There's something exciting about this sleepy place to me.
And I'm not alone.
Many painters (e.g. Claude Monet), as well as writers were drawn here for inspiration.
I can really understand why… there is a special magic here.
And what's interesting is that Etretat has almost no history. No king built a palace there, no important battle took place there, and no food was invented.
All we know is that legends say that Etretat was founded by the Vikings, who invaded and founded Etretat as a fishing village. In the 19th century, Etretat gradually became a tourist destination, changing its essence from a traditional fishing village to a tourist resort town for vacationers from France and around the world.
That's it, that's all I know about Etretat and despite that (and maybe because of that) I fell in love with the place 🙂
I came to Etretat twice.
The first time was with my husband and four sweet daughters, who were captivated by the entire wonderful road to Etretat, even though it was cloudy and gray.
The fields wore a festive look in honor of the rain that seemed about to come, and seemed quite excited.
They felt like we were part of something big.
Then we arrived in Etretat.
It's a peaceful little town, with sweet houses and caramelized sugar alleys.
There are crepe restaurants on every corner and a sweet smell wafts through the air.
I don't know. The gray roofs and the active chimneys, along with the smell of crepes… it's something that fills with happiness even the most cynical hearts who decide in advance not to enjoy themselves.
Then we arrived at the wonderful beach. Wow, what a sight you have to see once in your life.
Instead of sand – shells of different shapes, colors and sizes.
A dramatic, stormy beach and a grayish blue sky from a color palette that should perhaps be called – Etretat Blue.
Seagulls abound walking on the beach and promenade, watching the tourists, just as we watch them.
Dramatic chalk cliffs about 90 meters high on both ends of this beach plunge and claim deep into the water, creating arches, amazing… simply amazing.
At a certain point we got hungry and without thinking much we entered a super touristy restaurant.
A mistake. Simply a mistake.
We are a family of six.
An Israeli family of six.
An Israeli family of six with three teenagers and a younger girl.
So we sat in the restaurant and waited for the waiters to look at us. And we waited. Then we waited some more and after over half an hour, a waiter approached us, completely indifferent to the predicament and with astonishing calmness wrote down what we wanted, and together with his condescending gaze for some unknown reason, he walked – slowly – slowly – slowly – to the kitchen to deliver the order.
Forty nerve-wracking minutes later, our order arrived.
Ten minutes later we finished eating, and it was time to wait for the bill.
You would think it would come faster.
Well…
No.
The obvious conclusion was, next time come equipped, or do your homework and check where to eat in advance. Be smart, do the same…
After the strange food saga, we returned to the beach to breathe in the sea again. It's like dessert. Full of sweetness for the soul.
On the south side, there is a high rock with a sharp edge known as “the Needle” (Aguiile). To the south of it is the Manneporte cliff, which can be viewed by climbing the ridge above Porte d’Aval.
We weren't feeling well that day and gave up on the climb, but we heard that the view was wow...
To the north is the Porte (Falaise) d'Amont cliff.
On both sides there is a climb from which you can reach a stunning view of this town.
The second time in Etretat I arrived alone.
This time too, the weather was similar. Rainy and gray, and anyone who knows me knows that I'm crazy about this weather. To me, it's a million times more exciting and pleasant than any other warm day.
This time, I told myself that since I don't have hungry children and I have free time, I'll try to find a better place to eat.
I opened Google Maps, and found something that looked great…
What actually happened?
There was no parking inside the town, only in an external building that required walking, and the restaurant was far away, with its owners at the other end.
Not bad, I told myself.
It's healthy and rewarding to walk, then sit and enjoy an excellent restaurant with a gorgeous view.
I started walking, got out of the parking lot, crossed the town, made the wrong turn twice, retraced my steps, went all the way up to the hotel-restaurant, which is on a ridge, and climbed the entrance.
How can I say that? I wasn't cool at that moment.
And all this to discover that there is another restaurant that bears that name. It's not that one at all...
I gave in.
It's not meant for me.
And yet I was lucky because the view was much more breathtaking than the climb.
I walked back down everything I had climbed and entered a crepe restaurant among the alleys of Etretat.
I ate crepe Very nice and warm salty, not great but not bad either. There was a very nice atmosphere and the waiter was happy to charge my phone. Nice of him… The owners were also really nice and came to ask how things were and what else they could help me with.
So even though I didn't eat gourmet food, my heart was happy and felt at home. What more could you ask for?
What is there to do in Etretat?
Well, for me, everything I mentioned is definitely enough and there is a sense of satisfaction.
But if you are the kind who want more,
So I have a few things to offer.
I should note that I haven't visited them, so this is not an opinion, but information I came across and put on my bucket list for another time.
The house of Maurice Leblanc (creator of Arsène Lupin)
Lupin, and those who haven't watched it, please go to Netflix and watch it before they take it down (regardless, you should read about it inAn article that deals with both the character and the series itself)!
Arsene Lupin is a gnarled and very clever thief, the creation of the writer Maurice Leblanc who also lived in Etretat. In his book “The Hollow Needle” (1911), which takes place on the cliffs of Etretat, the burglar Arsene Lupin tries to find a treasure hidden inside the “Needle” rock on the Etretat beach.
Leblanc's house now serves as a museum of his life and works (Le Clos Lupin – Maison Maurice Leblanc). So you've seen the arrangement, you'll probably recognize this beach and you might enjoy coming to this museum, the writer's house.
Link to the website of Maurice Leblanc's house
Etretat Gardens – Les Jardin d'etat
This is a lovely garden, not large, with a stunning view of the town and the coast, so on a day with good visibility there is even more reason to climb the stairs to the garden. Within the gardens and among the plants are interwoven sculptures resembling faces. A kind of outdoor open-air museum.
The Little Train of Etretat
If you're not in the mood for walking, and/or hanging out with rowdy teenagers, there's a small tourist train. It's true that it's very touristy.
But, you are tourists. What's there to deny that?
It's a good way to see the views without actually going to them. It's also a great way to have a schnitzel, which is especially good when no one with you, including you, is currently in pain.
Recommended restaurants in Etretat
La Flottille
The cute crepe restaurant where I ate some not-so-bad crepes.
Phone number: +33 2 35 27 07 78
Link to the restaurant website
Le Donjon, Restaurant Gastronomique à Etretat
This is a one Michelin star restaurant that specializes in fish and seafood. I've been meaning to go there because it looks great, but I haven't had the chance yet!
Link to the restaurant website
In conclusion,
Drive the car towards Etretat. You won't regret it...
Accommodation in Etretat
If you would like to live in Etretat and make it a base for star trips in Normandy, you can find quite a few hotels and vacation homes inLink thisHowever, I'm not at all sure that Etretat is such a good base for star trips because there aren't too many super interesting places nearby.
Therefore, instead of Etretat, let me recommend that you live in Deauville, which is about an hour and a half drive away and close to many attractions such as the landing beaches. If you decide to take my advice, you can find a number of great places to stay in the article. Recommended hotels and vacation apartments in Deauville.
Have you visited Etretat? What else is worth doing?
- Etretat is located in one ofYossi Drori's Normandy itineraries And there you will find quite a few other charming places in the area that you can visit.
- You can drive about an hour south from Etretat along the coast toDeauville and Trouville And enjoy the lovely views.
- Finally, you should check out the page Normandy for the traveler, which is constantly updated to see if there are other interesting attractions in the area that were not mentioned in the article.