The Cotes d'Armor extends from the centre of Brittany to the northern coast. In the east it borders with Finistère with it's heaths and moorland, and to the west with Ille et Vilaine. Along the coast from east to west are part of the Côte d’Émeraude, famous for the deep green colour of the sea, the 'wild coast', and the Côte du Granit Rose with sandy beaches and great tumbles of pink granite rock, sculpted by the wind into wonderful shapes. The name Cotes d'Amor is derived from when the Bretons described coastal Brittany asl’Ar Mor'the country of the sea', and the inland region of forests and hills as l'Ar Coat, 'the country of the woods'

Inland are the rolling hills,country lanes, and woodlands of central Brittany, a rural landscape reminiscent of much that has been lost in Britain to the ravages of industrial farming and urbanisation. The département’s southern half is crossed by the Noires Mountains that run west to east and constitute the watershed divide between northward flowing rivers, that empty into the Channel, and the rivers emptying to the south into the Bay of Biscay.

Interesting activities in Cotes D'Armor, as in other parts of Brittany, are too numerous to list, but include golf, walking and cycling, sailing and inland boating, riding, and plenty of places to visit such as museums for traditional local crafts and a wealth of buildings of historic interest including churches and chapels.