The real French croissants, baguette with French cheese, perfect (free) camper pitches and endless hiking opportunities. The west coast of France, I’m looking forward to it!
Cayeux-sur-Mer
We walk in the forest, walk over dunes of pebbles and then a flat sandy beach. On the beach are large blue jellyfish. In Cayeux-sur-Mer there is an extensive network of hiking and cycling trails.
Le Tréport
The coast of Le Tréport, stunning! You can walk here and at the same time enjoy beautiful views of the sea, the city and the lighthouse. This coast is a must! There is a war memorial in memory of the missing pilots during the 2nd world war.
What a view from the cliff! Check out this video!
Belleville-sur-Mer
It is busy with campers in Le Tréport so I drive a bit further to Belleville-sur-Mer.
A camper place with sea view and you can walk sublimely.
Saint-Aubin-sur-Mer
In Saint-Aubin-sur-Mer we walk along the beach in the afternoon, past the colorful beach houses and high cliffs. There are walkers on the beach and kite surfers on the sea. The weather is very changeable, one moment gray clouds and a moment later a blue sky.
I am looking forward to a walk on the beach in the morning but there is no beach this morning haha! It is high tide and we have to choose another route. We walk a part of the route GR120.
Étretat
I find a parking spot next to a cornfield near the village of Étretat. From here we walk along the fields to the Cliffs. WOW this is really amazing! The white cliffs, the arch and fantastic sunny weather, perfect.
The next day we walk the other way to Étretat village, very nice! We make a round along the beach and through the village. This coast has been the setting for famous paintings.
Saint-Romain-de-Colbosc
In Saint-Romain-de-Colbosc there is a luxury camper place. Everything is free (incl. electricity) and the places are great! We look at the castle, walk in the forest, go to the Saturday market in the village, fresh baguette from the boulangerie and I also try to speak a few words of French with my friendly camper neighbors. We like it here, we stay another night.
The city of Cabourg is on the way to Utah Beach and is also definitely worth a visit. This city has a lot of historic buildings, such as the Grand Hotel.
Utah Beach
Utah Beach is the code name of one of the beaches where the American troops landed on D-day, June 6, 1944. Important history, a museum, impressive memorials & monuments and lovely walks on the sandy beach. A special place…
In Sainte Mere Eglise a (doll) parachutist hangs on the church. That’s how he landed in 1944 during the firefights, bizarre story. In many places along the west coast the war and especially the victims are commemorated. A good thing to do and I’m grateful for our freedom 🙏
GR34 Sentier des Douaniers
There is a lot of rain coming, too bad then we will walk this beautiful trail GR34 another time.
Sentier des Douaniers is more than 2000 kilometers long and runs from Mont-Saint-Michel to Saint-Nazaire via the Breton coastline.
This hiking trail is in my top 5 wish list, so to be continued…. On to the south!
La Rochelle
La Rochelle is a coastal city with a rich history. Via the old harbour with its large towers we walk to the old city centre with many interesting historical buildings and churches. It looks like an open air museum! There are also many covered terraces where you can chill, even when it rains 🙂
Island Oléron
Our next destination is the island d’Oleron, we stop in the village La Cotiniere. A nice village with a fishing port & fresh fish. We shop a bit at the colorful shops and walk on a wonderful beach. Great day!
Church Ychoux
Parc Les Landes de Gascogne is on the schedule today. Oops, there are a lot of rules here. Height barriers at 2.10 meters, no parking longer than 5.0 meters, no dogs, difficult… We drive through it, also beautiful!
In Ychoux we park for the night and enjoy the local church and extensive walking area.
One more walk, get a croissant at the bakery, drink a coffee and enjoy not having to do anything, life is so good. Is that where the expression comes from, like a god in France?
We are leaving France now, but we will definitely come back for the GR34 Sentier des Douaniers. We continue our trip in Spain, will you travel with us?
