Normandy has a long coastline that has inspired many artists: cliffs, beaches, dunes... There is a little bit of everything.
Below is my selection of the best beaches in Normandy, the most scenic or fascinating to visit. I wish you a wonderful trip to my home region!
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About the best beaches in Normandy and the coast
About the Normandy coast
The coastline is 603km long (375mi), facing North and West.
It is extremely varied with high cliffs, lower ones, flat rocky areas from millions of years ago, sandy beaches, pebble beaches, sand dunes...
It is so varied that many sections of the coastline have different names:
- Côte d’Albâtre (Alabaster coast) with tall chalk cliffs,
- Côte Fleurie (Flowered Coast) with the flowered countryside near the coast,
- Côte de Nacre (Mother-of-Pearl coast) with the changing colors of the sea,
- ...
Those landscapes (some of the best in the region) have inspired many artists, especially with the beautiful skies and lights enjoyed all year round.
Coastal towns in Normandy
Along the coast of Normandy, you can find also a variety of places to stay:
- large towns with harbors (Le Havre, Dieppe, Fécamp...)
- resort towns (Deauville, Cabourg, Villers-sur-Mer...)
- small villages (Veules-les-Roses, Yport...)
The Norman coast really has something for everyone's taste.
About my selection of the best Normandy beaches
There is no other subject that gets as many comments as articles about best beaches. This is very much a matter of opinion, and people do complain that you have not listed their favorite beach :-).
So, to clarify: this list is my selection of my favorite beaches. I prefer the beaches that are very scenic and photogenic, rather than the ones where you can lay down on the sand for the day.
All the beaches listed below can be found in my travel guide eBook that helps you easily plan your Normandy road trip itinerary:
Be overwhelmed by the beauty, not the planning!
Plan your perfect trip around Normandy with:
- 8 easy-to-plan Maps
- 160+ pre-selected scenic locations
- Planning tips to make the most of your time
- 315+ large photos to decide where to go
- GPS coordinates direct to the carparks
#1 Ecalgrain Bay
Ecalgrain Bay Beach
Location
- Manche Department
- West coast
- Just North of the famous cliffs at Nez de Jobourg
- Cherbourg to Ecalgrain Bay = 30min drive
Why I love it
- Most of the coast around it is rocky or with cliffs, so it is quite a surprise to find this beautiful bay
- It has the perfect combination of golden sand, rocks, green pastures and cliffs.
- You can drive up the road for a beautiful view of the whole bay.
- There are walking tracks around to enjoy the scenery
Visit tips
- To access the beach, stop at the South side where the cliffs are lower. Access is quite easy.
- Small carpark
- No facilities
- Plan 15min to drive by and enjoy the views or several hours to explore the bay.
- Not many accommodations in the area - just a few rentals - see options
- Otherwise head to Cherbourg, the main town in the area - see the best rated accommodations there.
- Or I recommend a stay on the East coast of the peninsula in Saint-Vaast-la-Hougue, as you can easily do day trips around the peninsula from there - check out the best rated accommodations in Saint-Vaast.
#2 Etretat beach
Etretat Beach
Location
- Seine-Maritime department
- Northern part of Normandie
- Between Le Havre and Fécamp
- Le Havre to Etretat = 30min drive
Why I love it
- This is one of the most fascinating places in Normandy. It is part of the Alabaster coast with the tall cliffs. But this is where the erosion has created the most beautiful structures: arches, seastacks...
- The beach is a pebble beach accessed via the small village.
- There are tunnels cut in the cliffs allowing you to access other hidden beaches (but be careful and only visit at low tide)
- Plus, you can go up the cliffs on both sides for magnificent views!
- See more photos of Etretat in my article
Visit tips
- Wear good shoes: between the pebbles and the cliffs, the exploration is not easy. However, if you have difficulties walking you can simply stay in the village and already enjoy the views.
- It is a very touristic place. During sunny weekends, it gets really crowded.
- All the facilities in the village, including several seaside restaurants.
- Plan at least 1 day but I recommend a stay overnight.
- Check out all the best rated accommodations in Etretat
#3 Cabourg sand dune
Cabourg beach
Location
- Calvados Department
- North of Caen, on the Côte Fleurie
- Caen to Cabourg = 30min drive
Why I love it
- Normally, I would not pick a sandy beach to lay down. However, at the end of the Cabourg beach, there is a beautiful sand dune split that I really enjoyed.
It felt like being in a more exotic location - You can walk all around the split with the sea on one side and the river mouth on the other.
- The resort town has some stunning buildings from its glorious days - one of the best beach towns in Normandy
Cabourg Sand Dune
Visit tips
- No large carpark, parking is on the side of streets
- Easy to access the beach
- All facilities in town
- You can also drive to the other side of the Dives River's mouth, towards Houlgate, to see the end of the split dune from another perspective (photo below)
- Check out the best rated accommodations in Cabourg
Dives River mouth from Houlgate side
Need to rent a car in Normandy?
My tips:
- Compare car rental prices on Discovercars.com - one of the best customer-rated comparison sites!
- Consider their full coverage option - I always take it for peace of mind!
- Book early to have a large choice of vehicles!
#4 Saint-Pierre-en-Port Beach
Saint-Pierre-en-Port Beach
Location
- Seine-Maritime, Alabaster Coast
- North of Fécamp
- Fécamp to Saint-Pierre-en-Port = 15min drive
Why I love it
- There are many beaches accessed by narrow valleys along the Alabaster coast. This one is not famous, and I am not sure I can tell you why it is one of my favorites. I just felt it was more natural and that the cliffs were stunning.
- I enjoyed the perspectives as I walked on the rocks
- And I loved watching the locals collect seafood
Visit tips
- I recommend a visit at low tide
- Easy slope and a few stairs to access the beach
- Pebble beach with few facilities
- Plan a 30min stop or longer the explore and enjoy
- Check out the best rated accommodations in the area
#5 Vaches Noires - Villers-sur-Mer
Vaches Noires - Villers-sur-Mer beach
Location
- Calvados department, Côte Fleurie
- Between Deauville and Cabourg
- Cabourg to Villers-sur-Mer = 20min drive
- Deauville to Villers-sur-Mer = 15min drive
Why I love it
- The beach and cliffs between Villers-sur-Mer and Houlgate are like no others in Normandy. Sorry my pictures don't do them justice
- It is called "vaches noires" (meaning black cows) because of the big boulders fallen on the beach looking like black cows from the sea
- I enjoyed the golden sand and the wave-like shape of the cliffs with many different colors
Visit tips
- You can reach the boulders by walking on the beach at low tide from Villers-sur-Mer (or from Houlgate)
- Plan at least 2 hours around low tide
- Bring a towel to enjoy walking barefoot
- All facilities in town but nothing near the boulders
- Check out the best rated accommodations in Villers-sur-Mer
#6 Arromanches Beach
Arromanches beach
Location
- Calvados Department
- North of Bayeux
- Bayeux to Arromanches-les-Bains = 20min drive
- Caen to Arromanches-le-Bains = 40min drive
Why I love it
Arromanches is an interesting combination: a wide golden sand flat beach at low tide, nice cliffs with greenery and remains of the unique WWII temporary harbor.
It offers magnificent nature and history all in one.
Visit tips
- Plan a visit at low tide to admire the remains of the temporary harbor on the sand and in the water
- The beach is easy to access
- Walk on the sand at low tide to get up close to the structures
- Walk up / drive up to the East cliffs for beautiful views of the area and to better realize the position of the harbor
- Plan at least 2h, more if you visit the museums
- Check out the best rated accommodations in Arromanches-les-bains
#7 Gouville-sur-Mer beach huts
Gouville-sur-Mer beach huts
Location
- Manche department, West Coast
- North of Granville
- Granville to Gouville-sur-Mer = 45min
Why I love it
- This is a great place to enjoy a long walk on the beach
- At low tide you can see the oyster parks, and, in the distance, there is a small lighthouse in the distance (Phare du Sénéquet)
- And, most of all, there are beautiful sand dunes between the road and the beach. Colorful huts have been built on them. They are very photogenic. (there are beach huts in many places in Normandy, but these are some of the favorites).
- It feels so far away from everything, I thought it was a very relaxing place
Visit tips
- Easy to park
- Very easy access to the dunes from the road
- A couple of restaurants
- Plan at least a couple of hours around low tide
- Check out the best rated accommodations around Gouville-sur-Mer
#8 - Saint-Jouin-Bruneval / Antifer beach
Location
- Seine-Maritime department, Alabaster coast
- Just North of Le Havre
- Le Havre to Saint-Jouin-Bruvenal = 30min drive
Why I love it
- I love most of the beaches on the Alabaster coast. This is one of my favorite corners in Normandy. So, at the end, it is difficult to choose the best ones.
- I selected Saint-Jouin, because it offers a beautiful perspective on the cliffs and the colors of the cliffs. In other places they are very white, but here you can see orange and green
- Plus, it is away from a village or town so, if feels more relaxing to me
Visit tips
- Easy access with large carpark
- Plan 30min stop or longer to enjoy
- Facilities in Summer
- Prefer at low tide
- Check out the best rated accommodations in Le Havre
#9 - Ouistreham and the best sandy beaches in Normandy
As I wrote earlier, my selection of the best beaches is based on scenery, not the best one to lay down on the sand all day.
However, if you are looking for such a beach, I think Ouistreham would have my vote, because:
- The beach is really large so you can have some space
- The sand is nice
- The seafront is not in your face when on the beach. There is a little distance before reaching the buildings.
- The facilities are nicely organized.
Ouistreham Beach
The most famous sandy beaches are mostly around the Côte Fleurie and Côte de Nacre. Deauville is the most famous resort town.
Other sandy beaches to enjoy are:
- Deauville Beach
- Trouville-sur-mer Beach
- Houlgate Beach
- Cabourg Beach
But you can also find some on the West coast (Manche department) such as:
- Carolles-plage Beach
- Plage du Thar Beach
- Breville-sur-Mer Beach
- Carteret Beach
Carolles-plage Beach
#10 - Omaha and the best WWII beaches in Normandy
Another reason for visiting the beaches in Normandy is history.
Many of them have seen the landing of military troops during WWII.
I have not listed them before, because, in terms of scenery, they don't have something special (in my opinion).
However, they are worth a visit to understand history and learn more about the landings.
The 3 most famous ones are:
- Omaha beach
- Utah beach
- Juno beach
Omaha Beach
Omaha Beach Sculpture
Omaha Beach
At Omaha you can enjoy the splendid memorial sculpture in the sand.
The museums are further away from the beach.
Utah Beach
Utah Beach Museum
Utah Beach
At Utah beach you can enjoy the sand dune, the vast sandy area, the scene set up around to show what the landing was like.
There is also an excellent museum for those who want to learn more.
Juno Beach
Juno Beach Museum
Juno Beach
At Juno Beach, there is also a sand dune and a few remains of bunkers.
This is where you will find the Canadian Museum about WII.
Want to see more of the best Normandy has to offer?
- 42 Best things to do in Normandy - read article
- 10 most charming villages in Normandy - read article
- 16 best castles and their parks - read article
- 5 Best destinations in Normandy - read article
- The most impressive abbeys in Normandy - read article
- The best cities and towns - read article
- The cathedrals and most unique churches - read article
Planning a trip to Normandy?
Check out my travel guide to help you plan:
Be overwhelmed by the beauty, not the planning!
Plan your perfect trip around Normandy with:
- 8 easy-to-plan Maps
- 160+ pre-selected scenic locations
- Planning tips to make the most of your time
- 315+ large photos to decide where to go
- GPS coordinates direct to the carparks
And keep track of your own trip!
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