Pink Granite Coast markets: a day-by-day guide

On the Pink Granite Coast there is a market almost every morning of the week, and several of them are less than half an hour's drive from Trestel. The biggest is Lannion's, on Thursdays. Here is our day-by-day calendar, drawn from the market listings of the Bretagne Côte de Granit Rose tourist office and the latest guides from the tourist office and the town of Perros-Guirec, along with the advice we give our guests when they ask where to do their shopping.

One word before you set off: markets shift from one season to the next (a pitch moves, a summer market starts later). A quick look at the tourist office website, or a call on +33 2 96 05 60 70, will save you a trip to an empty square.

Before you go: three tips that make all the difference

Bring cash. This comes straight from the tourist office: in many villages there is no cash machine anywhere near the market square, Trébeurden and Trégastel included. Plenty of stallholders take cards, but not all of them. Get some euros out the day before.

Park on the edge of town. On market days, the local councils set up diversions around the squares. Leave the car in a car park a little way out and walk the last stretch: you arrive relaxed, and you leave without a ten-point turn in a street full of pushchairs.

Pack your own bags, and a cool bag. A soft cool box in the boot means the fish and the cheese get home in good shape, even on a July morning.

The markets, day by day

Exact times are not given for every market: unless stated otherwise, these are morning markets.

Monday: Trégastel

On Monday morning, head to Trégastel, about 25 minutes from Trestel. It is a good way to start the week, and you can follow it with a walk among the rocks along the shore. In July and August there is also an evening market at Buguélès, in the commune of Penvénan, from 5 pm to 8 pm.

Tuesday: Louannec, Trébeurden and the port of Ploumanac'h

Three markets on Tuesday morning: Louannec, Trébeurden, and Perros-Guirec down at the port of Ploumanac'h, from June to September. That last one pairs beautifully with the coastal path: shop, drop the basket in the car and walk out to the lighthouse (our piece on Ploumanac'h and the GR34 has the route).

Wednesday: Tréguier and the marina at Perros-Guirec

Wednesday morning is Tréguier. It is our favourite for a slow wander: it is a handsome town, and the morning slips by easily. The same day, Perros-Guirec holds a market at the marina, and Île-Grande in Pleumeur-Bodou has its own.

Late in the afternoon there are two quite different options: the market at Saint-Quay-Perros, from 5 pm, and La Mutante, at the Manoir de Trorozec in Lannion, from mid-April to the end of October, 4.30 pm to 7 pm. Young craftspeople and organic, local producers sell vegetables, bread, honey and cider, and you can stay for a drink.

Thursday: Lannion, the big one

If you only do one market, make it this one. On Thursdays, Lannion's market fills the town centre all day, but the food stalls are there in the morning only, so arrive before noon. It is about 15 minutes (14 km) from Trestel. Lannion's covered market completes the picture: it opens in the mornings, Tuesday to Saturday, and its stalls of produce from land and sea have been trading there for a hundred years.

In July and August, according to the tourist office listings, Port-Blanc, in Penvénan, also holds a market on Thursday mornings.

Friday: Perros-Guirec town centre

Friday morning means the market in the centre of Perros-Guirec. It gets very busy in summer, so come early if you want somewhere to park. The same morning there are also markets at La Roche-Derrien and Lézardrieux.

Saturday: Penvénan

On Saturday morning, it is Penvénan, the next village along. It is a market on a human scale, where you meet local growers, among them the Ferme de Boiséon, which sells its organic fruit, vegetables and herbs here all year round. Pleumeur-Bodou also has a market on Saturday mornings.

Sunday: Trélévern, Plougrescant, Lannion

On Sunday mornings, from 7.30 am, Trélévern, Trévou-Tréguignec's other neighbour, holds its market on Place Ker Nevez, by the bakery; the tourist office listings give it as running from June to September. In July and August, Plougrescant has one too, about 20 minutes away; combine it with a detour to Castel Meur, "the house between the rocks". All year round, Lannion also has a Sunday market, from 8 am to 1 pm, on Place de Caërphilly near the railway station, and Perros-Guirec has one at La Clarté.

Straight from the farm, close to home

Markets are not the only way to fill your basket. The Trégor is full of growers who sell direct, and several are just down the road from Trestel.

Dolmen & Potager, in Trévou-Tréguignec

This is the organic market garden run by our son Guillaume and his wife Aurélie, on the Coat-Mez farm in Trévou-Tréguignec. They sell at the farm all year round (except at Christmas), on Tuesdays from 3 to 6 pm, Wednesdays from 10 am to noon and Fridays from 4 to 7 pm (see our organic farm page). Alongside their seasonal vegetables you will find produce from neighbours: organic bread from Hautes Terres in Plougrescant, organic cheese from the Bergerie de Penn Crec'h, eggs, cider and apple juice, honey.

On request, Janine can call in at the farm on a Friday and leave your vegetable order in your kitchen before you arrive. Your first supper is sorted without a trip to the shops.

Other farms in the Trégor

• Ferme des Hautes Terres, Plougrescant: farmer-bakers who also raise Highland cattle, with a producers' market on Tuesdays from 5.30 pm to 7 pm, all year round.
• Les Paniers du Bocage and the Ferme du Wern, Ploubezre, near Lannion: producers' market on Tuesdays from 4 pm to 7 pm, all year round.
• Ferme de Boiséon, Penvénan: organic fruit, vegetables and herbs, at Penvénan market all year and at Port-Blanc in July and August.

What to put in your basket

Coco de Paimpol beans

If one product sums up the Trégor, this is it. The coco de Paimpol was the first French bean to be granted Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) status. It grows in 85 communes of the Trégor-Goëlo, between the bay of Lannion and the bay of Saint-Brieuc, and it is a late-season crop: fresh coco beans, sold in their pods, are around from mid-July to the end of October. The pod is pale yellow streaked with violet, the bean round and ivory, and every one is picked by hand by seasonal workers known as "plumeurs". Cooked, it stays firm yet melting, with a hint of chestnut.

Seasonal vegetables

The Trégor is market-garden country. Depending on the time of year, look for artichokes (camus, green or purple), strawberries from spring, then tomatoes and courgettes in summer; squash, cabbages and leeks in autumn; and in winter the old-fashioned roots: parsnips, swedes, Jerusalem artichokes, yellow and purple carrots.

From the sea

At the big markets such as Lannion or Perros-Guirec, fishmongers sell the day's catch, shellfish and crabs. Ask what has just come in and how they would cook it: you will not find a better recipe.

For the picnic

A galette-saucisse eaten standing up between two stalls, a kouign-amann for teatime, a bottle of local cider for the evening on the balcony: that is a Breton market too.

Cooking what you brought home

Half the pleasure of a market is cooking afterwards. At Les Mouettes, 100 m from the beach, the kitchen was completely redone in December 2024, dishwasher included, and the barbecue is waiting in the enclosed garden. At Apartment 24, 50 m from the beach, lunch is on the balcony facing the sea. And at La P'tite Maison, 1.2 km from the beach and 300 m from the village shops, you pick up the odds and ends on foot, then eat out on the terrace.

For more ideas, our Pink Granite Coast page gathers our favourite places, and our piece on what to do in Trévou-Tréguignec when it rains is a reminder that Lannion market is just as good in a drizzle. Any question about your stay? Drop us a line.

Frequently asked questions

Which is the biggest market on the Pink Granite Coast?

Lannion's, on Thursdays. It fills the town centre all day, but the food stalls are only there in the morning.

Is there a market near Trestel all year round?

Yes. Lannion's Sunday morning market on Place de Caërphilly runs all year, as does Penvénan's on Saturday mornings, and Lannion's covered market opens Tuesday to Saturday mornings.

Do I need cash at the markets?

Bring some. The tourist office points out that many villages have no cash machine near the market, Trébeurden and Trégastel included.

Which markets only run in summer?

The Monday evening market at Buguélès runs from 1 July to 31 August, and the Tuesday morning market at the port of Ploumanac'h from June to September. According to the tourist office listings, Port-Blanc (Thursday morning) and Plougrescant (Sunday morning) only run in July and August.

Where can I buy organic vegetables direct from the grower near Trestel?

At Dolmen & Potager, on the Coat-Mez farm in Trévou-Tréguignec, open all year except at Christmas. Opening hours are on our organic farm page, and Janine can leave an order in your kitchen before you arrive.