Summer in France: The 3 Best Hikes in Normandy

If you follow me on Instagram, you might know that I went to Paris, France, this summer, to watch some of the Olympics. And what a blast that was! But as the games have come and passed, that’s not what this post is supposed to be about. Rather, I want to share with you the three best hikes we did on our trip to the Normandy afterward!

Îles de Chausey – Europe’s Largest Archipelago

Starting off with the shortest and easiest hike out of the three: the trip around the main island of the Îles de Chausey. Starting from Granville, you have to take a ferry to the archipelago, which takes about an hour. For the roundtrip, it costs 33,50 € – not too bad.

After getting to the main island, there really isn’t a wrong way you can take. Even the main island is pretty small, if you want to walk all around its coastline, it only takes you a little over an hour. And that is exactly what we did! Not only are you rewarded by it being much less busy than right by the beaches. But also there is lots of lovely nature; flowers, lizards, birds and of course, the shore itself. The terrain is fairly easy to hike, mostly flat and with the hiking trails in good condition. Plus, at about the halfway, as well as the endpoint, you get rewarded with lovely sandy beaches. And if your heart so desires, you can go for a fish platter at one of the two local restaurants. Be aware of their opening times though – we got in right as the kitchen closed. No fish for us, sadly!

Find our tour here.

La Hague – At The Top Left Corner of The Normandy

The tour in La Hague was my favorite hike in Normandy! This one was a lot more (but not too) challenging, meaning there were even less people, even more solitude. And the views were absolutely spectacular! I just love hiking on cliffs, as you get some flora, some fauna, and a lot of roaring waves crashing into the rocks beneath you. If you’re lucky – or a good rock climber – you might even make it down to a cove, where you can enjoy a swim in the Atlantic ocean all by yourself.

Find our tour here.

Étretat – The Alabaster Coast of The Normandy

The chalk cliffs of Étretat were the last place we hiked on our trip of the Normandy. As you can see, the are just breathtaking, marvelous, absolutely gorgeous and sometimes even mind-blowing. Unfortunately – and unbeknownst to us – that also means they are quite famous. We also made the mistake of going there not only during peak season, but also on a Sunday. Meaning: people absolutely everywhere. Especially closer to the town centre, where the most magnificent cliffs are. And since this is a very easy hike (basically all flat and with great paths), there were also a lot of people there that maybe don’t have the most experience with going on hikes/how to behave in nature.

Anyway – I would still absolutely recommend visiting Étretat, however try to chose a time that is less busy. Talking to one of the locals there, the busiest time is right now, lasting only about 1-2 months. So if you’re going during spring or autumn, I think you should be fine!

Find our tour here.