Hœdic | |
Native Name: | Edig |
Commune Status: | Commune |
Image Flag: | Flag of Hœdic.svg |
Image Coat Of Arms: | Blason commune fr Hoedic.svg |
Coordinates: | 47.3403°N -2.8778°W |
Arrondissement: | Lorient |
Canton: | Quiberon |
Insee: | 56085 |
Postal Code: | 56170 |
Mayor: | Jean-Luc Chiffoleau[1] |
Term: | 2020 - 2026 |
Elevation M: | 14 |
Elevation Min M: | 0 |
Elevation Max M: | 22 |
Area Km2: | 2.08 |
Hœdic or Hoëdic (in French pronounced as /edik/;[2] [3]) is an island off the south coast of Brittany in northwestern France. Its bigger "twin sister" island is Houat.
Administratively, Hœdic is a commune in the Morbihan department.[4]
Hœdic is located in the heart of, a bay in the Atlantic Ocean off the south coast of Brittany (Rhuys and Quiberon peninsulas), 13km (08miles) east of Belle-Île and 5km (03miles) 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, 800m (2,600feet) wide by 2500m (8,200feet) long. Its peak, at an altitude of 22m (72feet), 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.
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[5] —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).
Inhabitants of Hœdic are called Hœdicais.