A pretty river, all-tide access and a charming village make Lézardrieux an appealing destination. It also has the merit of being the closest spot on the mainland of Brittany to Guernsey and readily attainable on a single tide.

Approaching from the north, having negotiated the Roches Douvres and Plateau de Barnouic you should see the grey tower of La Horaine to port and well to starboard the black octagonal tower of Les Heaux de Bréhat (Les Heaux is not on the Ile de Bréhat but is well to the west at the entrance to the Treguier river. Inshore on Bréhat is the tower of Rosédo lighthouse which you will leave some way to port.

From about a mile and a half off La Horaine make good a course of 225º which should take you past the port hand Les Echaudes and between the starboard hand Les Sirlots and the port hand Bs des Pen-Azen. Proceed on this course past various port and starboard marks heading for the characteristic white tower with red top of La Croix. From there the channel is well marked all the remaining 3 1/2 miles to Lézardrieux.

From Bréhat or Paimpol you can use the Chenal de Ferlas south of Bréhat to gain the river south of the west cardinal Vieille de Loguivy. Coming from Treguier you can cut a corner by using the Moisie channel, lining up the white pyramid of l’Amer du Rosédo (not the Rosédo lighthouse), on the western edge of the northern part of Bréhat, with the Chapel of St Michael on the ridge behind it (that’s the theory anyway). If you can’t identify the chapel keep the pyramid on a bearing of 159º.

The marina is on the west side of the river on pontoons out in the stream. The inner harbour is not available to visitors. Anchoring is possible further downstream. Restaurants (very busy in season) lie close by the marina, and shops in the pretty stone village ten minutes walk up the hill.

If you fancy exploring further upstream, 6 miles away is the town of Pontrieux, accessible through a lock. There is a minimum clearance of 17m under the viaduct and 3-4m depth at HW depending on neaps or springs. In summer the lock operates HW±2 1/4; full details on the Trieux river website.

2008 Yachtpilot