The 5 best dive spots in Brittany

You're leaving for a dive expedition in Brittany? Discover here all the best spots on the most western peninsula in France!

Brittany is worldwide known for the diversity of its diving sites and the multitude of wrecks that tap its seabeds. If the conditions are sometimes difficult, between currents, reduced visibility and rather low temperatures, diving in Brittany allows you to discover unique wonders in the world. Beginners like seasoned divers can find their happiness there, with sites suitable for all levels of practice. So we put on his mask and combination – thick – of diving, and we board a semi-rigid to the best diving spots in Brittany!

1. Island of Groix

Off Lorient, put your suitcases on the Island of Groix to discover a little paradise of diving in Brittany. Addressing beginner divers as well as professionals, about forty spots await you, between rocky and wrecked plateaus. Located at the cross between North and South Atlantic, Groix Island contains a variety of impressive marine species.

The lovers of wrecks will also find their happiness with no less than 10 ships resting between 25 and 60 meters. The Guido Möhring welcomes you by 30 meters deep, with a magnificent cannon that sits on the bridge. The Sperrbrecher Also deserves the detour! Immersed at a depth of 20 meters, it is accessible to beginners. The many openings allowing the light to pass also make penetration possible in the front part. But the star wreck of the island is undoubtedly the German submarine U171 .

The exploration is reserved for confirmed divers because the one that is surnamed the “grey wolf” rests by -40 meters. Penetration is prohibited by respect for victims who have lost their lives during the shipwreck. We guarantee you a beautiful emotional sequence in front of this vestige of the Second World War ! Leaving to guess the interior equipment, the different periscopes, canons and openings allow you to imagine life on board. If you only have to choose a dive in Brittany, know that there are few spots in the world where to discover a real submarine!

2. The Glénans

To the south Finistère , the archipelago of Glénans is a flagship place of diving in Brittany. There are a multitude of diversified diving sites, between wrecks, rocky plateaus and falling. Laon Egen Hir is a group of rocks that emerges southeast of the archipelago. The depth of only 18 meters provides access to certified divers of all levels. You can bury yourself in caves and scare a passage through the rocks. Multicolored anemone and algae tap the walls, perfect hides for fauna.

The wrecks are not left with more than 10 ships to explore. Let’s quote Alja , Mustang , Arab and the mythical Pietro Orseolo . This Italian freighter was requisitioned by the Germans during the Second World War, then sank by an English squadron. It rests on the bottom between 17 and 30 meters. You will fly over the 142 meters of this ship, discovering the imposing rudder in the back and three auto-kennel trucks in the front. The fish colonized the wreck, and you will be followed by an impressive bench of tacauds during your exploration. In each corner there are bars, congress, and turrets. A dive in Brittany not to be missed!

3. Belle-Île-en-Mer

To combine vacation and diving in Brittany, towards the beautiful Belle-Île-en-Mer. After 45 minutes of boat from Quiberon, you will discover one of the most beautiful French islands, on which the Citadel of Vauban stands. Diving sites do not miss along the 80 kilometers of the ciseled coasts around it. The funds are inhabited by a rich and diverse fauna, between fish, crustaceans and coral. It is common to meet lobsters hidden in the holes or during night dives.

Several wrecks face the Palace, the main city of the island. The Philippe-Éric is a 18-metre wooden tray that fell in 1983. The Hanan and his escort were flown by the English and rest between 22 and 28 metres. They are home to unspoiled bars that can be approached very closely. Blotti to the northeast of the island, the American freighter Kansan is about 150 meters long. Although in very poor condition, he deserves the detour for his varied fauna of crabs, tacauds, yellow places, lobsters...

Around the peninsula of La Pointe des Poulains, do not miss the sites of Pig , Point of Kerzo and of anse de Ster Vraz . On the latter, you will enter the Cathedrals, impressive breakthroughs in the rock that let the rays of the sun filter. The spectacle of the light games of this dive in Brittany will leave you an unforgettable memory.

4. Death of the_Amoco Cadiz_

Worldly known for the black tide that she had triggered during her shipwreck in 1978, this wreck is north of Finistère. Today, it has become one of the world’s most famous diving sites. Indeed, this supertanker resting on the sand at 30 meters depth is 334 meters long. L’ Amoco Cadiz is neither more nor less one of the longest wrecks in the world! A must-do to register urgently on your diving carnival in Brittany.

The dive begins at the stern of the wreck, which points only 7 meters from the surface, before reaching the bottom. The eyes are then lifted in front of the hull that stands vertically, from the size of a 7-storey building. An impressive vision, which adds to the mystic atmosphere of the wreck. It is then necessary to go up, bury in the bar and then fly over the bridge, in search of clues reminiscent of the presence of the sailors. Before surface resurface, there are vestiges such as coated cables, tanks, bastings and even a winch!

The local clubs are perfectly familiar with the site and unveil all its interests. Because of the currents that make the dive a little physical, they only take you from level 2.

5. Brest radius

From Brest to Conquet, several dozen dive sites in Brittany are only waiting to be explored. There is frequently a species of common sharks Breton ribs The redhead. Biodiversity is very developed, with anemone of all colors and beautiful sponges and all the classic Atlantic fauna. There is also the Grail of divers, hippocampes hidden in the grasslands.

Numerous clubs will also take you to nearby tombs, faults, landslides or wrecks. Don't miss The Dellec, a 22 metre barge used by the German army during the Second World War. Between 8 and 11 metres deep, it is accessible to beginners. It is one of the best dive sites in Brittany to begin exploring the wrecks. The most impressive point is the turret equipped with 4 well-preserved pitcher tubes.

Reposing between 25 and 30 meters of funds L Emile Allard was cut in 2 after a bombing in 1943. In general, it enjoys good visibility. Diving must be done at the stall to avoid the strong tide currents.

So, what dive in Brittany would you like?