Remove ads

Hœdic or Hoëdic (French pronunciation: [edik];[3][4] Breton: Edig) is an island off the south coast of Brittany in northwestern France. Its bigger "twin sister" island is Houat.

Quick Facts Edig, Country ...
Hœdic
Edig
Thumb
An aerial view of Hœdic
Thumb
Thumb
Location of Hœdic
Thumb
Thumb
Hœdic
Hœdic
Thumb
Hœdic
Hœdic
Coordinates: 47°20′25″N 2°52′40″W
CountryFrance
RegionBrittany
DepartmentMorbihan
ArrondissementLorient
CantonQuiberon
Government
  Mayor (20202026) Jean-Luc Chiffoleau[1]
Area
1
2.08 km2 (0.80 sq mi)
Population
 (2021)[2]
100
  Density48/km2 (120/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+01:00 (CET)
  Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (CEST)
INSEE/Postal code
56085 /56170
Elevation0–22 m (0–72 ft)
(avg. 14 m or 46 ft)
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.
Close

Administratively, Hœdic is a commune in the Morbihan department.[5]

Geography

Hœdic is located in the heart of Mor Braz [fr], a bay in the Atlantic Ocean off the south coast of Brittany (Rhuys and Quiberon peninsulas), 13 km (8.1 miles) east of Belle-Île and 5 km (3.1 miles) southeast of Houat. It is part of a line of granite crests that includes the Le Croisic peninsula, Dumet Island, Houat, Quiberon, and Groix.

Hœdic is a low, undulating plateau, 800 metres (2,600 ft) wide by 2,500 metres (8,200 ft) long. Its peak, at an altitude of 22 metres (72 ft), is located in the middle of its eastern part, on the road that leads from the village to the hamlet of the Phare. The island's base consists essentially of granite and less often of schists. The coast is an alternation of sandy coves and rocky points of variable height, generally more marked to the north (Beg Lagat, the Old Castle) than to the south (Beg Er Faut, Kasperakiz). There are two marshes, one modest, behind the dune of the new harbor, the other about twenty hectares behind the dune of the old port. In addition to the main island, the town has several small islands, including Roc'h Melen, Madavoar, Cardinals, Mulons, and others.

Remove ads

Human geography

Hœdic has long been associated with familial polyculture of livestock and crops—that is, in farms owned by people and families rather than heavily industrialised farms[6]—along with their fishing resources. The former disappeared in the middle of the 20th century, while the latter had a second wind in the 1980s but is currently declining. Currently, Hœdic is largely dependent on tourism, even more significantly than its neighbour Houat. Similar to Houat, the majority of its land is being invaded by brush.

Hœdic is a car-free island with around 100 inhabitants in the wintertime. During the summer, its population can reach 3,000, including boaters, tourists, and campers coming to the island. The island is connected to the mainland via Compagnie Océane boats year-round and Compagnie des Iles boats during the tourist season (connections from Quiberon).

Remove ads

Demographics

Inhabitants of Hœdic are called Hœdicais.

See also

References

Wikiwand in your browser!

Seamless Wikipedia browsing. On steroids.

Every time you click a link to Wikipedia, Wiktionary or Wikiquote in your browser's search results, it will show the modern Wikiwand interface.

Wikiwand extension is a five stars, simple, with minimum permission required to keep your browsing private, safe and transparent.

Remove ads