Penmarch
title: "Penmarch" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["communes-of-finistère", "finistère-communes-articles-needing-translation-from-french-wikipedia", "populated-coastal-places-in-france"] topic_path: "geography/france" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penmarch" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::data[format=table title="Infobox French commune"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| name | Penmarch |
| commune status | Commune |
| image | DSC02249 Vuurtorens Pointe de Penmarc'h.JPG |
| caption | Lighthouses on the Pointe de Penmarc'h |
| image coat of arms | CoA fr Penmarc'h.svg |
| native name | Penmarc'h |
| coordinates | |
| elevation min m | -1 |
| elevation max m | 23 |
| arrondissement | Quimper |
| canton | Pont-l'Abbé |
| INSEE | 29158 |
| postal code | 29760 |
| mayor | Gwenola Le Troadec |
| term | 2020–2026 |
| intercommunality | Pays Bigouden Sud |
| area km2 | 16.39 |
| population | |
| population date | |
| population footnotes | |
| :: |
|name = Penmarch |commune status = Commune |image = DSC02249 Vuurtorens Pointe de Penmarc'h.JPG |caption = Lighthouses on the Pointe de Penmarc'h |image coat of arms = CoA fr Penmarc'h.svg |native name = Penmarc'h |coordinates = |elevation min m = -1 |elevation max m = 23 |arrondissement = Quimper |canton = Pont-l'Abbé |INSEE = 29158 |postal code = 29760 |mayor = Gwenola Le Troadec |term = 2020–2026 |intercommunality = Pays Bigouden Sud |area km2 = 16.39 |population = |population date = |population footnotes =
Penmarch (, ) is a commune in the Finistère department of Brittany, northwestern France. It lies 18 km south-west of Quimper by road.
Geography
Penmarch is the southwest-most township of Pays Bigouden, at the southern end of the Bay of Audierne. It is part of the canton of Pont-l'Abbé, and of the arrondissement of Quimper.
The territory of the town (16.39 km2) is particularly flat; its altitude ranges from -1 to 23 m amsl. There are many marshy lagoons, some of which have been drained and filled, especially in St. Guénolé to save space or habitat for the installation of local handicrafts.
The municipality consists of four villages:
- Penmarch-Bourg, formerly known as the Tréoultré;
- Saint-Guénolé (main fishing port);
- Kerity (fishing port side moving towards the hosting of the craft);
- Saint-Pierre (port for very small craft).
Many islands or reefs of very variable dimensions punctuate the coast of Penmarch; the most important are the Étocs islets south of Kerity, and the island of Saint-Nonna west of Saint-Pierre.
The port of Saint-Guénolé has a pass opening due west, thought to be dangerous in rough weather. It is protected by two granite peninsulas: Krugen in the South, and Conq in the northwest. Krugen is connected to the mainland by a sandy isthmus. Conq is connected to the shore by an artificial embankment itself protected by concrete blocks to better break the flood wave.
The rocky granite coast (called "savage coast" in Saint-Guénolé) is interspersed with several beaches:
- North, the beach of Pors Carn-which extends to the tip of the torch (joint Plomeur);
- West, the beach of Joy;
- South, the beach Steir Kerity which begins at and continues through Guilvinec.
Climate
Penmarch has a climate bordering between Mediterranean (Köppen Csb) and oceanic (Cfb). It is heavily moderated by the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf Stream influence, resulting in cool summers and very mild winters for the latitude as seasonal differences are low.
|location = Penmarch (1981–2010 normals; extremes 1973–2017) |collapsed = y |metric first = Yes |single line = Yes |Jan record high C = 14.4 |Feb record high C = 14.6 |Mar record high C = 23.7 |Apr record high C = 25.8 |May record high C = 28.3 |Jun record high C = 33.0 |Jul record high C = 31.1 |Aug record high C = 32.7 |Sep record high C = 30.5 |Oct record high C = 22.6 |Nov record high C = 20.0 |Dec record high C = 16.0 |year record high C = 33.0 |Jan high C = 10.1 |Feb high C = 9.9 |Mar high C = 11.4 |Apr high C = 13.3 |May high C = 16.6 |Jun high C = 18.4 |Jul high C = 19.7 |Aug high C = 20.1 |Sep high C = 18.8 |Oct high C = 16.0 |Nov high C = 13.1 |Dec high C = 10.9 |year high C = 14.8 |Jan mean C = 8.2 |Feb mean C = 7.8 |Mar mean C = 9.3 |Apr mean C = 10.8 |May mean C = 13.5 |Jun mean C = 15.8 |Jul mean C = 17.4 |Aug mean C = 17.7 |Sep mean C = 16.3 |Oct mean C = 14.0 |Nov mean C = 11.1 |Dec mean C = 8.9 |year mean C = 12.6 |Jan low C = 6.4 |Feb low C = 5.6 |Mar low C = 7.1 |Apr low C = 8.2 |May low C = 11.0 |Jun low C = 13.3 |Jul low C = 15.1 |Aug low C = 15.2 |Sep low C = 13.8 |Oct low C = 11.9 |Nov low C = 9.1 |Dec low C = 6.9 |year low C = 10.3 |Jan record low C = -9.3 |Feb record low C = -6.8 |Mar record low C = -2.0 |Apr record low C = 0.4 |May record low C = 2.0 |Jun record low C = 6.0 |Jul record low C = 8.8 |Aug record low C = 8.3 |Sep record low C = 6.7 |Oct record low C = -0.2 |Nov record low C = -3.0 |Dec record low C = -6.3 |year record low C = -9.3 |precipitation colour = green |Jan precipitation mm = 74.9 |Feb precipitation mm = 59.6 |Mar precipitation mm = 53.9 |Apr precipitation mm = 47.8 |May precipitation mm = 46.8 |Jun precipitation mm = 29.0 |Jul precipitation mm = 31.2 |Aug precipitation mm = 29.6 |Sep precipitation mm = 43.5 |Oct precipitation mm = 72.3 |Nov precipitation mm = 67.0 |Dec precipitation mm = 77.5 |year precipitation mm = |Jan precipitation days = 13.7 |Feb precipitation days = 10.3 |Mar precipitation days = 11.1 |Apr precipitation days = 10.0 |May precipitation days = 9.2 |Jun precipitation days = 5.7 |Jul precipitation days = 5.8 |Aug precipitation days = 6.1 |Sep precipitation days = 7.4 |Oct precipitation days = 11.8 |Nov precipitation days = 12.4 |Dec precipitation days = 12.7 |year precipitation days = 116.1 |Jan sun = |Feb sun = |Mar sun = |Apr sun = |May sun = |Jun sun = |Jul sun = |Aug sun = |Sep sun = |Oct sun = |Nov sun = |Dec sun = |year sun = |source 1 = Météo Climat |source 2 = Météo Climat
History
::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d0/Exterior_of_Église_Saint-Nonna_de_Penmarc'h_(26).jpg" caption="St Nonna's Church, Penmarch"] ::
On the extremity of the peninsula on which Penmarc'h is situated are the fortified remains of a town which was of considerable importance from the 14th to the 16th centuries and included, besides Penmarc'h, Saint-Guénolé and Kerity. It owed its prosperity to its cod banks, the disappearance of which together with the discovery of the Newfoundland cod banks and the pillage of the place by the bandit La Fontenelle in 1595, contributed to its decline.
The church of Saint Nouna, a Gothic building of the early 16th century at Penmarc'h, and the church of St. Guénolé, an unfinished tower, and the church of Kerity are of interest. The coast is known to be very dangerous for sailors. On the Pointe de Penmarc'h stands the Phare d'Eckmühl, with a light visible for 100 km. There are numerous megalithic monuments in the vicinity.
Population
Inhabitants of Penmarch are called in French Penmarchais. |align = none |cols = 2 |percentages = pagr |source = EHESS and INSEE (1968-2017) |1793 |1134 |1800 |1166 |1806 |885 |1821 |1462 |1831 |1727 |1836 |1781 |1841 |1783 |1846 |1867 |1851 |1964 |1856 |1987 |1861 |2029 |1866 |2227 |1872 |2431 |1876 |2641 |1881 |2871 |1886 |3238 |1891 |3600 |1896 |4298 |1901 |5068 |1906 |5702 |1911 |6051 |1921 |6735 |1926 |6877 |1931 |7037 |1936 |6956 |1946 |7077 |1954 |7204 |1962 |7652 |1968 |7320 |1975 |6921 |1982 |6463 |1990 |6272 |1999 |5889 |2007 |5662 |2012 |5532 |2017 |5247
Sights
Penmarch is home to the 'Droguen' rock.
Literary references
Dorigen, the female protagonist in Geoffrey Chaucer's The Franklin's Tale, has a name similar to the local rock, which may symbolise her obduracy..
References
References
- (9 August 2021). "Répertoire national des élus: les maires".
- [https://www.insee.fr/fr/metadonnees/geographie/commune/29158-penmarch Commune de Penmarch (29158)], INSEE
- "French climate normals 1981-2010". Météo Climat.
- "Weather extremes for Penmarch". Météo Climat.
- {{Cassini-Ehess. 26635. Penmarch
- [https://www.insee.fr/fr/statistiques/4515315?geo=COM-29158#ancre-POP_T1 Population en historique depuis 1968], INSEE
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