Active Pursuits in Concarneau

Beaches -- Concarneau’s largest, most beautiful beach, popular with families, is the Plage des Sables Blancs, near the historic core. Within a 10-minute walk are the Plage de Cornouaille and two small beaches, the Plage des Dames and Plage de Rodel, where you’ll find fewer families with children. The wide-open Plage du Cabellou, 5km (3 miles) west of town, is less crowded than the others.

Sea Excursions -- Boat rides are usually fine between June and September but can be treacherous the rest of the year. The dazzling Glenans archipelago, 16km (10 miles) off the coast, is a must if you have the time and sea legs. It can be visited on excursions through Vedettes de l’Odet (www.vedettes-odet.com; tel. 02-98-57-00-58), which runs several times per day from April to September and cost 39€ for adults, 21€ for children ages 4 to 12 and 7€ for children 3 and under. In midsummer, you can arrange deep-sea fishing with the captain of the Santa Maria (www.santamariapeche.com; tel. 06-62-88-00-87).