The korrigans of TraouïérosA valley of nature and legend

The korrigans of Traouïéro

Bright sunshine this morning! Ideal conditions to stretch your legs. My friends from Doubiens, who arrived 1 week ago, know the GR34 and our lovely beaches like the back of their hands. But there’s one place they don’t know about – a 57-hectare area that combines nature, history and legend… a combination that’s sure to please them, and that’s the magnificent Traouïero valley.

Getting there

Nature walk

I hesitate to take this trip solo. In the end, I opted for a guided tour, because there’s so much more to learn and discover! I consult the guide Les espaces naturels s’animiment to find out the schedule. Good thing: there’s one in 2 hours!
With hiking boots on, camera and water bottle in the backpack, we’re off. Meet at one of the entrances to the Vallée des Traouïéro, between the village of Trégastel and the Ploumanac’h tide mill. We’ll have to visit that one too!

©Balade randonnée en famille|Alexandre Lamoureux

A 3-hour walk awaits us

But beware: quiet! As we enter this undergrowth, it’s like arriving in another world! There’s no sound except birdsong and the sound of the Kerougant stream, which separates the towns of Perros-Guirec and Trégastel. To get from one bank to the other, we pass over a tombstone dating back to 1833. Surprising, but not at the time – it was common practice to give them a second life!

A preserved natural site

Your sense of smell is on alert! The vegetation is lush and varied. Oaks and chestnut trees form a vault, in places hiding the sky from view. As a flora enthusiast, my friend Guillaume is in “^7th heaven”. As we stroll along, we discover a fern over 300 million years old, royal osmonds, a variety of lichens… As for me, I don’t know the names of the plants very well, but I recognize some of them: heather, gorse, Venus navel, what a lovely name!

©Vallee Des Traouieros Studio Jezequel 1|Studio Jézéquel

History

Our guide is not to be outdone! 8 granite pillars testify to the presence of an overhead crane used to transport granite blocks from the quarry to the lower part of the valley.

A place of life and passage

We’re now in front of the grotte du lépreux… which was occupied by a hermit; we can make out his trough dug into the granite, where good people came to give him food; then comes the grotte des contrebandiers, where horses were hidden during the war, and where lovers also met. I do wonder about the authenticity of these revelations! We can imagine that this valley was quite busy!

Legend

And the korrigans? Well, they too had their cave! Laurent, who had been lagging behind, suddenly woke up! Legends are his hobby! But for this theme, we made an appointment for a storytelling night out in the same valley. Don’t forget your flashlight – you never know! It would be frowned upon to step on a small nocturnal inhabitant!

After all, 3 hours goes by fast!