Cliffs of Étretat, Normandy

Étretat, Normandy. Today we are in for a unique landscape in the world, the Normandy coast welcomes us with these wonderful cliffs, the cliffs of Étretat

Étretat is just over 200 kilometers from Paris, so a transfer here can be a nice option.

We arrived by car to this small Norman town, looking for a place to park was a challenge, after several turns we ended up finding a small place.

Unlike what we always like, which is to stay in the place, here we arrived only for the day and we had to enjoy it.

We arrived thinking only of the cliffs, and we discovered this beautiful and charming town on the beach, with restaurants and shops so that tourists can enjoy nice moments. The walk through it was a good start for what was to come.

We walked leisurely through these streets, found the Old Market, the building of the Hotel la Residence, and headed towards the beach to see the famous cliffs.

And a few steps away you reach this beach of pebbles instead of sand, a pleasure to walk for a while through this space full of seagulls.

But the silhouettes of the cliffs pierced by the sea were calling us and it is here where we will start the walk to see them from above.

Each one of these cliffs with their fabulous shapes has a name, the first one that unfolds to our left is El Ojo de la Aguja, a natural arch that was formed by the erosion of the sea and is 70 meters high.

There is a reason why these cliffs, sculpted by the sea and the wind, led Monet to portray them several times; they are impressive.

Monet painted these cliffs many times, at all hours of the day, and then Boudin, Courbet, Corot, Delacroix, Matisse… The cliffs of Étretat have inspired the greatest artists and with good reason.

►If you visit this area of Normandy, going to visit the landing beaches can be a good idea.

We take a walk and decide to climb the path of the cliffs on the left side of the beach.

Here we will see the Falaise d’Aval, the Porte d’Aval, Manneporte and L’Aiguille.

An hour and a half of walking will take us until we reach the top and see these cliffs of Étretat on the Normandy coast from above, several viewpoints await us along the way.

Etretat is closely related to Arsène Lupin. Maurice Leblanc wrote a total of 19 novels, 39 short stories and 5 plays, all centred on Arsène Lupin. He wrote most of his works in Étretat, where in 1918 he bought a house, his home, which is now a museum.

Lately we have been able to hear about these adventures in the Lupin series, and also see these cliffs in one of its chapters in this series.

These cliffs are located on the Alabaster Coast, which is named for its striking white color due to its limestone.

Always remember, when putting together your vacation, to take out travel insurance. We use Iati, from our link they have a 5% discount on hiring it.

Once down, again on the beach, we can make the right side and go up to the Notre Dame de la Garde church and Les Jardins de Étretat.

►Entrance to the Gardens of Étretat

There is the possibility of going up to the gardens and seeing the chapel on a tourist train. The return ticket costs 6 euros and has a frequency of 40 minutes.

To get to this part you can also use the trail, because although there is a small road to go up by car, currently (or at least in summer when we went) it is closed, and you must leave the car in the village and make the journey on foot. Check back because these things sometimes change seasonally or over time.

►Visit Saint Malo in Brittany, French, have you seen this post?

We rented the car in Paris to tour several places in France and we will return it in Paris at the end of the tour. As I always say, it is generally cheaper to pick up and return in the same place. Check the prices with your dates in the search engine below.

►Find the car for your tour on Discovercars