From our special correspondent on the island of Bréhat,
“It’s really beautiful, I have rarely seen such a beautiful place! In the star that brings her back to the continent, Marie, originally from Niort, still cannot believe her two-day trip to the island of Bréhat. Located on the archipelago of the same name, the island, just ten minutes by boat from the tip of Arcouest in Ploubazlanec (Côtes-d’Armor), has indeed the air of paradise with its pink granite rocks, its crystal clear waters and its microclimate. Nicknamed the island of flowers, with the agapanthus and its intense purple flowers as its emblem, Bréhat serves as a refuge for many stars such as Antoine de Caunes, Raphaël and Mélanie Thierry or the actor Antoine Duléry who all have a residence there. secondary.
But “the pink pearl” also attracts many tourists with 400,000 visitors per year. On this Wednesday in June, there are several hundred lucky people to take advantage of this sunny day to walk the wild paths of the island and admire its flower-decked houses and sumptuous panoramas. On the town square, the tourist season has already started well with well-stocked café and restaurant terraces. But in July and August, during the high season, this heavenly place can quickly turn into hell. “It’s really unbearable, especially in August”, says Annette, born on the island and who “hopes to die there”. “Tourists don’t respect anything, they think they’ve got all their due and they go anywhere on the island without paying attention to nature,” assures this bubbly octogenarian. For tourists, the Bréhatine experience is not the most pleasant either in the heart of summer. “They trample on crowded paths, they can’t find a place to eat or have a drink and suddenly leave frustrated”, indicates this trader, who prefers to remain anonymous.
A quota only on weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Like so many idyllic destinations, the island of Bréhat finds itself a victim of its own success. But rather than continuing to open the floodgates of hypertourism, its mayor has just taken a rather radical decision by establishing a gauge to limit the number of visitors, as is already the case on the island of Porquerolles (Var) or in the creeks of Marseille. “In 2021 and 2022, we reached peaks of 6,000 people over one day, indicates Olivier Carré. We could not continue on this path because it was becoming detrimental for everyone. We therefore opted for a strategy of no more, but better. »
From July 14 and until August 25 inclusive, access to the island of Bréhat will therefore be limited to a maximum of 4,700 visitors per day between 8:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. from Monday to Friday. “This will not be the case on weekends when attendance is lower,” says Olivier Carré. Permanent residents, secondary residents and workers will also not be counted in this quota, increasing the number of people present on the island to around 5,300 people.
Shipping companies and traders pull the mug
In his police decree signed this Wednesday, the elected official relies on article L 360.1 of the Environmental Code which makes it possible to restrict access to a natural site to avoid endangering it. This is unfortunately already the case on the island of Bréhat, which was the first natural site classified in France in 1907. At the end of the northern tip of the island, at the foot of the Paon lighthouse, the flow of tourists trampling the moors has indeed seriously damaged the vegetation. “Especially the hikers with their Nordic walking sticks, they ravage all those”, plagues Quentin, a regular at the place. In addition to the environmental aspect, the mayor also intends via this decree to “preserve the quality of life” of the 427 inhabitants who live on the island year-round and “to offer a better experience to visitors. »
On the Breton island, of course, the decision does not please everyone. In particular to the three maritime companies which provide service to Bréhat. It will also be their responsibility to enforce this order, each having a quota of daily passages not to be exceeded. “We will also do counts on the arrival of the boats to see if it is well respected”, warns the mayor.
On the side of the traders, we also pull the face a little. “The mayor is very nice but we have a shop to run, assures Laëtitia, co-manager of a souvenir shop. And it’s thanks to the tourist season that we can maintain our other shop, which is open all year round. “Some like Erwann, waiter at Le Shamrock restaurant, are more reserved. “I’m not sure that this gauge changes much and that it penalizes us, he says. Anyway, we don’t need it to become the Côte d’Azur here! At the end of the tourist season, a report will be drawn from this regulation. “We will see whether or not we maintain this decree and whether we should raise or lower the gauge”, underlines the mayor.