Tor ar Menez - Bras - Self-catering cottage in Finistère

The setting is superb: open views over sloping fields, rippling grass in summer, the breeze hinting at the sea, and huge skies. Plomodiern is a mile away, the beach is 25 minutes down the path – this is a fabulous place for a family. You approach down a short country driveway that splits into two, each side leading to a gîte. Yours, the largest, is furnished in modest Breton style, its front door opening directly into the sitting room. Find a two-seater sofa on a new-tiled floor, dark wood furniture and a huge fireplace (logs generously provided), and the lovely scent of woodsmoke lingering in the air. Down a corridor is the kitchen, simple but with all mod cons (from dishwasher to coffee maker); up under the eaves are the bedrooms, and a landing for an extra bed. The ground-floor bathroom, with its walls of polished cement and walk-in shower, is super-duper modern. A mecca for paragliders and walkers, Brittany's only mountain is a hop away, and Douarnenez is famous for its regattas. After eating and stocking up in Plomodiern (there's a great crêperie), return to a cider on the patio... and the views.