Étretat
Perfection on the Côte d’Albâtre
This elegant resort on the Alabaster Coast, 47km/29mi north of Honfleur in the Seine-Maritime département, is renowned for its stunning setting on the north coast. The high white chalk cliffs with their impressive rock formations which include the famous Porte d’Aval Arch and L’Aiguille or the Needle.
Access to the cliffs is now only from the beach area (see note below).
The beach too, despite being very pebbly is beautiful and well used, but be sure to some have some suitable footwear with you! The clifftop Chapelle de Nôtre-Dame just completes the ensemble - no wonder the likes of Alexandre Dumas, Victor Hugo, Gustave Courbet and Claude Monet loved it here!
NOTE: Étretat has become extemely popular in recent years and attracts high volumes of visitors especially during high season and holiday weekends. The authorities have had to remove the parking lot from the cliff top to limit the numbers of visitors and have taken other measures to prevent damage to the site. My tip is to avoid busy periods if possible and arrive early in the day in order to fully enjoy this wonderful site.