La Manche is a bit like a menu from which you choose, with the certainty of never being disappointed: wild coasts, welcoming towns, green bocage, marshes, steep reliefs, architectural wonders or historical heritage. The sea, above all, is never far away, offering landscapes as diverse as possible: immense beaches, breathtaking cliffs, small deserted ports, or wild creeks, not forgetting the Chausey islands, so wild. From Granville to Cherbourg, from Saint-Lô to La Hague via Valognes, Utah Beach, Villedieu or Mont-Saint-Michel, discover the wonders of the English Channel!
A department between land and sea..
La Manche is a department between land and sea from which it derives all its beauty and richness. It may seem exaggerated, even cliché, but the English Channel is an authentic, demanding territory. To know the feeling of being "at the end of the world" has to be deserved. The horizon is our one and only point of view, sometimes spotted from the Channel Islands. The writers Didier Decoin, Claudie Gallay or Nicolas Fargues or the poet Jacques Prévert have been bewitched by the wild and picturesque charm of the Cotentin. The sea is omnipresent there and all the landscapes are represented. A walk along the customs officers' path is enough to take us to the heart of the gorse moors overhanging steep cliffs where caves and creeks nestle, not without reminding us of the Corsican maquis. The English Channel, coloured by the blue of the sea and the greenery of its fields interspersed with white stone walls, is rightly nicknamed "Little Ireland". This idyllic landscape hides more than one turn in its "English Channel". It offers a perpetual change of nuances over time, according to the wind where the play of light makes you rediscover a painting that you never tire of admiring. It is not uncommon to experience the "four seasons in one day". The sound of the tinkling of the ends of the masts of the boats docked, leads us to the port of Barfleur where the fishermen share the fruits of their trip at sea. Not far from there stands the Gatteville lighthouse, a granite protector that warns the sailors of the violent currents. On Utah Beach, the sound of cannon fire has given way to the rhythm of trotters, who have come to train under the watchful eye of the blockhouses, witnesses of history. The sea also lets its horses loose on the moving sands of the "Wonder of the West": Mont-Saint-Michel. Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994, Mont-Saint-Michel is inseparable from its bay, which was classified as a site in 1987. In 1995, the State and local authorities launched the project to restore the maritime character of Mont-Saint-Michel to restore the site, which is now degraded, and protect its exceptional environment. Between sea and land, the bay has ecosystems as varied as they are precious. For some time now, Mont-Saint-Michel has once again become an island: the road dike has been destroyed, giving way to a footbridge. Upstream, a new dam makes it possible to modulate the flow of water in the direction of the wonder.
Enchanting and unforgettable islands
Off its 355 km of coastline, the English Channel is also a few islands with magnificent landscapes. Whether by speedboat, sailboat or old rigging, for a stay of a day or more, it is possible to embark for the Channel Islands, Chausey or on Tatihou Island
Jersey is the largest of the Channel Islands. This "island of flowers" offers a bucolic getaway in the heart of landscapes mixing countryside and coasts. In Saint-Hélier, the island's capital, you can't resist entering a few shops and wandering through the heart of the market. In Jersey, you can enjoy a so British atmosphere only an hour from the Manchois coast. The island of Guernsey has preserved its nature, nature reserves, woods and trails. It is an ideal and idyllic setting for a few hikes while admiring the dunes, beaches, coves and cliffs. The natural heritage is not the only richness of Guernsey. You will discover an island with a rich historical past with ramparts, towers and fortifications. Finally, Sark is an island out of time. Country walks on paths lined with stone walls and flowers, everything is an invitation to enjoy this protected natural environment. Sark is also famous for its feudal government, the smallest in Europe. The gardens of the Seigneurie, home of the Lord and his family and its magnificent rose garden are not to be missed!
Only 15 km from the tip of the Roc de Granville, a commune to which it is administratively attached, the Chausey Islands archipelago is made up of 52 islets, about thirty of which are covered with vegetation. The Big Island is the main land of the archipelago, one kilometre long. There is an old 16th-century fort, the Pointe de la Tour lighthouse (1847), which marks the Chausey Sound and houses the island's power plant, and the 1866 fort. It is the only inhabited island in the archipelago. A paradise of flora and fauna, Chausey is a place to discover! Finally, Tatihou Island, located off the small port of Saint-Vaast-la-Hougue and just a stone's throw from Barfleur, is a favourite haunt for sea birds and lovers of history, nature and the environment. You will be able to discover the Maritime Museum, the gardens and the naval carpentry workshop where traditional boats are restored.
Seafood on the menu!
The English Channel is a land of inspiration. It belongs to the first scallop producing region... They mainly come from the Cotentin peninsula, which stretches from Barfleur to Cherbourg and from Carteret to Granville. From Blainville or Saint-Vaast, or in deep water in Fermanville, oysters from the English Channel also enjoy a good reputation. They are said to have a powerful and iodized taste that makes many jealous. Oyster farming is a flourishing industry that exports oysters all over the world. But one cannot avoid talking about lobster from the Côte des Isles or Chausey and shrimp from Cosqueville. Let's not forget either the "Demoiselles de Cherbourg" who are also small lobsters and who have for a long time honoured the fishing port of Cherbourg. In Barfleur, it is the blonde mussel that makes the gastronomic reputation of the port. Another emblematic wild product of Granville is the pied-de-cheval, a large flat oyster which represented the second economic wealth of the town in the 19th century. If these wild products have a good reputation, the farmed products should not be neglected. The Bouchot mussel of Eastern Cotentin, the oysters of Bréville and Saint-Vaast and, in recent years, the salmon from the Cherbourg aquaculture farm, which has just been labelled. A more discreet host is the Cotentin, the abalone, a rare and little-known shellfish, a delight for discerning gourmets
La Manche, much more than a department, a territory populated with mountains and wonders..
Smart info
When? You can go there all year round, although the arrival of fine weather is obviously more pleasant
Get there. By car, train or boat, anything is possible.
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Useful. To prepare for his stay.
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