BOAT-COMPARATOR Guide
Roscoff and Île de Batz by Boat, an Exotic Garden and Big Tides
Historic home port of the pink-onion Johnnies and ferry gateway to England and Ireland, Roscoff opens onto Île de Batz and its tropical garden.
By Clément Lacaille, editor of Boat-Comparator · updated
Roscoff owes its fame to two things: its ferries to England and Ireland, and its pink onion, once sold door to door across the Channel by the famous cycling "Johnnies" — a history that shaped the port's identity long before boaters arrived.
Île de Batz, a short hop away
Less than twenty minutes' crossing from Roscoff, Île de Batz surprises visitors with its Georges-Delaselle exotic garden, planted in the late 19th century on the island's dunes, where palm trees and subtropical plants grow thanks to an unusually mild microclimate for this latitude, warmed by the Gulf Stream. The island is easy to explore on foot from the small harbour, with no cars needed. Roscoff is also home to the Station biologique, founded in 1872 and one of the oldest marine biology stations in the world, a sign of how rich the surrounding waters are. The island's lighthouse, which visitors can climb, gives a sweeping view over the western Channel, from Roscoff to the Sept-Îles archipelago on a clear day.
Water with a big tidal range
As across northern Brittany, tides are strongly felt in this area: water depth at the harbour and access to some anchorages around the island and the nearby Bay of Morlaix depend directly on the state of the tide. Our guide to Atlantic tides covers how to check the day's coefficient before setting out.
Around Roscoff
To the east, the Pink Granite Coast at Perros-Guirec extends the discovery of this stretch of Brittany's erosion-sculpted rocks; to the west, the Bay of Morlaix opens onto a string of islets and channels that dry out at low tide, best left to sailors who've already checked their tide times.
Budget
Rates stay in line with the Breton average: €100-250/day for a license-free boat in the sheltered waters around the island, €200-600/day for a RIB able to reach the Bay of Morlaix. For more ways to cut the cost further, our cheap license-free boat rental guide rounds up other tips.
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