Etretat France
6
Cruises availables
At departure or passage at this port
Frequently Asked Questions
By tender. There is no deep-water berth here: small vessels anchor off the beach and tenders land passengers on the pebble shore, exactly where the fishermen used to come in.
Three arches and a needle. To the south, the Porte d'Aval and its seventy-metre Aiguille form the most photographed pair in Normandy. To the north, the Porte d'Amont closes the bay. Further along, the Manneporte imposes its sheer scale.
The climb up the Amont cliff for the chapel and the Étretat Gardens, then the Aval side to see the Aiguille close up. Add Le Clos Lupin if it rains. The coastal path beyond the first viewpoints needs more time.
The paths themselves are manageable, but the drop is real near the edges and there is no railing everywhere. Stay on the marked routes. Allow half an hour of easy climbing to reach the first viewpoints.
A neo-Gothic chapel built in the 19th century on the Amont cliff to protect seafarers. Twenty minutes of climbing from the seafront, and the view drops onto the slate roofs, the curve of the pebbles and the tenders working around the anchored ship.
Gardens of living sculpture overhanging the bay, steps from the chapel. Originally the garden of a Belle Époque actress who admired Monet, they were completely redesigned in 2017 and now appear in the Michelin Green Guide: rolling topiary, contemporary works and glimpses of the arches.
Maurice Leblanc, creator of the gentleman burglar, lived here. His house on the rue Guy-de-Maupassant, Le Clos Lupin, is visited like an investigation, clues included. The Hollow Needle, setting of the cycle's most famous novel, stands a few hundred metres away.
No, the beach is pebble, like this whole Norman coast. It is fine for walking in good soles, less so for lying down. Bring closed shoes rather than sandals.
The cliffs, hardly: reaching the viewpoints means climbs and stairways. The seafront, the village and the shops are accessible, however, and the view of the arches from the beach is already remarkable.
The euro, cards accepted in shops, gardens and museums. French is spoken; Étretat receives many foreign visitors and English is easier to find here than in neighbouring villages.
