Road Trip to Brittany

Wing foiling and surfing in the southwest of the Finistère region

It was time for another road trip. Anne was deciding between Denmark and Brittany for her travel plans. Here you'll find the report on the trip in June 2026.

Based on the wind forecast, Hanstholm was clearly the better choice, but for some reason I found myself drawn to La Torche instead. My family wasn’t on vacation, so I set off on my own. In La Torche, I met up with my friend Cornelia from the Netherlands, who happened to be on vacation at the same time as me.

Even though I'd already spent eight hours driving that day, I headed straight into the water to surf in the late afternoon.

For a Thursday evening with waves, the water was pleasantly empty. I was struck by how many female surfers there were. The next day, I saw the same faces in the parking lot, and we ended up making small talk here and there. The forecasted wind had vanished into thin air, so it was time for some relaxed surfing in a manageable lineup.

The small talk with the non-locals turned into conversation, and so our visit to the market in Pont-Coixe that evening felt more like a meet-and-greet. It wasn’t all that surprising that people were gathering here, since there wasn’t much else going on in this region at the moment.

The search for the wind that had actually been forecast continued. We checked out all sorts of spots, but there was no wind to be found anywhere. Despite the heat, I decided to ride my bike along the beautiful white beaches around Guilvinec, since, for once, there were no waves that day.

The next day, we kept up the hard work catching waves in the mostly female and pleasantly manageable lineup. The atmosphere was generally very relaxed and laid-back, which made surfing a pure pleasure.

But I really wanted to go wing foiling, and the time had finally come. Cornelia and I set off for a good wing foiling spot. But instead of wind, we saw dark clouds gathering on the horizon of the beautiful beach with its turquoise water. Next spot: Audierne — thunderstorm clouds there, too. The thunderstorm cells were moving from south to north, so we decided to head back toward La Torche.

By the time we reached Penhors, the thunderstorm had already passed; the wind picked up, and even though there weren’t any other wingers in sight yet, we headed out onto the water. The wind was light and gusty, but we had a blast flying over the clear, turquoise water. There was plenty of space, since only three other wing foilers joined us. I was a little wary of the huge jellyfish, which were very easy to see because of the clear water.

Late in the afternoon, a few female surfers joined us again at Penhors, but on that day, the wind had blown away the waves that are usually so beautiful.

After another pleasant evening at the beach bar, it finally happened. The nightmare of every solo RV traveler: I twisted my ankle as I was getting out of my van. Of all things, it was my right foot — the foot you need to drive your home on wheels from A to B. That night, I suddenly couldn’t put any weight on it at all, and the pain got worse. My mind immediately started running through all sorts of “what if” scenarios.

I was so glad that, at that moment, I knew there were other vans parked next to me, and I knew that if an emergency arose, I would get help. Surprisingly, my biggest worry was about my “little van”. The thought of possibly having to leave my van alone and abandoned somewhere in France didn’t sit well with me at all.

Fortunately, the all-clear came in the morning. Overnight, things had settled down enough in my foot that I could walk without pain and even drive.

But because of the long drive home ahead of me, I decided not to do any sports. Instead, I watched Cornelia stand-up paddle and the others surf, and enjoyed the sun and the beach vibe one last time.

Luckily, what happened to my foot took place on the second-to-last day, and I’d already had quite a few great wave rides and a wonderful day of wing foiling under my belt.

I've rarely experienced a surf spot with such positive and laid-back vibes. Maybe it was because there were very few tourists around, or maybe because it was mostly women sharing the waves?

But for me, one thing was confirmed once again: it's not the world's best surfing conditions that make a surf trip special —i t's the encounters, the special moments, and the vibes that stick with you.

July 10, 2026 © WING DAILY  |  text: Anne Stevens  |  photos/graphics: Anne Stevens  |  translation: DE