Facing the ocean, the 4* Residence Thalasso Concarneau and its Marine Spa offer the ideal setting to recharge your batteries. Behind large bay windows, the spa combines the benefits of seawater, fresh air and exceptional treatments.
Finistère, Concarneau Bay, south-west Brittany... The sun's rays shine down on the roofs of the Walled city, This is the historic heart of Concarneau. The granite houses seem to lean towards each other, as if in conversation. You walk down to the harbour, where the boats gently rock. The slow rolling of the waves accompanies the footsteps of the strollers. We stop on the ramparts. The bay is there, vast and changing. The wind carries the scent of iodine and kelp.
This resort with its contemporary architecture, set in lush green gardens, is the ideal place to »unwind» to the sound of the waves and the cries of seagulls. It comprises a hotel, the 4* Thalasso Concarneau residence and a thalasso centre, offering rejuvenating treatments and a heated outdoor swimming pool open from mid-June to mid-September. Facing the sea and bathed in light, the marine spa is dedicated to vitality and well-being.
The Marine Spa: a moment of serenity
Behind its large bay windows, in seawater heated to 32°C, the marine spa is dedicated to well-being. Will you get bored here? Far from it. You move from one aquatic workshop to another: massaging jets, deckchairs and bubble benches, swan necks. Seawater relaxes, soothes and revitalises. Bathing caps are not compulsory here.
Thanks to the dry heat of the sauna, the body's tensions disappear and you relax: ideal after a sports session.
Enjoy the benefits of the «starry sky» hammam. With steam containing essential oils at 40°C, the hammam is ideal before a scrub or facial treatment to cleanse the skin.
Then it's off to the herbal tea room to relax a little longer, sample the herbal teas and contemplate the ocean. Herbal teas with different virtues are freely available. Dream, read and travel through a selection of books about Brittany.
The Marine Spa is not accessible to under 14s. Access to the Marine Spa is by reservation only, subject to availability: contact@concarneau-thalasso.com
The »Balade à Concarneau« signature treatment«
Make way for space and sensoriality! Conceived as a dream in Breton lands that exalts the 5 senses, the movements of this exceptional treatment stimulate the imagination against a musical backdrop of gentle Celtic tones. This modelling evokes the raging storms, the cornice path, the Ville-Close refuge, the boats, the freshness of the waves and the landing on the Sables-Blancs beach before the «Fête des ".« Blue Nets ». Nature, Celtic symbolism and traditions are invoked for a poetic and beneficial letting go. Let your imagination travel to the lands of Brittany. Treatment lasts 1 hour and includes access to the Marine Spa.
Invigorating ocean massage
Ultra-remineralising with a serum of marine trace elements, this treatment has the rhythm of the waves. The forearms are used to nuance the pressure and work on tension, from the arch of the foot to the scalp. Draining manipulations boost circulation and detoxify the body. It's a new kind of beauty: luminous, dynamic and sun-kissed. Duration 50 min or 80 min.
Thalgo, marine beauty
Thalasso Concarneau benefits from all the expertise Thalgo in the field of marine cosmetology. Just as the sea revitalises the body and mind, Thalgo infuses this marine energy into its products and protocols to revitalise the body and mind. All the products used are available from the Thalgo boutique at the thalasso reception. And also from the online shop www.concarneau-thalasso.com/produits-cosmétiques
Eating out
The Estate
Facing the ocean, the Domain invites you to discover refined cuisine in a seaside setting. It's one of those places where you enter as if in a breath of fresh air. One step from the thalasso and the sea is already at your table. You can smell the salt, the light and the calm.
The blue of the walls matches the grey of the rocks, and the light glides across the glasses like water. It's uncluttered, with no frills, but full of that gourmet silence you find in good restaurants. The service is gentle, professional, almost friendly. You feel expected, not just welcomed. That's often where it all comes together: in the look, in the gesture, in the way you make your guest feel expected, not just reserved.
Chef Armando Nogueira's cuisine is a whisper of the ocean. You'll find iodine, soft butter and a hint of lemon acidity, all held together by a steady hand. Trained in the best schools of French gastronomy, he chose Brittany as his home port. He works like a sailor, attentive to the rhythm of the tides and respectful of the product. His dishes tell simple but well-crafted stories, with no unnecessary frills. He cooks from the heart and from the land, using the right ingredients rather than overdoing it.
The starter is the promise of a voyage: shredded coastal crab on buckwheat shortbread, sprinkled with baby greens and topped with a cloud of lemon foam. My neighbour raises his spoon, eyes sparkling: «It smells of the open sea, it smells of Brittany! It's fresh, lively and just the right amount of acidity to wake up your taste buds.
Then there's cod cooked on pebbles and smoked with pine needles. The sea and the moor hold hands. The fragrance arrives before the dish, a veritable theatre of scents: resin, salt, steam. Under the fork, the fish disintegrates like a flake, escorted by a pearl barley risotto and a clear juice of garden herbs. «It's so good, it makes you bite into Brittany in silence».
The dessert is a caress: an apple preserved in cider, hidden beneath a crisp veil, accompanied by a ribot milk ice cream. The sugar is discreet, the sweetness comes from the fruit. The impression is one of freshness, of having eaten something healthy, beautiful and just right. And to make it all sing... A Muscadet sur lie or a lively Chenin d'Anjou: the sea and the vine, the perfect union. The wine clicks a little on the tongue, then softens, like the wave on the sand. As for the service, it's quiet grace. No learned phrases, no stiff manners. When the plate arrives, it's a corner of Brittany that sits before you, with the best of it: its sincerity. Open every day, including to outside customers.
Bookings on 02 98 10 90 54
La Vague menu
«La Vague» is a seaside stopover where the salt is on your lips even before you open the menu. This menu is all about the sea, the sea breeze, Brittany at its best, with the refinement of a fine table.
For starters, a slice of smoked mackerel on toast, with a drizzle of lemon oil and crunchy vegetable pickles. The fish speaks for itself.
The dish, a back of roast pollack on a mousseline of carrots with orange, escorted by small open cockles, just right. The cooking? Perfect! The flesh comes off like a leaf, pearly in the centre, golden on the skin. A little clear juice, infused with ginger, tickles it all: a fine job with the sea, the sun and a hint of travel.
The dessert, a floating island with salted butter caramel, is a classic Breton dish. The caramel, dark and shiny like the rocks at low tide, generously coats the vanilla custard. We could do with another spoonful! And the wine... A very fresh Muscadet sur lie, with just the right amount of minerality, is the perfect accompaniment. The glass sings with the fish, and the harmony is as clear as a morning on the beach at Les Sables Blancs.
Text : Michèle Lasseur
Photos : DR
