

The forest is managed by the Conservatoire du Littoral Coastal Protection Agency, and is protected by strict laws.  Our guide Yoann explains that the pines were planted by the English during the 19th century, when trade was carried out by sea.  Their boats came upriver as far as Pontrieux to deliver their cargo before loading up for the return voyage with wood to make pit props for the mining industry.

Frynaudour, a shipwreck and a patient heron

Heading up the estuary, we soon reach Frynaudour railway bridge at the confluence of the Trieux and the Leff, designed in 1893 using plans provided by Gustave Eiffel.  Yoann tells us that the stones used to construct the imposing pillars came from an old fortress protecting the estuary against invasion.  Today, nothing remains of the structure.  Another symbol of the estuary is the skeleton of a boat eaten away by time, at the foot of the bridge.  At one time there was an ambitious project to convert it into restaurant in the port of Pontrieux, but this never came to fruition.

It’s time to go back to the slipway at la Roche-Jagu.  The tide is beginning to ebb, and the mudflats will soon emerge.  This is a feeding-ground for wading birds, and there’s already a grey heron waiting patiently, perched on a tree branch.  He’ll share his feast with the little egret and the redshank.  The estuary is also home to some incredible wildlife.

(© Text by : David Kerhervé - Publihebdos)

  • Canoeing and kayaking on the Trieux estuary ©Emmanuel Berthier
  • Canoeing and kayaking on the Trieux estuary ©Emmanuel Berthier
  • Canoeing and kayaking on the Trieux estuary ©Emmanuel Berthier
  • Canoeing and kayaking on the Trieux estuary ©Emmanuel Berthier
  • Canoeing and kayaking on the Trieux estuary ©Emmanuel Berthier
  • Canoeing and kayaking on the Trieux estuary ©Emmanuel Berthier
  • Canoeing and kayaking on the Trieux estuary ©Emmanuel Berthier