At the western end of the lower coast of Brittany one finds wave splashed rocks and stretches of sandy beaches. At the Pointe du Croisic a fortification dating from 1750 has been turned into the Fort de l’Ocean, a 9-room Relais & Chateaux

Our spacious suite opened onto a view of the most beautiful white sand beach in Europe-6 miles of pristine beauty that we walked barefoot the next morning.

Le Phare de Créac’h on the Island of Ouessant (Ushant in English) off the coast of Brest on the westernmost tip of France, is celebrating its 150th anniversary this year.  For about 50 of those years, Europe’s most powerful lighthouse has been lulling – you might say ‘flashing’ – me to sleep with its two white beams every ten seconds through my bedroom window in our family’s vacation cottage just across the bay.