I have traveled extensively through Normandy, but rarely the Cotentin, that peninsula which stretches into the sea and is bordered by three coastal fronts. I was happy to fill that gap in September of last year and to be able to offer you a small guide for visiting this Norman territory located in the north of the Manche department. You don’t come to the Cotentin by chance; the peninsula isn’t on the way to another destination, but it is truly the final destination for travelers who come here seeking a certain authenticity far from the hustle and bustle.
The Cotentin is divided into 5 unique territories with multiple facets: the Côte des Isles, the Hague, Cherbourg-en-Cotentin, the Val de Saire, and the Clos du Cotentin. They also possess numerous attractions: preserved nature with magnificent, wild coastal landscapes, cultural diversity (museums, artists’ houses, historical monuments), picturesque ports and villages, a rich history, delicious gourmet products, and proximity to the sea with some beautiful fine sandy beaches.
Table of Contents
Practical information for a stay in the Cotentin
- How to get there from Paris? By a “grand class” train that was recently refurbished (including 2 outlets, 2 USB ports per pair of seats, a spot to place your laptop, extra space… in short, pure luxury for this TER Normandy line), even in second class. This train departs from the Paris Saint-Lazare station and takes about 3h20 to reach Cherbourg (since it stops in quite a few small towns along the way), but at least it’s direct with no changes required.
- Phone plan: I advise you to be very careful once you are in the Cotentin because in some places, due to the proximity of the Channel Islands offshore, some operators can quickly switch you to the English network, and depending on your phone plan, this can quickly hurt your wallet. I therefore advise you to turn off your roaming data when you are in these areas to avoid any nasty surprises.
Visiting the city of Cherbourg-en-Cotentin
Cherbourg-en-Cotentin is a port city located at the tip of the Cotentin peninsula. It has 5 ports (pleasure, fishing, commercial, military, and cruise), and it was actually the only continental stop for the Titanic in 1912, as one must remember that Cherbourg was the second largest French port for departures to the New World in the late 1920s. Today, the city is the maritime Prefecture and the sub-prefecture of the Manche department.
Don’t hesitate to stop by to stroll through its shopping streets, visit its museums, or enjoy its market on Saturday mornings (for your information, the Cherbourg market is held every Thursday and Saturday morning). It will be an opportunity to stock up on local products: oysters from Saint-Vaast, blue lobster, Norman teurgoule (a rice pudding cooked over a wood fire)…
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Take a tour of the Cherbourg Umbrella Factory
How can you pass through Cherbourg without visiting the iconic boutique of the famous Cherbourg Umbrellas!? In this factory, you can discover the manufacturing stages of a genuine Cherbourg umbrella through a filmed presentation. It is also possible to visit the umbrella museum or simply go to the shop to admire the finished products and, why not, take some lovely photos with these accessories that come from exceptional French craftsmanship (which we certainly didn’t miss doing!).
Cherbourg Umbrella Factory
22 quai Alexandre 3, 50100 Cherbourg-en-Cotentin
Free access to the shop
Open Monday to Saturday from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM and from 2:00 PM to 7:00 PM
Museum admission: adult €5 / child €3 / guided tour €8
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Visiting La Cité de la Mer
La Cité de la Mer is a unique tourist hub dedicated since April 2012 to the human adventure under the sea and located in the former Transatlantic Maritime Station of Cherbourg, a magnificent Art Deco building designed by the architect René Levavasseur. Its visit allows you to discover the riches and biodiversity of the oceans, underwater reliefs, mythical species, the infinitely small, or even the strange creatures of the abyss, and above all, it helps to understand the importance of the ocean in the future of humanity. I didn’t have time to go there during this trip in September 2021, but I had already visited in 2015 (the photos and info below date from that time, so everything may not be completely current).
Entering this unique, renovated heritage site, one can visit the Great Gallery of Engines and Men, an exceptional collection of underwater vessels including a replica of James Cameron’s submersible, which symbolizes the latest record set by man under the sea, as the director and oceanaut broke the record for a solo dive to 10,908 m in the Mariana Trench in 2012—proof, if any were needed, that this is the reference location paying tribute to deep-sea adventurers.
On-site, a visit allows you to discover the largest visitable submarine in the world, Le Redoutable (which remains the public’s favorite visit) and the first French nuclear submarine. You can also access the aquariums of La Cité de la Mer (60 different species presented), including the deepest in France (10m deep): the Abyssal Aquarium, which reproduces the fauna of the Polynesian trench. I even had the chance to take a guided tour behind the scenes of the aquariums during my visit in 2015.
Since 2012, you can also follow the “Titanic, return to Cherbourg” trail, with an innovative and immersive scenography that is very successful, allowing you to relive, in 1st, 2nd, or 3rd class, the stopover in Cherbourg, the crossing, and then the shipwreck aboard the mythical liner. Additionally, every year, La Cité de la Mer offers a temporary exhibition and organizes events or meetings with guests, including some prestigious oceanauts.
Cité de la Mer
Gare Maritime Transatlantique 50100 Cherbourg-OctevilleAnnual closure until February 4, 2022 included
Admission: €19 / €14 / free for children under 5
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Lunch at the La Cité de la Mer restaurant, Le Quai des Mers
If you want to have lunch on-site during your visit to La Cité de la Mer, the venue has a restaurant where the large bay window offers a lovely view of the port and the Cherbourg roadstead.
Restaurant Le Quai des Mers
Cité de la Mer Cherbourg
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Where to buy local products in Cherbourg? Les Travailleurs de la Mer
This delicatessen offers plenty of delicious products from the Cotentin, including organic craft beers brewed in the Cotentin according to the traditional high top-fermentation method, Les Travailleurs de l’Amer (a very nice pun, by the way). I bought a few beers during my visit and I must say they are really very good! Their brewery is located in Les Pieux and it can be visited for free, from what I could see (something to test on a future trip to the Cotentin).
Les Travailleurs de la Mer
56 Quai Caligny, 50100 Cherbourg-en-Cotentin
Link to the delicatessen’s website
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Where to find a good pastry chef and chocolatier in Cherbourg? Jean-François Foucher
Elected among the top 10 best pastry chefs in France, the boutique of Jean-François Foucher is resolutely contemporary and offers creations that are renewed every week. You can also taste all these delights on-site, as the boutique also houses a tea room.
Jean-François Foucher Pastry Chocolatier
12 rue au Fourdray 50100 Cherbourg-en-Cotentin
Link to the pastry chef and chocolatier’s website
Things to see / things to do in the Cotentin
As usual, you will find in this section ideas for things to see and do (tested and approved by our small group during our stay) if you come to the Cotentin. To discover this territory, I still advise you to have a vehicle, as it will be the simplest way for you to get around. As for the car route itself, people told me a lot about the route of the capes, which goes from lighthouse to lighthouse along the sea and which looks magnificent!
I didn’t talk about it again in this article, but if you also wish to approach the Cotentin as a land of the D-Day landings of the Allied troops in June 1944, I had already talked about it in my article on the Manche by bike with some recommendations of places to visit as well.
Also to see: Port Racine, the smallest port in France. It owes its name to Captain François Médard Racine, a privateer during the Napoleonic era who dropped anchor in Saint-Germain-des-Vaux in 1813. He built a pier to keep his schooner sheltered from enemy ships and bad weather. It was eventually swallowed by the waters, but the local sailors rebuilt it, and it is now a setting reserved for small vessels.
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Visit the Gatteville Lighthouse (Val de Saire)
This lighthouse, built between 1829 and 1834, is located about 40 minutes by car from Cherbourg and right next to the town of Barfleur, which I will talk about just after, in the Val de Saire. Its construction required 11,000 blocks of granite (which is equivalent to about 7,400 tons). Its mission is to protect vessels from the powerful Barfleur race, a very strong current that makes navigation particularly delicate in that area.
It is the 2nd tallest lighthouse in France with its 75 meters of height to the dome. In fact, you have to climb 365 steps (count about 5 to 10 minutes of walking) lit by 52 windows to reach the top. But the effort is worth it, because when you arrive at the top, you have a magnificent view of the surroundings (the Val de Saire and the English Channel), although it remains quite windy (take a light sweater regardless of the season).
Gatteville Lighthouse
25c Rte du Phare, 50760 Gatteville-le-PhareOpen all year round, but hours change depending on the seasons (closed in case of strong wind or storm)
Admission: €3 adult / €1 child between 5 and 12 years old
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Walk in the village of Barfleur (Val de Saire)
This village, a small fishing port, is classified as one of the most beautiful villages in France and deserves a short stop, or even a stroll through its narrow streets to discover its slate roofs, its shops, and the Saint-Nicolas church. It is also the smallest municipality in the Manche with its 60 hectares.
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Sand yachting on Sciotot Beach (La Hague)
We were unfortunately unable to do sand yachting (as initially planned) during our visit because there wasn’t enough wind, but it is one of the activities offered by the Sailing and Wind Activity Center in Les Pieux. Indeed, the canton of Les Pieux is a region rich in outdoor nature activities: traditional sand yachting, kite flying, buggy-kiting, inland blokart, or even a Kolantha-style game, Scio’Land Cap (for a minimum of 8 people) with challenges and a final orienteering race.
It’s also an opportunity to enjoy the Golden Coast and its fine sandy beaches and dunes, typical of this “west coast” of the Cotentin. And Sciotot Beach is a paradise for surfers because it is particularly sculpted by the winds.
Les Pieux Leisure Center
19 Rte de Fort, 50340 Les PieuxLink to the leisure center’s website
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Stroll on the Customs Trail in Goury (La Hague)
They say the Cotentin is a land for hiking, and once you’re there, you quickly understand why. Indeed, its wild and preserved territory offers a garden with a sea view over a large part of its coastal path. This trail, the GR 223, better known as the “customs trail” or “coastal path“, offers 220 km of trails around the Cotentin with magnificent panoramas. These paths were heavily monitored by customs officers (hence their name), because they allowed the spotting of smuggling routes, heavily used at the time by smugglers who would bring in goods from England illegally—items that were heavily taxed in France (coffee, cotton, sugar, tobacco, textiles, etc.).
For our part, we went for a short hike in the territory of La Hague, Goury—La Hague being considered the wildest part of the Cotentin. We started from the port of Goury to walk along the Cotentin coast on the edge of the cliffs with a breathtaking view of the sea. This walk is relatively accessible to all and easily doable with appropriate footwear. The path is quite winding but can still be navigated without any particular technique.
Recommendations before setting out on a hike: check the weather and you can download your circuits on this website because mobile service is not always available on the coast.
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Visit the Vauville Garden and Castle (La Hague)
This remarkable and extraordinary Botanical Garden was started in 1948 and today, after several generations of passionate gardeners, it covers about 4.5 hectares. Originally planted in a simple cow pasture, you can now discover more than 1,000 species of evergreen plants from the southern hemisphere. This garden surrounds the castle of Vauville (typical of North Cotentin architecture with a 12th-century tower and two 17th-century wings) in an unexpected subtropical atmosphere. It benefits from the microclimate of La Hague but also from plant screens that were planted there to fight against the prevailing winds and to protect the most delicate plants.
Listed in the Supplementary Inventory of Historical Monuments in 1992, the garden has also been classified as a Remarkable Garden since 2004. It can be visited at your leisure, following a marked trail using a small booklet given at the entrance. It obviously requires constant work, and for now, only one or two gardeners, depending on the season, take care of it, which is a fairly colossal task. No fertilizers or chemical products are used in the garden, and there is a natural water recovery mechanism (rainwater) that arrives from the valleys via a system of locks.
The little extras: a charming little outdoor tea room is at the entrance of the garden; the site also offers an educational farm for children with extremely cute goats, but they have a pesky tendency to escape, which you must watch out for (we experienced a big moment when they all tried to make a run for it…).
Vauville Botanical Garden
14 Route des Fontaines 50440 Vauville La Hague
Open to the public from April to the end of September every afternoon from 2:00 PM to 6:00 PM (and 7:00 PM in July and August) / open in October every weekend from 2:00 PM to 5:30 PM
Admission: €9.50 adult / free for -18s / €13.50 farm + garden / farm €5 for -18s / farm free for -2s
The tip: the garden offers a parking lot for its visitors
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Visit the garden in homage to Jacques Prévert in St-Germain-des-Vaux (La Hague)
This garden, awarded the Remarkable Garden label in 2004, is run by a passionate individual, Gérard Fusberti, whose parents were actually close to the poet. It is located in the valley of the mills, facing Port-Racine. It is a place that encourages wandering in the form of a poetic daydream because you find in this garden the flowers and plants that Prévert loved. Artists of the time paid tribute to him by imagining works, which are now visible in this garden.
Indeed, Prévert came regularly to Goury and La Hague in the 1930s. In 1971, he and his wife had bought a house in the hamlet of Leval in Omonville-la-Petite at the very tip of the Cotentin peninsula, near the cemetery where they both rest today with their only daughter.
Garden in homage to Jacques Prévert
Saint Germain des Vaux 50440
Pedestrian access: port Racine / car access facing the “Moulin à vent” restaurant
My advice: remember to bring cash because you cannot pay by credit card on-site
Admission: €6 / child €2 / free for under 18s
Open every day from 2:00 PM to 7:00 PM between Easter and October 1st
Closed on Fridays (except in July and August)
My good addresses in the Cotentin (accommodation and gastronomy)
As usual, you will find below my selection of good addresses in the Cotentin (two accommodations and several restaurants) that we had the opportunity to test during our stay with our favorite photographer. These addresses often offer the chance to discover local products and a few regional specialties to taste if you come to Normandy.
Cotentin specialties: Cidre Cotentin (which was classified AOC in 2016 and AOP in 2018), obtained from local apple varieties, 100% pure juice and naturally sparkling, unpasteurized; blue lobster from the Cotentin; scallops; salmon from Cherbourg; oysters from Saint-Vaast-la-Hougue with their hint of hazelnut; roussin (a rustic black-headed sheep native to the tip of La Hague).
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Where to taste oysters from Saint-Vaast-la-Hougue (Val de Saire)? Oyster bar Lesdos Allaire
Saint-Vaast-la-Hougue is a charming fishing village but also a site steeped in history. Shared between fishing and pleasure boating, its port offers a great variety of fish, shellfish, and crustaceans. The oyster beds, visible at low tide, bear witness to the intense oyster farming activity of this sailor’s city. It is also from Saint-Vaast that one can join the Tatihou Island (on foot at low tide or aboard an amphibious boat) and discover this site which houses remnants of Vauban’s constructions. We unfortunately didn’t have time to go this time, but it will be for next time, I hope.
In this small address settled in the heart of the village of Saint-Vaast-la-Hougue, you will find a boutique section selling oysters but also other seafood or local products, as well as a small outdoor terrace to sit and eat your oysters in the sun with a small glass of white wine (the definition of happiness, in short). You should know that Saint-Vaast-la-Hougue is the oldest oyster farming basin in Normandy and the reputation of the gustatory quality of its oysters is well established!
Saint-Vaast Oyster Bar, Lesdos Allaire
23 Place Belle-Isle, 50550 Saint-Vaast-la-Hougue
Price: platter of 6 oysters from €7.75 / 12 oysters from €12.65 / 12 No. 3 oysters + 50 cl of muscadet €19 / 6 No. 3 oysters + 1 glass of muscadet €10
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Where to eat by the sea (Val de Saire)? Restaurant Le Goéland 1951
This super spot is a place particularly appreciated by locals with an incredible view of the sea, the beach, Tatihou Island, and one can even admire a beautiful sunset at the end of the day. It is also the ideal place for an aperitif with your feet in the water, or almost. There is a festive and relaxed atmosphere that is very pleasant, while remaining intimate, as the address is known mainly to locals and regulars of the area.
To taste: the seafood platter to share (€18) with the famous oysters from Saint-Vaast since you are right next to them; the Goéland Fish and Chips (€14.50); the Goéland burger with beef from the Cotentin (€13.50); local beers from Les Pieux, Les Travailleurs de l’Amer, which I already mentioned in the paragraph on Cherbourg.
Le Goeland 1951
82 Rte du Phare, 50760 RévilleDJ every weekend in high season
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Where to have a drink, eat a bite in Vauville (La Hague)? La Cabane des Tamarins
Adjoined to the Les Tamarins restaurant, La Cabane offers some small things to drink and nibble on in a “beach bar” spirit. It is the perfect address for an aperitif or for eating an ice cream or a crepe at snack time (as we did). In addition, its small terrace with an “almost” sea view is very pleasant for chilling at any time of the day.
La Cabane des Tamarins
4 Belle Rive, 50440 La Hague
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Where to dine in Auderville (La Hague)? La Malle aux Epices
This restaurant is located a 5-minute walk from the Hôtel du Cap, which I will talk about a little further down, so it is a good place to go for dinner if you are staying at the hotel. The place offers inventive and exotic world cuisine, concocted by chef Jérôme Lithard, a native of La Hague.
La Malle aux Epices
71 Rue de L’Église, 50440 AudervillePrice: discovery menus with 2 appetizers + 2 main courses or 2 main courses + 2 desserts for €23 / with 3 appetizers + 3 main courses for €26 / with 2 appetizers + 2 main courses + 2 desserts for €29
Link to the restaurant’s website
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Where to have lunch in Goury (La Hague)? O P’tit crabe de Goury
This very friendly address is located at the beginning of the customs trail of the Goury Lighthouse (which I talked about in the previous paragraph on “Things to do in the Cotentin?”), right next to the port of Goury. They have a pleasant terrace (packed during the high season, so remember to book and specify that you want to be on the terrace) with a nice view of the port. The address offers land and sea cuisine with mainly local products. It was another opportunity for us to stock up on seafood, and we feasted on crustaceans, oysters, and crabs!
To taste: gravlax salmon (€10.50); seafood platter for 1 or 2 for lovers of seafood like me (1 person €37.50 / 2 people €64 / royal seafood with a lobster extra at €97); lobster in “Lobster Roll” style (€22.50); for dessert, the Norman apple tart with crème fraiche (€6.50); for a drink, a small artisan cider from the Cotentin (€10.30 a bottle).
O P’tit crabe de Goury
1 Rue du Port, Lieu dit Goury, 50440 La Hague
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Where to drink/buy cider from the Cotentin (La Hague)? At Théo Capelle
This cider house is a family home that has been defending Norman products and their quality since 1981. It produces, in organic farming, more than 2000 hectoliters of Cider, Pommeau, and Calvados each year (as well as other alcohols and products made from apples from their orchards). The cider house works with 15 different varieties of apples on the estate, spread over 10 hectares of apple trees (which is about 6,000 apple trees). It sells the majority of its production directly on-site, so if you are in the area, don’t hesitate to drop by to stock up on good apple-based products!
As for cider, Théo Capelle offers, in particular, a 100% Cotentin cider (whose typicity is bitterness), with the use of 3 or 4 varieties of apples that are approved in the specifications of the AOP Cidre Cotentin. The cider house even offers vintage ciders whose taste changes due to aging. The ciders from this house are truly delicious and I highly recommend you bring some back if you come to the area.
Other products offered: ice cider with 3 different varieties (I have been crazy about it since my trips to Quebec); apple wine (new); Calvados; Pommeau; apple juice.
Théo Capelle Cider House
1 Le Haut de la Lande, 50340 SottevilleOpen Monday to Saturday from 9:00 AM to 12:30 PM and from 2:00 PM to 7:00 PM
Paid guided tours by reservation at 02 33 04 41 17: €2.50 per person and free for children (Monday to Saturday at 11:00 AM, 3:00 PM, and 5:00 PM) / duration 1h30
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Where to buy a good picnic (La Hague)? Un trait de cerise
This caterer based in Les Pieux offers takeaway dishes but also meal trays, which can be very practical if you want to have a nice little picnic on the beach without having to prepare anything. The address also offers a bakery section in their shop. For our part, we went to enjoy our picnic on the beach of Anse de Sciotot, which I mentioned a little higher up.
Un trait de cerise
1 Les Fleuris, 50340 Les Pieux
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Where to sleep in a gite and guest room in the Cotentin (Val de Saire)? La Laiterie de Tocqueville
This pretty guest house (which has also offered gites since 2012) is installed in an old dairy that produced milk between 1909 and 1978. This dairy, Les Maîtres laitiers en Cotentin, still exists today, but it has since moved to another site. I really had a crush on this atypical accommodation, and its current owners have really tried to preserve the atmosphere and volumes of this old factory when they renovated the place. If you are passing through the area, I highly recommend this accommodation!
The little extra: a super breakfast of very high quality with local products (the pastries were excellent, and special mention for the local apple juice and dairy products from the Maîtres laitiers en Cotentin, of course) and the setting of the winter garden in the veranda is extremely cozy and pleasant for this kind of moment!
Laiterie de Tocqueville
15 rue de la Gare, 50330 TocquevilleRoom rates: from €85 per night
Link to the guest house’s website
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Where to sleep simply in La Hague? Hôtel du Cap in Auderville
This 2-star hotel located not far from the sea has nothing extraordinary, but it can be practical if you come to hike in the area. The place clearly lacks charm, but if you are just looking for a clean place to sleep and are not very demanding about the rest, it will do the trick.
Hôtel du Cap
63 Rue de L’Église, 50440 La HagueRates: double room from €80 per night
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Thanks to the Cotentin Tourist Office and Pascal from the aiRPur agency for this warm welcome. And thanks also to my travel friends for their good humor (don’t hesitate to take a look at their articles on the Cotentin): Copines de Bons Plans and Poulette Blog!
I hope that with all this I will have made you want to discover the Cotentin, and if you also have your own good addresses and advice for this destination, do not hesitate to share them in the comments!
Find all my articles on the Normandy region below:
⇒ All my articles on Normandy
MY ARTICLES ON NORMANDY DEPARTMENTS
⇒ The Orne
⇒ The Seine Maritime
⇒ The Eure
⇒ The Calvados
⇒ The Manche
Photo credits: Nicolas Diolez Photos are not royalty-free, authorization from the photographer is required before any use
