If you wish to take a trip to a seaside resort and be carried away by poetic scenery, then head to Normandy and its world-famous Etretat cliffs by the English Channel!
Should you want to show the sea to a friend, Etretat always leaves you feeling the same way, you feel empowered by a sense of freedom and humbled by the sheer beauty of the surroundings.
Let’s follow the path of great artists such as Turner, Courbet, Boudin, Monet, Offenbach, the reknowned writers Guy de Maupassant and of course Maurice Leblanc with his legendary novel Arsene Lupin, the famous gentleman-thief whom mansion can be visited !
These chalk Cliffs, with their unusual shape, sparks the imagination, like a setting for a postcard, and are a small gem on the Alabaster Coast, or « Côte d’Albâtre » just 3 hours away from Paris.
They include three natural Arches and a pointed formation called « L’Aiguille » or « The Needle » which rises 70 metres above the sea. The three arches even have names, such as the « Porte d’Aval », (or Cliff of « Aval »), « Porte d’ Amont » and the « Manneporte ». One of the way to enjoy looking at these majestic cliffs that never seem to end is to trek up to the two surrounding cliffs seeing terrific sunrise or sunset.
You could also discover Etretat in other exciting ways by heading out on a paddle board to explore the cliffs, ride along the velomaritime cycle route (which goes from Tréport to the Mont Saint-Michel), walk on the most popular GR 21 trail, and swim by the pebble beach. You will be enchanted by the cormorants and silver gulls along the coast.
And then, a real treat is to explore what used to be the old fishing village, and have a sip of cider of course ! For lunch, you can enjoy the charming seafood cafés. From Paris, you can book a Flixbus to Fécamp and Etretat or hop on the train From Saint-Lazare to Bréauté-Beuzeville and the Nomad 504 Bus to Etretat with a combined Etretat-Normandie Ticket.
