The French have been fans of Étretat for decades: Claude Monet reproduced it countless times in his paintings, Guy de Maupassant wrote about it, and the coastal town even made a brief appearance in Luc Besson’s film, Lucy.
Known for its quintessential coastline adorned with naturally-formed arches and cliffs – falaises in French – this commune in Upper Normandy has become a popular vacation spot, making for the perfect day trip.
I decided to take a day trip from Paris to Normandy and spent 24 hours in Étretat visiting its charming town, beach, and hiking its chalk-white cliffs.
At just two and a half hours away by drive, getting to Étretat from Paris is easiest by car. If you’re looking to get there by bus or train, you’ll need to transfer in Le Havre. Once there, walk through the town’s charming city centre to get to the coast. With typical Normandy facades, it’s a quaint little town; however, beware of the many tourist traps that dot the walkway to the shore.
On my visit, I discover that the trail is quite pleasant and not too difficult as the path isn’t steep. There are also plenty of rest spots along the way, which I take advantage of as it’s scorching hot out.
At the very top, the view immediately takes my breath away. Depending on which side you are on, the main rock formations you’ll see from the top are: La Manneporte and l’Arche & l’Aiguille. This is the best time to take your camera out and snap photos!
By the time I make it to the boardwalk, the sun begins to set. I take a seat on the beach and enjoy an impressive sunset.
Surrounded by towering cliffs, Étretat’s pebbled beach is perfect for relaxing after the long walk up.
After the sun sets, it begins to drizzle. As I make my way back to the car, the inevitable rain hits and the breeze I was hoping for early on has turned into a shivering storm. That’s the thing with Étretat – the weather can be quite unpredictable.
Before You Go:
– Wear comfortable shoes for the walking trail & the beach.
– As I mentioned, the weather can change often throughout the day – I began my trip in a sundress and ended it in a rainstorm, wrapped in a blanket scarf!
– Bring your camera – the view from the top of the cliffs, as you can see, is breathtaking.
Have you seen the magnificent cliffs and arches in Étretat? Let me know in the comments below!
Wow, those beaches look ridiculously beautiful. What an amazing place!
It’s definitely one of my favourite places in France!
Ok, that’s one more place added to the bucket list ! Sigh! 🙂
You definitely need to add it in there 🙂
That looks absolutely stunning!
It’s even better in real life 🙂
This looks gorgeous! France has so much diversity!
Agreed! There are so many different things to see!
So gorgeous! The beach and landscape reminds me of Iceland a little.
From what I’ve seen in photos, you’re right 🙂 Iceland is high up on my bucket list!
I haven’t been there before but it sure looks beautiful from the pictures. 🙂
Hope you get the chance to visit one day – it is beautiful 🙂
Oh my goodness! Your photos are beautiful. Looks like an amazing experience.
Thank you! It really was!
This look likes a beautiful place to visit. Love your photos of it!
Thanks, Rachel!
Yeah, I need to put this on my wanderlust list. <3
Definitely!!!
This place is gorgeous! Great pics. Makes me feel like I’m there
Glad to hear, Melanie! Thanks 🙂
I live near beaches, so i know how that feels when we want to relaxation! These places are beautiful and clicked very good!
You’re very lucky 🙂 Thanks!
I haven’t been, but would love to go! Sounds like a beautiful trip being able to hike the cliffs and get such gorgeous photos!
I hope you get to visit one day – it’s stunning!
No, I haven’t seen it. Hopefully we’ll get there one day.
Hope so too 🙂