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The Côte d'Albâtre at Étretat

(vero;2022-May-30)

How many times have I been asked: how can you be French, nearly sixty and have never been in Étretat? Well, after reading this article from two French bloggers, I decided it was really time to go there, which we did in May 2022 when we hiked the coastal path from the lighthouse of Antifer to Cap Fagnet. We were based in Fécamp, a very good choice: the town is not so touristy as Étretat (also cheaper), there are quite a few monuments to visit, a working fishing harbour and above all, very good bus connections (2.90 € one way) to the coastal path allowing you to drive one way and walk back to Fécamp: south-west to Étretat (line 509: Fécamp to Le Havre) and north-east to Petites-Dalles (line 513: Fécamp to Saint-Valéry-en-Caux), both very scenic parts of the GR21. Check this website for time tables and prices (prices shown here are as per April 2024). We loved the Côte d'Albâtre and were spoiled by the weather: sunshine everyday.

The Porte d'Aval and the famous Aiguille (Needle) seen from the beach at Étretat.

Étretat as such is quite a small town, but it is very busy with many visitors and feels too touristy to our taste.

Close-up of the Porte d'Aval and the Aiguille. The Aiguille plays an important role in the novel "The Hollow Needle", an Arsène Lupin story by Maurice Leblanc. Leblanc lived in Étretat for a part of his life and his house can be visited.

Sheer drop of the cliffs at the Porte d'Aval.

Porte d'Aval and the Aiguille, seen this time from the west (direction Antifer and Le Havre).

The chalk cliffs and their distinct stratified structure.

The Manneporte, the third arch on this portion of the coast, located beyond the Porte d'Aval in the direction of Antifer and Le Havre.

View from the coast seen from the top of the Manneporte. Note the lighthouse of Antifer in the background.

View of the cliffs from the Manneporte: erosion is taking its toll.

On the way to Antifer, looking back at the Manneporte, with a glimpse of the Aiguille through the arch.

The GR21 coastal path on the way to Antifer: once past the Porte d'Aval, the number of tourists thins out significantly.

Another view of the coastal path; an harmony of blue, green and white.

Back in Étretat, view to the east and the Porte d'Amont with the chapel of Notre-Dame de la Garde on top of the cliff. The white monument on the right of the picture commemorates the "Oiseau Blanc", a plane which disappeared without trace in May 1927 in an attempt to make the first transatlantic crossing between Paris and New York and was last seen flying over Étretat.

The arch of the Porte d'Amont seen from top of the cliffs.

Porte d'Amont: if you feel like it, you can follow steep stairs from the top of the cliff down to sea level (start at the point where people are standing on the previous picture) and enjoy another view of the arch.

And just before you reach the bottom of the stairs (see previous picture), you can have an Indiana Jones moment: spot a tunnel on your left hand-side, enter it and walk inside the cliff back to the beach of Étretat to admire the arch from the other side.

Leaving Étretat on the way to Fécamp via Yport, the cliffs seem to have no end: one can see the Roc Vaudieu and further away the Aiguille de Belval in the sea.

From Étretat to Yport: looking back on the Rock Vaudieu.

From Étretat to Yport: the Aiguille de Belval.

The small town of Yport is hidden by the cliff in the foreground (Pointe du Chicard), Fécamp and Cap Fagnet (spot the lighthouse) can be seen in the background.

View of the cliffs from the Pointe du Chicard.

The stretch of the GR21 from Yport to Fécamp is deviating from the cliffs and going inland; since it was low tide we decided to walk to Fécamp at the bottom of the cliffs. It was quite hard work with many pebbles but well worth the effort.

Seen from sea level, the cliffs between Yport and Fécamp look quite impressive.

View from Cap Fagnet: Fécamp's harbour and the coast up to Étretat. Cap Fagnet is the highest point of the Côte d'Albâtre (105m). It was a strategic position on the Atlantic Wall in WWII and there are still impressive rests of the German defences around.

View from Cap Fagnet to the east in the direction of Petites-Dalles / Saint-Valéry-en-Caux: cliffs after cliffs after cliffs.

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Want to read more? Go back to GR34: The Côte d'Amour or go on to Gap and Around or go up to Landscapes