The picturesque seaside town of Étretat (read: eh-truh-taa) is located in the Pays de Caux, a chalk plateau extending toward the English Channel. Its coastline is the Côte d'Albâtre (Alabaster Coast), renowned for its sheer white cliffs rising against the waters.

For a long time, Étretat thrived on its fishing trade and kelp was commonly harvested and burned on the beach for its iodine. By the mid-19th century, sea bathing became a popular pastime for those who could afford it - the town saw an increased arrival of visitors and wealthy merchants who flocked from Paris and England. Villas sprang up as writers and painters romanticised the seaside town until it gradually morphed into the popular resort it remains today. WII, unfortunately, destroyed many waterfront buildings, but some of the elegant countryside villas can still be found further from the beach.

One of the most beautiful coastal towns in France, most hearts skip a beat when they gaze out at the line of majestic cliffs that never seems to end — not unlike how I fell in love with the cliffs of Dover in the UK. There’s something very calming about looking out to nothing but the horizon, almost as if the world stood still.

Most spend the day on the main beach and trek up to the two surrounding cliffs. We spent three days in town, saw terrific sunrises and sunsets, revisited numerous cliffs to catch the light at different times of the day, and even went down to the bays during low tide to nose.

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Getting to Étretat

The easiest way to get to Étretat is to drive. It’s approximately 3 hours from Paris and 1.5 hours from Rouen, so the seaside destination fits well into Normandy itineraries. Parking spaces may be difficult to find during peak season, but it’s not impossible to snag a spot right behind the beach with some patience and early arrival.

While direct train service to Étretat is not available, taking the train to Le Havre's famous port town is common before transferring to a nearby bus route that takes under an hour. Day trips from Paris are also available, though it would be a stretch to see the cliffs in all their glory without spending at least a night in town.

For the adventurous, the long-distance Grande Randonnée 21 trail runs between Le Havre and Le Tréport for 190 km. It will take you along the Alabaster Coast to town before heading inland.

What to See

The Alabaster Coast is a 140 km stretch of white chalk cliffs between the Seine and Somme. The ridges are made of marine organism deposits formed underwater millions of years ago, which then rose as limestone giants up to 90 metres high. The cliffs have moved little in the last centuries as their base was formed of hard Turonian chalk, topped by a stratum of softer Sononian chalk with streaks of hardened flints.

Étretat’s cliffs are the most picturesque—and dramatic—of them all; their verticality and scale have made the small town world-famous. Although hard-wearing, the cliffs wage a constant battle against the natural elements: wind, rain, tides, and freezing temperatures cause erosion and the cliffs to retreat. Unusual shapes carved like needles witness how the Normandy coast evolved in the face of nature.

The town of Étretat sprawls in a valley with cliffs rising on either side—one complete with a golf course and the other with beautiful gardens. Some of the extraordinary rock formations carved out of chalk and flint, all with unique names, are visible directly from town.

Their austere beauty has been preserved by Impressionist painters on canvas. The painter Eugène Isabey was the first to paint the cliffs of Étretat in the early 19th century, with artists like William Turner, Eugène Boudin, Gustave Courbet, Jena Francis Arbutin and Claude Monet quickly following suit. Monet was said to have based over 50 of his canvases on the cliff arches and stacks and would often paint the same scene repeatedly to illustrate the light variations at different times of the day. View the beautiful exhibition “Monet/Arbutin. An Artistic Encounter”, made virtual and supported by museums worldwide.

For a less common but undoubtedly impressive view of the cliffs, visitors may opt to get up close to the sea—the Voiles et Galets d’Étretat Sailing School (Sails and Pebbles) hosts supervised courses below the cliffs for kayaking, stand-up paddleboarding, and windsurfing.

Note: Walking near the edge of the cliffs is perilous as landslides are unpredictable, and walking underneath them is forbidden by law.

La Falaise d’Amont, “the Upstream Cliff”

To the immediate right of the beach is Falaise d’Amont, whose stark whiteness visible from the open sea far away earned it the name Falaise du Blanc-Trait (White Line Cliff).

In his novel “Une Vie” (A Life), the French writer Guy de Maupassant once described an elephant dipping its trunk into the English Channel. Most believe he was referring to Port d’Amont, the “upstream door”, and it’s easy to see the resemblance — it has the trunk, the ears, and even a palanquin on its back.

The Falaise d’Amont is one of the largest maritime sites in Normandy, home to various birds and protected plants that have adapted to the coastal habitat. As you approach the beach, you’ll notice that the grassy climb up to the plateau is dotted with figures enjoying the view. The windswept top features several landmarks: Les Jardins d’Étretat, the Monument L’oiseau Blanc, and a chapel. Continuing along would allow you to access the arch and a shingle beach on its far side.

La Porte d’Aval, “the Downstream Door”

To the left of the beach is La Porte d’Aval, a colossal flint archway initially formed by an underground river running parallel to the coastline that the sea had continued to carve away at.

It owes its reputation to Maurice Leblanc, the prolific French author who lived in Étretat and wrote the novel L’Aiguille Creuse (The Hollow Needle) in the early 20th century. It was told that the hollow needle held a hidden treasure trove, which the gentleman thief Arsène Lupin was after. It’s become a literal cliffhanger ever since.

As you trek across the plains and pass by the golf course, your perspective of La Porte d’Aval and l’Aiguille gradually changes, making for a mesmerising trail highlight.

L’Aigulle, “the Needle”

Jutting out of the water 70 metres high, l’Aiguille is a remarkable geological formation. It tapers off towards the top, another testament to its erosion, little by little. Out of all the cliffs, this is my favourite as I love how it stands proud and bright among the crashing waves.

La Manneporte

Further down the coast is La Manneporte, a natural arch 50 metres high. It’s so large that Guy de Maupassant (he seems quite taken with the cliffs) once reckoned a ship could have passed through it with its sails unfurled.

At the foot of the arch is a circular room called Le Petit Port (Little Port). Its slopes are watered green by small springs that cascade down—the “Pisseuss.” The thick slab behind La Manneporte that juts out into the sea is The Courtine.

Roc Vaudieu and L'Aiguille de Belval

To the far right of La Falaise d’Amont lies Roc Vaudieu, a triangular stub amid the waves, and L'Aiguille de Belval, a vertical slab testing the laws of physics. Few venture far enough to the two cliffs, but they can be viewed on a good day from La Falaise d’Amont.

The sea dissolves the chalk from cliff falls and polishes the flint into rounded pebbles within several months. Étretat’s pebbles are trapped between the two cliff doors and are amongst the bluntest on the coast. Removing pebbles from the beach is strictly forbidden as they offer protection against swell sand storms by slowing down the waves and reducing the risk of marine submersion in the town built below sea level.

The beach is separated from the town by a long boardwalk that runs along its length, named “le Perrey” after empierré, a local dialect word for “stoned”. The town’s humble origins as a fishing village are still evident, as the capstans used for hauling fishing boats up onto the pebbles, the caloges (old boats with a thatched top), and fishermen's huts are still present. Women also came here to wash their clothes and linen at an underground spring before drying them on the pebbles.

During WWII, German forces built the Atlantic wall — burying 1,500 mines on the beach and littering it with obstacles that made Allied landings impossible. In addition, 19 concrete bunkers were also built between the cliffs. Nowadays, the only vestige of the past is a reconstructed mobile diving platform to the east of the boardwalk that was very popular among early generations of bathers.

The beach is flat but not easy to traverse — feet tend to slip and slide in the shingle. Nevertheless, exploring the respective ends of the beach makes for a fun afternoon, and you can often find gulls, fish and crabs among the rockpools. You have to be fully mindful of the tide times posted on the beach, as many have been caught unaware and stranded between the cliffs, especially around the “trou à l’homme”, a cave near La Porte d’Aval. During the warmer months, Nattera offers nature tours of the beach at low tides.

True to the artists’ love of the town, several artistic and cultural events are available in summer:

• Hello Birds — a contemporary music festival that moves through the Alabaster Coast

• The Offenbach Festival — a music festival that pays tribute to the composer Jacques Offenbach, who loved the town so much that he built the Villa Orphée after composing “Orpheus in the Underworld”

• Arts Day — an outdoor painting challenge bringing together painters from all levels

In 1927, French WWI pilots Charles Nungesser and François Coli attempted to set records for the first non-stop flight from Paris to New York City on their “L’oiseau Blanc” (The White Bird). Sadly, they never crossed the Atlantic and were last spotted atop the grassy plateau near La Falaise d'Amont. Unfortunately, the original monument built on the spot was destroyed during WWII, after which the current needle-like monument was erected alongside a nearby museum.

While the concrete aeroplane "L'oiseau Blanc" may not be much to look at from the ground, it makes for an impressive sprawling sight from the air.

In front of the monument overlooking the sea is the Chapel of Notre Dame de la Garde, rebuilt after WWII and dedicated to sailors and fishermen. The grounds surrounding the Chapel offer unobstructed views of town and cliffs on the other side of the beach.

In 1905, Madame Thébault, a famous actress of the early 20th century, was inspired by her close friend Claude Monet and built a house with a small avant-garde garden. A century later, the same garden paved the way for Jardins d’Étretat, now a stunning garden equally matched with a magnificent view overlooking the alabaster coast.

Drawing inspiration from the flora of the Normandy coastline, landscape architect Alexandre Grivko blended fauna with contemporary art to create a beautiful modern addition to the town. The garden is set out in different spaces. Unsurprisingly, my favourite is Jardins Émotion — a whimsical slope of plants trimmed to mollusc-shaped formations inspired by Marie Antoinette’s first oyster farm that once sat below the cliffs. Emotive sculptures titled “Raindrops” by Samuel Salcedo dot the garden with various moods open for interpretation. It’s impossible not to love them when the sleepy/sulky ones resemble me!

Ever thought that Étretat looked a tad familiar? You may have seen it on Netflix—part of their “Lupin” series was filmed on the beach, which bears significance as Maurice Leblanc, the creator of the gentleman burglar Arsène Lupin, lived in the commune. And where better to go on a pilgrimage than his fine 19th-century villa, now a museum dedicated to the fictional hero? Even if you’re not familiar with the amusing character, it’s still great fun to learn about the series and partake in solving your detective mystery.

What to Eat

La Flottille is a cosy restaurant in the heart of town offering regional seafood specialities. Its half-timbered structure and slate roof are part of its fishing village charm, and the vibes here are warm and friendly. The main room features a large fireplace for grilling meat and fish and has a small terrace for those who prefer to sit in the sun.

We had our share of moules (mussels), which only cost EUR13.50 (1kg mussel pots typically won’t cost more than EUR15 in Normandy unless you’re in a heavily commercialised area, e.g. Mont-St-Michel or a fancy restaurant).

The top-rated restaurant in all of town is where Brittany and Normandy cuisines meet, its name a nod to an area in Quéven, Brittany. It has a cosy, cheery vibe with the light streaming in through its colourful glass panels, and serves an extensive menu of traditional buckwheat crepes, as well as Normandy specialities like its namesake La Lann-Bihoué which contains caramel roasted apples and black pudding.

If you’re tired of French food every day, you might want to visit Étretat’s popular pizzeria. Their homemade dishes include pizza, pasta, and charcuterie boards, which you can enjoy in their outdoor space. Better yet, grab a takeaway pizza and munch your way through it on the beach.

Donning a charming red facade, Le Clos Lupin is a family-run business that serves bistro classics in an intimate setting. The limited but well-thought-out menu varies depending on the season and weekly arrival of local ingredients.

This brasserie is just a stone’s throw from the beach and offers French fare, including mussels, oysters, freshly caught fish, and Normandy ciders. In addition to the standard two-course menu, they offer gourmet and tasting menus. Warning: portions are said to be generous.

A bistro, cellar, and wine bar rolled into one, Le Bel Ami serves laid-back Mediterranean cuisine with a Lebanese touch and is part of the Norman hospitality group Les Cèdres, also behind Le Donjon. Here, sharing plates made with fresh, seasonal products take centre stage and are complemented by a selection of French, organic and natural wines.

Forget the tacky seafood restaurants with their overpriced menus. If you want a fine dining experience in Étretat, head for the 1-Michelin-star Restaurant Gastonomique at Le Donjon, helmed by Rodolphe Pottier. With dishes mainly based on plants and seafood, the menu takes you on a culinary journey that celebrates tradition but pushes the boundaries of flavours and textures while staying firmly rooted in seasonality. 

The Perrey boardwalk is a touristy area with seafood restaurants and casual bars. But its stunning views of the cliffs and beach are unrivalled, making it a popular pit-stop for families who can take advantage of the open space for children to play.

If you're up for something different, the beach is a pleasant place to picnic (the cliffs are too windy), and you’re bound to find an empty stretch along the two ends closer to the cliffs. Just be careful that your food doesn’t get carried off by gulls.

Where to Shop

There’s more to Étretat than its beachfront, as the small town beyond is full of quaint restaurants and shops worth visiting.

The market square is dominated by a timber-frame covered market, with wartime plagues on the building that recounts a British hospital set up during WWI and remembers the soldiers who died there. The building has been renovated and holds stalls selling local products and tourist souvenirs.

The market day takes place on Thursday mornings at the Place du Maréchal Foch, the square just opposite the old covered market. Many locals visit not only to stock up on local produce but also to share a good time together. Depending on the season, everyday local products include apples and a variety of seafood.

The boutique by the promenade car park may have a small entrance, but don’t let it fool you–the 100-metre square of space spread over two floors is filled with local delicacies that would be the pride of any French dining table.

A cosy room offers tasting sessions for the classic Norman drinks: ciders (fermented apple juice), calvados (brandy from Normandy made from apples or pears), and pommeau (a blend of unfermented apple juice and Calvados), where a sommelier will guide you through the techniques to spot the subtleties between different artisanal producers.

There is also a collection of fish soup, seafood preserves and terrines representative of the region, and not to be missed–the famous Lecoeur Etretat caramels, a family speciality since 1850 that is made and cut by hand.

Conserverie la belle-iloise is a family-owned brand from the fishing port of Quiberon that specialises in gourmet tinned fish. Although its prices are higher than other local brands, its custom packaging and branding make the shopping experience delightful.

While you will find its stores spread across France, it’s particularly fitting to indulge in their products while on a seaside excursion — think picnicking with sardines on the beach or sipping on a rich bisque while looking out onto the waves. We loved their canned soups so much we devoured an entire assorted pack within the week!

Note: If you’re searching for the brand in Hong Kong, a selected range of products is available in city’super, but be prepared to pay a hefty price for them.

Where to Stay

Housed in an 18th-century period bourgeois house, Les Tilleuls opened in 2019 and is one of the latest additions to the town.

Despite being further off from the beach, the location is beautifully tranquil and was created by Camille Gersdorff to embody the essence of the French countryside.

Rooms feature vintage decor from different periods, such as toile de Jouy curtains and Devon & Devon style fittings for the bathroom. Ground-level rooms open onto a terrace, blending in beautifully with the outside greenery without feeling too overwhelming.

A pricier option nonetheless, but one that will be well worth the experience.

Only a short walk to the beach, the 19th-century villa has a stunning red brick facade and comprises a main building and an annexe, the latter with a lounge and terrace open to guests. Their 29 rooms feature vibrant wallpapers and antique furniture, creating a unique cocoon of vintage and contemporary.

As one of Étretat’s more luxurious accommodation options, the hotel also offers a range of wellness services despite its small size. From French baths to sauna and hammam, shiatsu, massages, hydrotherapy and even yoga classes, La Villa 10 has them all.

Nestled on the hillside down a narrow driveway, the charming Le Donjon is a 19th-century Anglo-Normal property overlooking the town with an incredible panorama of the seaside and cliffs.

The verdant estate is divided between three buildings: Le Donjon, La Villa, and Le Cottage. Each of the 25 rooms is inspired by the illustrious French characters it was named after, including Claude Monet, Guy de Maupassant, Gustave Flaubert, and Marcel Proust. Le Cottage can also be privatised for a larger group stay. Rooms are only accessible via stairs.

Le Donjon has several dining outlets for guests to recharge, including the Michelin 1-star Restaurant Gastronomique, a spa and sauna, an outdoor pool, and a private rooftop with a jacuzzi and a view.

Free private parking is available, and the beach is 15 minutes away on foot.

While sparingly furnished, the pale pink walls, decorative moulding, and full-length, shuttered white windows give it a feminine flourish that complements the soft interiors well. It also comes with a fully equipped kitchen and a washing machine.

The lovely terrace has outdoor seating and deck chairs, which guests can easily turn into a cosy, candlelit party in the evening. Perfect for romantic getaways or girl nights.

Located on the main road below Le Donjon with free parking.

The spacious 120-square-metre apartment in the beachfront building above Bar Brasserie Les Roches Blanches has a front-row seat to the main beach. Brightly lit and furnished in a modern style, it offers unbeatable views of La Porte d’Aval, as its name aptly describes.

It accommodates up to six and has a fully equipped kitchen, including a dishwasher, oven, and microwave, which makes eating a breeze–there’s even a pinball machine for some evening entertainment if it gets dull.

Free private parking is available, and pets are allowed.

These newly renovated apartments are in a vintage French style that effortlessly blends with the more modern touches in the open kitchen and bathroom.

Rooms feature warm interiors with parquet floors, a timbered roof, glass chandeliers and brass finishings, contrasted by a skylight and liberal use of marble that keep things bright. Bonus points to the washing machine and balcony.

The property is located in a more residential area on Rue Guy de Maupassant, a ten-minute walk to the beach. Paid private parking is available, and pets are welcome.

Built in 1894, the Normandy villa was the property of a long-haul sailing family until it was bought and renovated into a hotel. The landscaped park still includes century-old trees, and guests can enjoy the view from the outdoor terrace.

The ground floor houses the reception and an inviting lounge for guests to relax, with only five rooms on the upper floors. Selected rooms have a balcony, but all have beautifully timbered ceilings and elaborate drapery that reflects a vintage French vibe. The dining room serves a complimentary continental buffet breakfast, including a local selection of cheese, ham, eggs, croissants, and bread.

Free private parking and bicycle rental are available.

This cliffside hotel, perched in a sprawling four-hectare garden overlooking the cliffs and village town, has been operating since the 1950s. Its 58 rooms and 3 suites offer a variety of views, some with balconies and jacuzzis. The property has two restaurants, a bar, a terrace that seems to float above the water, and a billiards room.

The best features, however, are its direct access to the beach and an 18-hole golf course–you won’t need to leave the hotel premises much during your stay.

Free private parking is available.

The boutique hotel is a nicely refurbished old house that has retained its exposed brickwork and wooden beams. It has several cosy rooms with different features, including balcony access, bay windows, and a loft bedroom. Guests can also relax outdoors in good weather to enjoy some sun.

Free private parking is available.

Part of why we loved our time in Étretat so much is because we stayed at an apartment overlooking the promenade and beach. As a result, we could peer out to see the boardwalk restaurants below, which meant we also had a stunning view of the cliffs on both sides.

Given the flurry of tourists fighting to visit Étretat, beachside apartments are some of the best-value locations you could stay at. Think holiday home style: no elevators but a fully furnished kitchen to cook to your heart’s content.

I loved it so much that I opted to sleep on the couch so I could fall asleep to the lullaby of the waves crashing against the shore and wake up to the early cry of the gulls.

If you’ve found this in-depth travel guide helpful, its best companion would be our digital map.

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