guide
Perched on a rocky spur above the sea, facing the open water off the Emerald Coast, Fort La Latte is one of the most spectacular castles in Brittany. A few kilometres away, Cap Fréhel and its pink sandstone cliffs complete one of the finest natural sites on the Breton coast.
History, a visit to the fort, a walk to Cap Fréhel and luxury campsites to stay nearby: here is our guide.
| Information | At a glance |
|---|---|
| Where? | Plévenon, Côtes-d’Armor, on the Emerald Coast |
| History | 14th-century fortified castle, reinforced at the end of the 17th century |
| Access | About 15 minutes’ walk from the car park |
| Opening | From April to November, hours vary by season |
| Combine with | Cap Fréhel and its lighthouse, a few kilometres away along the coastal path |
| Recommended time | Half a day for the fort and the cape |
Fort La Latte, also known as the Château de la Roche-Goyon, was built in the 14th century by the Goyon family on a promontory cut off from the mainland by two deep chasms, crossed by drawbridges. Besieged several times and damaged at the end of the 16th century, it was converted at the end of the 17th century into a coastal defence fort by the engineer Garangeau, a pupil of Vauban, to protect the bay of Saint-Malo.
Its intact medieval appearance made it a sought-after film set: among other productions, it was used for The Vikings in 1958.
The self-guided visit lets you cross the drawbridges, explore the courtyards, the chapel and the cannonball furnace, and above all climb to the top of the keep, from where the view takes in the Emerald Coast from Cap Fréhel to Saint-Malo on a clear day. The fort is generally open from April to November, with hours that vary by season: check the official website before you come. Allow about fifteen minutes’ walk from the car park, along a path across the moorland.
The Cap Fréhel is the area’s other marvel: pink sandstone and schist cliffs that drop more than 70 metres into the sea, moorland of heather and gorse that turns mauve and yellow at the end of summer, and a lighthouse that can sometimes be visited. The cliffs are home to seabird colonies, which can be watched in spring.
The finest way to link the two sites is the coastal path, the GR34, which follows the shore between the fort and the cape for about four kilometres, with spectacular viewpoints.
To explore the Emerald Coast, two luxury campsites from our selection are well placed. At Saint-Briac-sur-Mer, about three quarters of an hour away, the camping Émeraude lets you explore Dinard, Saint-Malo and Cap Fréhel. On the edge of Dinan, at Taden, the camping de la Hallerais combines a visit to the medieval town with trips to the coast. Browse all our luxury campsites in the Côtes-d’Armor and our ideas for discovering Brittany.
Fort La Latte and Cap Fréhel make up one of the finest pairings in Brittany. Come at the end of summer for the flowering moorland, or late in the day for the light on the cliffs, and link the two sites on foot along the coastal path: it is the best way to discover them.
