Perros-Guirec


Perros-Guirec is a commune in the Côtes-d'Armor department in Brittany in northwestern France. It has been a chic but discreet and family seaside resort since the end of the 19th Century.

Population

Inhabitants of Perros-Guirec are called Perrosiens in French.

Breton language

In 2008, 4.79% of primary school children attended bilingual schools.

Tourism

Perros-Guirec is a popular seaside resort, with fine sandy beaches and various opportunities for water and beach sports. It is known for its pink granite rocks which have been sculpted by the sea into varied shapes and patterns. There are three large sandy beaches suitable for families: Trestraou beach is popular for swimming, sunbathing as well as surfing, as it is sheltered and receives full sunshine; Trestrignel beach is wilder and more exposed to the wind; Saint-Guirec beach is smaller and even more picturesque with the presence of the Costaeres Castle on its island in front of it.
Perros-Guirec is known to hold many stunning seafront villas and manors, many of which are built with pink granite extracted locally.
.

Economy

Perros-Guirec's economy is largely based on tourism but benefits also from its proximity to Lannion technopole.
The nearby Grand Isle, separated from the mainland by a narrow channel, was once famous for its granite quarrying industry. The rock was transported from the island by boat, and was used in the construction of many imposing buildings in Paris.

International relations

Perros-Guirec is twinned with :
Perros-Guirec was long attended by men of letters and artists, for instance the painter Maurice Denis, owner of a villa in Trestrignel, writers Anatole Le Braz, Charles Le Goffic, or Ernest Renan who was behind the idea of the construction of the Grand Hotel in Trestraou, to name a few.
Joseph Conrad lived here for several years and wrote many of his most famous maritime books during that period.

Cultural references

Perros-Guirec is where, in Gaston Leroux's The Phantom of the Opera, a teenage Vicomte de Chagny retrieves young Christine Daaé's scarf from the sea. It is also the final resting place of her father.