La Torche beach
It is located in the southwest of Brittany in the department of Finister. It is one of the top five European surf beaches. The highest level international competitions are often held here, such as, for example, the French Cup or the European Championship. With its northern edge, La Torche (translated from French as "torch") rests against a spit protruding into the sea, on which the remains of ancient dolmens have survived till this days. It is not safe to be here during strong winds and seasonal storms, as the local police are watching closely.
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Beach description
The impressive beachline stretches for several kilometers and is covered with snow-white sand, which in some places forms bizzare dunes. Strong winds are constantly blowing here, which drives the real ocean waves to the shore. Even though the water in these places is very clear and regularly monitored by a special environmental organization, bathing here is quite problematic and sometimes unsafe. Bathing is prohibited in some places (strong currents, high flows and low tides, rocky bottom), they are marked with a special warning flag.
The beach is under the close supervision of rescuers, which is carried out until 19 hours. After that time, it is forbidden to approach the sea.
As a rule, it is mostly visited by fans of all kinds of surfing, yachtsmen and lovers of sandy yacht racing. Wings if paragliders can often be seen in the sky, although to cope with the local winds, you need to be a serious professional.
La Torche is a well arranged beach with toilets, locker rooms, and showers. There are sports equipment storage houses, as well as a small cafes and snack bars. Large free parking is provided.
When is the best time to go?
It is possible to relax in France at any time of the year, the time of the trip depends more on your preferences. Summer - a great time to travel to the sea. Thanks to the Mediterranean climate, even on the southern French Riviera is not hot weather. In winter , people go to ski resorts in France. It should be be mindful that in summer and winter in France there is a high season, respectively, prices soar. To enjoy the excursions, choose the time from February to April or from September to November, when both in the north and in the south it is not very crowded. If you go to the French Riviera in September, you will never lose: You will find a time when the weather is still warm and the prices are not so high.
Video: Beach La Torche
Infrastructure
To satisfy hunger and thirst, visitors of La Torche can enjoy two beautiful restaurants nearby, the owners of which can also been athletes in the past. And in the vicinity of the beach you can see a completely fantastic picture: flowers are planted between the dunes in even rows, which not only give the local places an unearthly beauty, but also preserve thee bizzare pattern of dunes and protect them from destruction by strong winds.
There are a number of yacht clubs and surfing schools near the beach. As a rule, it take a few days to master even the most basic skills, so there are campsites nearby, or schools offering temporary accommodation on their premises.
One of the most popular campsites within walking distance of the beach - Camping de la Torche. It is well known to both athletes and fans, and is distinguished not only by its convenient location, but also its friendly positive atmosphere. It is not exactly the usual camping in the usual sense of world. In the shady park, on the large and huge area there are comfortable houses equipped with their own shower room and kitchenette. Only the terrace, lounge area, laundry room and barbecue area are common areas. The campsite has a large indoor pool and a children's playroom. Pets are allowed, and there is a parking lot for cars and bicycles.
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A good asphalt road leads from the beach to the center of the Plomeur Resort, so it is worth a day's walk through its ancient streets. The village has a small harbour and an excellent fish market, where you can buy cheap fresh seafood.
It is also worth a visit to the ancient Phare d'Eckmühl lighthouse, which is located south of the beach, on the outskirts of the cape. It offers a magnificent, breathtaking panorama from the Gulf of Audierne to Plauhinek, but it can only be seen by the bravest tourists who are not familiar with the fear of heights. The lighthouse is quite high (65 meters), rather steep spiral stairs (more than three hundred steps) leads to the very top where the observation deck is. In addition, it is blown up by a strong wind, which also carries a splash of sea surf, and in rainy weather, handrails and steps become very slippery. When gusts of wind exceed the allowed value, the lighthouse is closed. To visit Phare d'Eckmühl is better in clear weather and it is desirable not in a high season, differently to rise on an observation deck, it is necessary to stand in turn on scorching sun.