At Pointe de I’Arcouest, the shore crumbles into a chaos of angular rocks and islands littered like mysterious leviathans across the bay. The lle de Bréhat is a ten to 15-minute boat ride from the mainland (round-island tours take about an hour). Boats leave the dock here every hour or so in summer, less frequently during the rest of the year (www.vedettesdebrehat.com).

Bréhat, actually two islands linked by a 17thC bridge, is around 3.5 km long, and although cars are banned, bicycles can be hired from the ferry port to explore the miniscule road network built for farm vehicles. On the eastern side of the island, Le Bourg is the only substantial settlement, a popular retreat for wealthy Parisians in summer, but very quiet out of season. Along this eastern coast, figs, mimosa, oleander and palms flourish in subtropical profusion. The west coast is less protected, but its paths are wreathed with the scent of honeysuckle, and massed hydrangeas bloom alongside low stone farmhouses. Accommodation can be a problem – booked out in summer and firmly shuttered in winter.