Aiguilles de Port-Coton, Rock formations on the Atlantic coast in Belle-Île-en-Mer, France.

The Aiguilles de Port-Coton are a group of dark rock stacks rising from the sea along the wild west coast of Belle-Île-en-Mer. The tallest is a single sharp peak with a broad base and rounded top; to its right are lower, jagged masses and a smaller pointed rock. They extend the southern ridge of the Port-Coton cove, a narrow inlet ending in a small coarse-sand beach reachable only by water.

The stacks are the southern edge of Port-Coton, a narrow ria ending in a coarse-sand beach reachable only by sea, on the wild west coast of Belle-Île in Bangor commune. Claude Monet painted them in 1886, John Peter Russell in 1890 and Charles Cottet in 1900.

The name Port-Coton comes from the spray thrown up by waves at the foot of the rocks in heavy swell, which looks like a veil of cotton. Onlookers read shapes into the stacks: a small Mont-Saint-Michel, a howling dog or wolf, a brooding hen, a sphinx, a bust of Louis XIV.

The rocks are accessible through marked hiking paths along the western coast of Belle-Île, with the best viewing in late afternoon. The weather can change quickly, so check the forecast and wear sturdy shoes for walking on uneven terrain.

The name Port-Coton comes from a natural phenomenon: when strong winds blow, sea spray around the rocks creates white foam patterns that resemble cotton. This spectacle happens mainly during storms and shapes how the place is understood today.