Hello! Another week, another blog! This week you will join me in hiking the chalk cliffs of Etretat, a beautiful coastal town in the French region of Normandy. Here, you’ll enjoy breathtaking views, discover small pebbled beaches, and feel the sea breeze on your face. Sounds appealing? Then keep reading to plan a fantastic day in Etretat!
TABLE OF CONTENTS
ÉTRETAT
Étretat is a small town on the coast of Normandy. It is mostly known for its chalk cliffs that have three natural arches (Porte d’Abal, Porte D’Amont and Manneporte) and pointed formation (L’Aiguille or The Needle in English).
- Porte D’Abal and L’Aiguille stand on the left-hand side of the beach (if you are facing the sea);
- Porte D’Amont is on the right-hand side of the beach;
- La Manneporte can’t be seen from town since it is a bit further away after Porte D’Abal
HOW TO GET TO THE FAMOUS VIEWPOINT IN ÉTRETAT
- Walk all the way to the beach. Tip: If you are arriving by car at Étretat and you don’t want to pay an exorbitant price for parking, I recommend parking in the free parking at the entry of the town. You can find its location on the map located at the end of this blog post.
- On the right-hand end of the beach you will find some stairs that will lead you up to the viewpoint. There are a lot of stairs but the view will be worth it!
Recommendation: This is the perfect spot to watch the sunset! You can buy some drinks and snacks downtown and have a picnic with a breathtaking view. There is no better way to end your day in Étretat!
HIKING THE CHALK CLIFFS OF ÉTRETAT
Hike Summary
- Trail Start/End: Étretat Beach
- Distance: 11.27 km
- Elevation Gain: 360 m
- Route Type: Circular Route
- Estimated Time Needed: 5-6 hours (This includes plenty of time to rest and enjoy a picnic at the beach).
My Experience Hiking The Chalk Cliffs Of Etretat
This hike will be around 12km and it’s the perfect way to spend a day in Étretat. You don’t need a whole day to complete the trail, but we chose to take it slow and enjoy the beautiful beaches between the cliffs.
Another thing to consider is that the trail is a loop. This means you can either start by walking on the cliff front first and return through the interior or the other way around. I recommend starting your hike through the interior until you reach the furthest point and walking back towards Étretat near the sea for amazing views.
The first part of the trail is not very impressive but it was quite peaceful walking next to the cornfields. Along the trail, you might encounter other fellow hikers but it is not very crowded since most people only visit the famous viewpoints.
Plage du Fourquet
The first stop is Plage du Fourquet which you can access by going down some very steep stairs. This small beach is the perfect spot for a mid-day snack or lunch depending on the time you get there. Not so many people walk this far away from Étretat, so there are high chances that you are almost alone there.
In our case, we got really lucky and we had the beach all for ourselves so we decided to have lunch there and enjoy our “private” beach.
Once you have rested and are ready to continue your hike, you just need to follow the path along the coast back to Étretat.
The way is not very demanding but there are a few hills and valleys that might be a bit challenging for a “rookie” hiker.
Plage d'Antifer
Even though along the way you will have probably stopped a few times to take photos and admire the view, the next stop will be Antifer beach. This beach is bigger than the previous one and it is also a busier one since there is a road that allows you to drive it. Nevertheless, it is also an ideal place to stop and enjoy the view, wet your feet and feel the water or even go for a swim if the weather allows it!
L'Oeil Du Panda
Keep walking the trail until you reach L’Oeil du Panda. From this viewpoint, you will have a beautiful view of La Manneporte, one of the three natural arches.
This place was my personal favorite of the whole hike! I could have stayed here for hours just contemplating the view! It was not too crowded, just some people around us but not invading our personal space.
We sat there and just enjoyed the views for a really long time. Below us, some people were doing some Stand Up Paddle trying to reach the beach below us. It was the best moment of the day.
La Manneporte
Once you’re done admiring the view, it is time to go up and down another hill until you reach the next viewpoint on top of La Manneporte. From here you can get the iconic view of Porte D’Aval and L’Aiguille.
Porte D'Aval
Going up one more hill, you will arrive at the last viewpoint from which you will be able to have a panoramic view of Étretat town and Porte D’Amont.
If you still have enough energy to go up one last hill, you can go across the beach and up the stairs to Porte D’Amont. Up there, in addition to enjoying a beautiful panorama, there is also a small chapel that you can visit.
OTHER THINGS TO DO IN ETRETAT
Apart from hiking and enjoying the beautiful views, here are a few other things you can do will in Étretat.
- Spend the day on the beach. However, if you visit during the summer holidays, please keep in mind that it can get very busy.
- Visit Étretat Gardens. You can buy your tickets here.
MAP WITH ALL LOCATIONS
And that’s it for my blog about hiking in Étretat. I hope you liked it and it made you want to do this hike. Let me know what you think in the comments!
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