# The Alabaster Coast in Normandy

> In 2020 and 2021, after such strange periods of lockdown, my friends and I wanted to celebrate being together again and decided to escape for a weekend in Normandy in June.

Source: https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/en/blog/alabaster-coast-normandy/
Published on 6 June 2021

In 2020 and 2021, after such strange periods of lockdown, my friends and I wanted to celebrate being together again and decided to escape for a **weekend in Normandy** in June. We set our hearts on the **Alabaster Coast**, two and a half hours from the capital. This authentic area really won us over! Between sea and countryside, it stretches from Le Tréport to Le Havre and is characterised by its high white chalk cliffs plunging into the Channel. So both years we left on Friday evening and came back on Sunday evening: two nights were the minimum to be able to unwind and do some sightseeing.

- 2020 programme: (re)discovering the unmissable Etretat and the surrounding towns, Yport and Fécamp.
- 2021 programme: visiting Veules-les-Roses, one of the most beautiful villages in France, and getting some sea air on the Seine-Maritime coast

## What to see on the Alabaster Coast

### Yport

Arriving late on the Friday evening in Yport, we didn't have time to visit the village, so instead we made the most of our big apartment to rest and gather our strength for the next day.

> **Our tip**
>
> think about sorting out your dinner if you're planning to arrive in the evening, because the restaurants close quite early in Yport (no service after 9.30pm) and delivery services aren't available.

**Yport** is a fishing village full of charm, set in a valleuse, a valley that opens onto the sea between the cliffs, typical of this part of the coast. Even if the village really isn't very big, it's very pleasant to walk around it to discover the local architecture where half-timbering and brick mingle. We also visited the small **church of Yport**, decorated on a sea theme with wooden model boats inside.

![Red climbing rose on a half-timbered facade in Yport](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/la-cote-dalbatre-en-normandie-02-3597217c.webp)

![Street in Yport lined with brick and flint houses with blue shutters](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/la-cote-dalbatre-en-normandie-03-8b5cdf4e.webp)

![Wide avenue in Yport and its colourful seaside facades](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/la-cote-dalbatre-en-normandie-04-19ab7926.webp)

![Front of a hotel restaurant in the shopping street of Yport](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/la-cote-dalbatre-en-normandie-05-69d9b635.webp)

![Slate bell tower of the church of Yport seen from a lane](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/la-cote-dalbatre-en-normandie-06-720d1f46.webp)

![Nave with a wooden vault and a ship's wheel chandelier](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/la-cote-dalbatre-en-normandie-07-5264a72e.webp)

But Yport is also a big **pebble beach**, tucked at the foot of high cliffs and lined with **beach huts** that make the place really picturesque. Moored fishing boats complete this pretty picture. So don't miss Yport during your visit to the region!

![Arch carved into the white chalk at the foot of the cliff](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/la-cote-dalbatre-en-normandie-08-f4dfa501.webp)

![Row of white and blue beach huts beneath the cliff](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/la-cote-dalbatre-en-normandie-09-6d180966.webp)

![Striped wall of chalk and fallen blocks on the pebbles](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/la-cote-dalbatre-en-normandie-10-de652bb5.webp)

![Fishing boats beached on the pebbles facing the cliffs of Yport](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/la-cote-dalbatre-en-normandie-11-c3a6497c.webp)

![Fishing boat registered FC 506516 resting on the pebbles](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/la-cote-dalbatre-en-normandie-12-d4d037ed.webp)

![Roofs of the beach huts and white cliff in the background](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/la-cote-dalbatre-en-normandie-13-d8de4f97.webp)

### Etretat

It's impossible to go to Seine-Maritime without visiting the village of **Etretat** and its famous cliffs shaped by erosion. It was the third time I had been to this place and it's always a pleasure because the landscape is impressive. About fifteen minutes from Yport, Etretat deserves a whole day's visit.

#### The two viewpoints

To get the **legendary view of the arch and the needle**, you have to go to the cliff opposite, on the right when you're facing the beach. A staircase leads to a path up to the **Notre-Dame de la Garde chapel**: it's a climb but it's easily doable as the route is fairly short. It's often here that there are the most people, because everyone wants to leave with their souvenir photo, but at this time of year it wasn't packed yet. From up there, there's also a stunning view over the slate roofs of the village of Etretat.

![Woman sitting in the tall grass facing the bay of Étretat](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/la-cote-dalbatre-en-normandie-14-5f963101.webp)

![Grassy plateau at the top of the cliff overlooking a dark sea](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/la-cote-dalbatre-en-normandie-15-350bb657.webp)

![Walker on the cliff path, chapel and arch in the distance](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/la-cote-dalbatre-en-normandie-16-cd374db9.webp)

![Chalk arch and needle behind stems of dry grass](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/la-cote-dalbatre-en-normandie-17-00ce347d.webp)

![Slate roofs of the town of Étretat seen from the cliff](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/la-cote-dalbatre-en-normandie-18-85b9f967.webp)

The other unmissable view is on the face opposite: so you have to go back down towards the beach and take the path that climbs the **Falaise d'Aval**, on the **customs officers' path**. The place is fairly wild and perfect for a big lungful of air (it's windy!). The landscape is grand, especially when the sun and the blue sky bring out turquoise and emerald shades in the water below.

![Bay of Étretat and its town seen from the top of the cliff](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/la-cote-dalbatre-en-normandie-19-c5ebddd9.webp)

![Eroded chalk pinnacles rising from the grass of the plateau](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/la-cote-dalbatre-en-normandie-20-96fb2c1d.webp)

![Porte d'Aval and its arch above the turquoise water](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/la-cote-dalbatre-en-normandie-21-775672d5.webp)

![Path clinging to the cliff along the rocky needles](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/la-cote-dalbatre-en-normandie-22-11e9f3e5.webp)

![Hiker sitting in the grass facing the needle and the arch](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/la-cote-dalbatre-en-normandie-23-86505b6d.webp)

![Cove with green waters and pebble beach beneath the arch](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/la-cote-dalbatre-en-normandie-24-37327814.webp)

![Needle and arch seen from above in a turquoise sea](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/la-cote-dalbatre-en-normandie-25-1040b4f4.webp)

![White waves breaking on the ribbon of pebbles at the foot of the cliffs](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/la-cote-dalbatre-en-normandie-26-9ec9def5.webp)

![Jagged white cliffs and dark inlet under a grey sky](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/la-cote-dalbatre-en-normandie-27-f536a283.webp)

![Long succession of chalk cliffs and a solitary needle](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/la-cote-dalbatre-en-normandie-28-3ef416a3.webp)

![Foam from the waves lapping at the bank of pebbles](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/la-cote-dalbatre-en-normandie-29-f4bd5737.webp)

![Inlet framed by dry grasses, seagull in flight above the sea](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/la-cote-dalbatre-en-normandie-30-94d6e0ab.webp)

![Layered cliff face dropping onto a small beach](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/la-cote-dalbatre-en-normandie-31-42602dd7.webp)

#### Etretat beach and the Trou de l'Homme

We also walked at the foot of the cliffs, to reach the **Trou de l'Homme**, a gallery dug into the cliff that lets you get to the beach where the famous Etretat needle stands. At the end of the tunnel, the view over the other beach is magnificent, but to get there you need an adventurous streak because you go down on a rope. _Thanks to my friend [Lina](https://www.instagram.com/linademathieux/) for the photos of the needle._

> **Good to know**
>
> don't head out onto the shore blindly, take the time to check the tide times precisely, or you risk getting stuck with the rising tide... every year, careless tourists get caught out.

![Arch of the Porte d'Aval seen from the beach at low tide](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/la-cote-dalbatre-en-normandie-32-9e8b69c5.webp)

![Chalk needle standing above the exposed rocks](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/la-cote-dalbatre-en-normandie-33-c67d9343.webp)

![Rocks carpeted with green seaweed in front of the arch of Étretat](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/la-cote-dalbatre-en-normandie-34-f90bd62c.webp)

![Cliff wall towering over the pebble beach beneath the clouds](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/la-cote-dalbatre-en-normandie-35-0642e777.webp)

![Rock shelf uncovered by the tide in front of the pierced cliff](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/la-cote-dalbatre-en-normandie-36-cd0bb6ca.webp)

![Immense chalk cliff and long deserted pebble beach](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/la-cote-dalbatre-en-normandie-37-6ca57f9c.webp)

![Inside a mossy rock tunnel opening onto the white pebbles](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/la-cote-dalbatre-en-normandie-38-1d19030f.webp)

![Pools and seaweed on the rock platform at low tide, cliffs behind](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/la-cote-dalbatre-en-normandie-39-d99e0787.webp)

![Exit of the Trou à l'Homme framing the beach and the cliffs](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/la-cote-dalbatre-en-normandie-40-56ec2b69.webp)

![Blue and yellow boat on the pebbles facing the arch](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/la-cote-dalbatre-en-normandie-41-a917ece4.webp)

![Four friends posing at the railing of the Étretat viewpoint](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/la-cote-dalbatre-en-normandie-42-834a3620.webp)

So there really is a lot to see in Etretat, not counting [the Etretat gardens](https://etretatgarden.fr/) or the heart of the village itself, which is also worth the detour. We loved this day under the Normandy sun because it let us get away from it all and discover astonishing landscapes.

### Fécamp

For our last day, we decided to hit the road towards **Fécamp** before heading back to Paris. Fécamp is a bigger town than Etretat and the former capital of the dukes of Normandy: the historic heritage there is really rich. After lunch, we walked around the **port** and the **chaussée E.Levasseur et fils**, at the end of which stands a small lighthouse. That day, the sea was raging, which stopped us from reaching the tip of the sea wall (or else we'd have been soaked!). We then carried on along the wide pebble beach, still in glorious sunshine. The colourful houses along the port stand out against the almost turquoise sea and the white of the cliffs: this place is truly magnificent.

![Sailing boats and vessels at the quay in the harbour of Fécamp](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/la-cote-dalbatre-en-normandie-43-221d22df.webp)

![Pontoons of the marina in front of the houses on the hillside](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/la-cote-dalbatre-en-normandie-44-1f937d5c.webp)

![Wooden jetty in front of a row of colourful facades](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/la-cote-dalbatre-en-normandie-45-8295e9e1.webp)

![Pebble beach and waves under a clear summer sky](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/la-cote-dalbatre-en-normandie-46-1d802b39.webp)

![Old wooden jetty reaching out into turquoise water](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/la-cote-dalbatre-en-normandie-47-cb6c32a1.webp)

![Seagulls gliding above the beach and the grey cliff](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/la-cote-dalbatre-en-normandie-48-0af6cff9.webp)

In the town centre, we didn't want to miss the [Palais Bénédictine](https://www.benedictinedom.com/fr/fr/flamboyant-palais/), built at the end of the 19th century in honour of the Bénédictine liqueur (27 plants and spices) and founded by a certain Alexandre le Grand. Unfortunately for us, the Palace is closed on Sundays (and Mondays): so we only saw it from the outside, with some scaffolding. An excuse to go back to Seine-Maritime and Fécamp! Inspired by both gothic and Renaissance styles, the building is really impressive and unusual because you don't expect to find this type of architecture in Normandy.

![Flower garden and ornate spire in front of the Palais Bénédictine](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/la-cote-dalbatre-en-normandie-49-aa2e9dd5.webp)

![Neo-Gothic facade of the Palais Bénédictine in Fécamp](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/la-cote-dalbatre-en-normandie-50-d432f91f.webp)

![Grand staircase and carved gables of the Bénédictine distillery](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/la-cote-dalbatre-en-normandie-51-37a67e6f.webp)

![Flower beds in front of the turrets of the Palais Bénédictine](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/la-cote-dalbatre-en-normandie-52-f14bd5e6.webp)

The last curiosity to see in Fécamp is without doubt its **Abbey Church of the Holy Trinity** and the ruins of the **Ducal Palace**, at the entrance to the town centre, which is also worth visiting.

![Classical white stone facade of a church in Fécamp](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/la-cote-dalbatre-en-normandie-53-602d8c2d.webp)

![Ruins of the ducal palace of Fécamp overrun by vegetation](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/la-cote-dalbatre-en-normandie-54-f07b8440.webp)

![Carved stone doorway of a religious building in Fécamp](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/la-cote-dalbatre-en-normandie-55-05d44de7.webp)

![Light Gothic nave of the Abbey of the Trinity, chairs lined up](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/la-cote-dalbatre-en-normandie-56-65d90ba5.webp)

![Gothic tower and flying buttresses of the abbey seen from the square](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/la-cote-dalbatre-en-normandie-57-34d74c2f.webp)

### Sotteville-sur-mer

First stop of our Normandy weekend in 2021, the small village of **Sotteville-sur-mer** and its vertiginous staircase plunging towards the sea. We parked in the car park in the heart of the village and reached the sea in a few minutes along the avenue de Beaumont. We were there on a day when the weather was more than favourable and were able to see the magnificent shades of blue (_almost turquoise!_) of the Channel. Don't hesitate to go down all the steps of the staircase to reach the last platform, which overlooks the pebble beach.

![Staircase descending to the beach between two grassy slopes](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/la-cote-dalbatre-en-normandie-58-d7323f9a.webp)

![Woman in a floral dress looking at the foreshore from the valleuse staircase](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/la-cote-dalbatre-en-normandie-59-f96ca83d.webp)

![Chalk cliff dropping onto the stony foreshore at low tide](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/la-cote-dalbatre-en-normandie-60-8dbc58e8.webp)

![Seaweed-covered rocks uncovered by the sea at Sotteville](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/la-cote-dalbatre-en-normandie-61-9e5da14a.webp)

![Three friends sitting on a block of concrete facing the sea](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/la-cote-dalbatre-en-normandie-62-ba8e86a0.webp)

![Pale sandy foreshore and calm sea under a blue sky](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/la-cote-dalbatre-en-normandie-63-fd1c04d4.webp)

### Veules-les-Roses

**Veules-les-Roses** is a little gem nestled in a valleuse on the Alabaster Coast! This town has everything going for it with its half-timbered and brick houses, its seafront, its watercress beds and its river (_the smallest in France!_). You'll find [here](https://www.veules-les-roses.fr/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/circuit_veules.compressed.pdf) the circuit that lets you discover all the village's points of interest. Even if Veules-les-Roses is fairly small, you can easily spend half a day there strolling about and walking by the water. An unmissable stop in the region!

![Walkers settled beside a water garden in front of a stone house](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/la-cote-dalbatre-en-normandie-64-518d7857.webp)

![Flower-decked brick and flint house in Veules-les-Roses](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/la-cote-dalbatre-en-normandie-65-cb32a7df.webp)

![Wide sandy beach seen from the top of the green cliff](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/la-cote-dalbatre-en-normandie-66-33ffec17.webp)

![Stream channelled between low stone walls and old houses](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/la-cote-dalbatre-en-normandie-67-4c4e9a20.webp)

![Tea room sign beneath red roses in bloom](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/la-cote-dalbatre-en-normandie-68-b0bb5eef.webp)

![Old watermill and its millpond surrounded by greenery](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/la-cote-dalbatre-en-normandie-69-2585bf8c.webp)

![Seaside villa with turrets behind a red rose in bloom](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/la-cote-dalbatre-en-normandie-70-b8d2cc52.webp)

![Half-timbered Norman cottage in front of a bed of yellow irises](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/la-cote-dalbatre-en-normandie-71-89e648b3.webp)

![Watercress bed and covered washhouse along the stream](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/la-cote-dalbatre-en-normandie-72-71dbc74f.webp)

### Sainte-Marguerite-sur-mer

We went to **Sainte-Marguerite-sur-mer** for its beach and above all for one of the curiosities of the area: an impressive **bunker** overturned on the pebbles. A relic of the Second World War standing vertically on the beach, which has become a real photo spot!

![Block of a bunker toppled onto the pebbles at the foot of the cliff](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/la-cote-dalbatre-en-normandie-73-fcbe4c2c.webp)

![Wooden beach huts lined up along the path, at the end of the day](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/la-cote-dalbatre-en-normandie-74-4ed3a593.webp)

![Three friends sitting under a tipped-over bunker on the beach](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/la-cote-dalbatre-en-normandie-75-9e6ab422.webp)

![Collapsed bunker on the foreshore in front of the cliff of Sainte-Marguerite](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/la-cote-dalbatre-en-normandie-76-f0cf4d3d.webp)

### Varangeville-sur-mer

To round off the weekend, we chose to discover **Varangeville-sur-mer**, a very spread out commune on the coast. We didn't have time to see everything because the town holds many points of interest and paths that run along the coastline. We stopped in front of the **Saint-Valéry church**, whose seaside cemetery offers a superb view over the cliffs. Setting off back to Paris, we walked on the **Petit Ailly beach**, one of Varangeville's many beaches, tucked at the bottom of a valley.

![Graves in the seaside cemetery overlooking the sea and the green valley](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/la-cote-dalbatre-en-normandie-77-5c9767fa.webp)

![Pebble beach and pale cliff under an overcast sky](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/la-cote-dalbatre-en-normandie-78-c70be201.webp)

![Stone church and its calvary cross above the sea](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/la-cote-dalbatre-en-normandie-79-a207b527.webp)

![Large blocks of white chalk washed up on the pebble foreshore](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/la-cote-dalbatre-en-normandie-80-a05cbe87.webp)

## Our accommodation on the Alabaster Coast

In 2020, we had booked our accommodation on [Airbnb](https://www.airbnb.fr/rooms/34769650?source_impression_id=p3_1595157317_29%2F8TzfxUnXRjWzj&guests=1&adults=1), right in the heart of the village of **Yport**, a few steps from the food shops and the beach. For **212€ for the 2 nights** for 4 of us (53€ each), we stayed in a big apartment with a terrace and two lovely bedrooms upstairs: we highly recommend this place for a weekend in the region!

In 2021, we rented a charming gîte on [Airbnb](https://www.airbnb.fr/rooms/43284780?source_impression_id=p3_1629280599_3PmiLizHjxswDXkW&guests=1&adults=1), out in the countryside at **Le Bourg-Dun**, about ten minutes from the sea and from Veules-les-Roses, for **230€ for the 2 nights** for 3 of us (76€ each). We completely fell for this big cosy house and its huge tree filled garden. We warmly recommend this place!

![White longhouse and its lawn sheltered by tall pines](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/la-cote-dalbatre-en-normandie-81-3ac21770.webp)

![Garden armchairs and pergola facing the setting sun](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/la-cote-dalbatre-en-normandie-82-c529e0af.webp)

![Woman lying under the wooden pergola near a hammock](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/la-cote-dalbatre-en-normandie-83-eeb0903f.webp)

## Our favourite place to eat in Etretat

- [Lann-Bihoué](https://www.tripadvisor.fr/Restaurant_Review-g482937-d1574802-Reviews-Lann_Bihoue-Etretat_Seine_Maritime_Haute_Normandie_Normandy.html): an excellent crêperie with very reasonable prices for a town as touristy as Etretat. Remember to book because the place is very popular!

## What we thought of the Alabaster Coast

Only two and a half hours from Paris, the Alabaster Coast is a perfect weekend destination! We loved our two short Normandy stays, because they let us recharge and get some fresh air. If you only have two days like us, the Etretat, Yport, Fécamp trio seemed to us an excellent combination for discovering this part of Normandy.  
**For a first stay in the region, we therefore recommend spending a whole day in Etretat, the region's must-see, and devoting a second day to exploring the surroundings: a change of scene guaranteed!** **For a second visit, discovering Veules-les-Roses and the coast is an excellent option.**

Need ideas for your weekends and holidays in France? Read [our articles about our beautiful country](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/en/destinations/france/)!

![Title Côte d'Albâtre on a cliff overlooking the needle of Étretat](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/la-cote-dalbatre-en-normandie-84-5d267f97.webp)
## 4 comments

- **Lina**, 12 November 2020
  Encore un chouette article et de très bons souvenirs ! Ravie d’avoir fait partie de cette aventure 😉
  - **Marie** (Voyage sur la comète), 13 November 2020
    Etretat était une première pour toi en plus ! On repartira en 2021 🤞
- **Maureen**, 18 August 2021
  Gros coup de cœur pour Veule-les-Roses et ses alentours… Merci pour tous ces souvenirs, hâte de planifier notre prochaine escapade ! 😘
  - **Marie** (Voyage sur la comète), 18 August 2021
    Prête pour une troisième escapade normande ? Encore trop de coins à voir ! 🥰