In 2015 in my first Normany excursion, I had lunch at a delightful hotel restaurant at the top of one of these cliffs, the Dormy House. After lunch I walked out on to the garden out back and lo and behold…one of the famous rock formations. Not THE most famous, of course. D’oh on me. Anyway… Several years later I was made aware that Monet, among others, LOVED this area and painted it numerous times. It’s worth a visit.
On the Alabaster Coast in Seine-Maritime, Étretat is famous for its exceptionally characterful and majestic cliffs. Sculpted by the waters of the English Channel, the cliffs of Amont, Aval and the Needle (L'Aiguille) form an enchanting setting.
In fact, they have inspired many painters including Monet, as well as writers like Guy de Maupassant, André Gide or Maurice Leblanc, who chose the Hollow Needle (L'Aiguille Creuse) as Arsène Lupin's hiding place. Fall in love with the wild beauty of the place on the beach and footpaths, or in the gardens overhanging them.
One of the top local curiosities is the Trou à l'homme (meaning "manhole"), a tunnel dug through the Aval cliff which connects two beaches. What makes it special? It is only accessible for a few hours a day, at low tide.
But Étretat is also a pleasant town with its period villas, charming shops and beautiful wooden hall housing the old market.
The concrete spire that you see towering above the Amont cliff pays homage to the aviators Nungesser and Coli, who attempted to cross the Atlantic in 1927.
If you are an expert in putts and side-spins, treat yourself to a game on Étretat golf course. Its exceptional location 50 metres above the sea cannot fail to enchant you!
