Port of Gwin Zegal – A Unique Mooring Site in Brittany
A timeless harbor on the Breton coast. Blending ancestral ingenuity with raw nature, Gwin Zegal reveals a rare side of Brittany—where oak trunks, moored boats and cliffs create a scene both technical and poetic.
Port of Gwin Zegal is a unique site in Brittany, located in Plouha, in the Côtes d’Armor. Photographed on May 10, 2018, this small ancestral harbor stands out for its rare feature: oak trunks planted in the sand are used as mooring posts for boats. This traditional method, still in use today, reflects a centuries-old maritime know-how unique to the Breton coast.
The turquoise colors of the sea, the lush vegetation on the cliffs, and the boats aligned between the wooden posts give the place an almost tropical look. Yet this is unmistakably a Breton landscape, shaped by the elements and preserved in its authenticity. The rocky coastline and crystalline waters enhance the contrast between the vivid green of the heights and the deep blue of the Atlantic Ocean.
What makes Gwin Zegal special is its tidal management: the oak trunks must be replaced at low tide, a delicate operation that maintains a direct connection between humans and nature. The result is a setting that is at once wild, technical, and poetic—an emblem of the small ports of the Goëlo coast.
Photograph by Sebastien Desnoulez, a seascape photographer sensitive to the contrasts between raw nature and human construction.
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All the photos displayed on this website are copyright protected © Sebastien Desnoulez. No use allowed without written authorization.
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