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OUR MOST BEAUTIFUL COASTAL VILLAGES

Ideas for seaside breaks

Are you a fan of the ‘seaside’ lifestyle and beach holidays? Les Plus Beaux Villages de France have a number of destinations along the Channel and Atlantic coasts where you can combine seaside holidays with cultural exploration. There’s something to suit everyone’s tastes. Order your seafood platter, pack your beach gear and immerse yourself in the world of seaside resorts with their unique charm!

> Barfleur, a small fishing port in Normandy

At the north-eastern tip of the Cotentin Peninsula, the quays of the port of Barfleur will take you on a journey through its history to the church that stands proudly facing the sea, flanked by its seaside cemetery. Until the Middle Ages, Barfleur was the most important port in Normandy. It was even the official port used by the Dukes of Normandy and the Kings of England to return to the British Isles.

The large number of fishing and pleasure boats, combined with the powerful sea currents, have long made the coastline of Barfleur a hazardous stretch of coastline. The ‘raz de Barfleur’ has thus caused numerous shipwrecks, several of which remain famous:

  • that of the Blanche Nef in 1120, with over 300 people on board, including the heir to the English throne (which led to a war of succession),
  • and that of the Luna in 1860, in which only two of the 103 passengers on board the American three-masted ship survived.

Consequently, France’s first sea rescue station was built in Barfleur in 1865, modelled on its English counterparts. A little further north, a lighthouse was also built to warn ships: the Gatteville lighthouse, the second-tallest in France and Europe (75 m).

Top seaside activities in Barfleur

  1. Get up early to watch the fish being unloaded as the fishing boats return to the harbour.
  2. Enjoy one of the village’s three fine sandy beaches: the beach by the church, the Sambière beach to the south-east, and the Masse beach further up towards the Gatteville lighthouse.
  3. Take a course at the Barfleur sailing school, or try your hand at sea kayaking.
  4. Make the most of low tide to try your hand at shellfish gathering.
  5. Follow the GR223 – the Customs Officers’ Path, which links Barfleur church to Gatteville lighthouse over 3.5 km along the coast. The more adventurous can start the GR at Saint-Vaast, the starting point of the 16 km stretch to Gatteville.

 

Vue aérienne de Veules-les-Roses

> Veules-les-Roses: the countryside by the sea

 

On the Alabaster Coast, where France’s smallest river flows into the sea, Veules-les-Roses is a village that feels partly rural if you head upriver past its mills, and partly seaside if you stroll along its vast beach and limestone cliffs.

In the 19th century, the seaside resort became a favourite holiday destination for Parisian artists and writers, welcoming the likes of Victor Hugo, Meurice and the Goncourt brothers.

Although severely affected by the Second World War, beautiful, richly decorated villas bear witness to the splendid past of Veules-les-Roses in the 19th century.

Top seaside activities in Veules-les-Roses

  1. Admire the beach huts and the immense limestone cliffs before laying your towel on the sand of the village’s vast beach, where the River Veules flows into the sea.
  2. Keep the children entertained at the beach playground: the slide and paddling pool will delight them, and it’s free!
  3. Try your hand at sea kayaking, catamaran sailing, windsurfing or stand-up paddleboarding at the beach area on the Alabaster Coast.
  4. Sample Veules oysters, also known as ‘la Veulaise’, from one of the stalls on the seafront (in season).
  5. Head up to the GR21 trail from the beach playground to reach the Point d’Interrogation viewpoint on the cliff.  

Our top tip for accommodation in Veules-les-Roses

Port de La Flotte

> Île de Ré, a ‘wellness’ destination with plenty of character!

One island, 10 local authorities. Among them: Ars-en-Ré and La Flotte, listed amongst Les Plus Beaux Villages de France, where land and sea blend together to become one. The architecture of Ré, with its little white houses and narrow streets lined with hollyhocks, will enchant you just as much as the beaches, water sports and harbours.

For it is indeed around port activity that the villages ofArs and La Flotte. Built in 1765, the harbour at La Flotte served successively as a trading port for salt and wine, then as a fishing port. The harbour at Ars was primarily focused on the salt trade. Now converted into marinas, Ars and La Flotte welcome numerous yachtsmen every year.

The island is also brimming with natural treasures such as the Fier d’Ars and the Lilleau des Niges National Nature Reserve. This 800-hectare marshy bay, which is said to have been formed by the merging of three islands, is a haven for migratory birds and is home to salt and oyster farming.

Top seaside activities in Ars and La Flotte

  1. Lay out your towel on Arnérault Beach in La Flotte, just a stone’s throw from the harbour. Well-equipped and lifeguarded in season, the beach also has wheelchairs for people with reduced mobility to access the water. Ars also has its own beach (Grange Beach), but it is only accessible at high tide.
  2. Book a thalassotherapy treatment at Côté Thalasso in Ars, or at the Hôtel Richelieu in La Flotte.
  3. Hop on your bike (the best way to get around the island!) and cycle along the paths through the salt marshes in Ars. Round off your ride with a visit to the Sauniers cooperative shop on Route de la Prée in Ars. Tours of the salt marshes can be booked through the cooperative.
  4. Visit the Musée du Platin in La Flotte to learn all about fishing, life on Ré and the seafaring community.
  5. Take an early evening stroll around the harbour at Ars or La Flotte, do some shopping and round off the evening at a restaurant with a seafood platter.
  6. Hire a boat from the harbour in Ars or La Flotte to explore the island from the sea.
  7. Try your hand at a water sport at the Ars Sailing Club or the La Flotte Water Sports Centre. Sailing, catamaran sailing, kitesurfing or stand-up paddleboarding… It’s all yours!
  8. Get a bird’s-eye view by visiting the black-and-white bell tower in Ars. Standing 40 metres tall, it serves as a landmark for sailors, and the view over the Fier d’Ars river and the salt marshes is well worth the detour.
  9. Stop off at an oyster farmer’s hut in season and sample the delicious oysters from Ré.

Our top tip for finding somewhere to stay on the Île de Ré