Land of contrasts, the Channel is multiple, and you would need weeks to survey this incredible diversity. Judge for yourself: cliffs, marshes, paradisiacal islands, small and big cities, steep hills, rivers and sandy beaches stretching for miles. La Manche is all of this at once: a geographical area stretching from Cherbourg to Mont-Saint-Michel, and spreading its wonders everywhere. Natural wonders, of course, but also heritage wonders: it is impossible to list all the castles, manors, old houses, churches and other vestiges. Wonders of memory also because here, history is long, from William the Conqueror to the landing of June 6, 1944, which took place in part here, and which can be retraced endlessly along the historical beaches or in ever more audacious museographies. This destination is also a land of sports, the Channel is a place for surfing, horseback riding, cycling and a thousand other possibilities.

When to go Manche ?

When to go ? La Manche can be visited all year round with boots and a good raincoat because it rains five months out of twelve! In July-August, you can sail, surf, swim, hike or simply relax. April-June and September are often pleasant and the best time to go there. Walkers, sailors and horseback riders can take advantage of these quieter months to enjoy nature. From October to March, the weather is usually quite bad, even if the temperatures remain mild.

Travel Manche

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Pour un week-end ou une semaine, il y a tant à voir dans la Manche qu’il convient de bien préparer votre séjour. Les possibilités sont multiples, et ce qui suit ne sont que quelques exemples : peut-être allez-vous vous en inspirer, peut-être ferez-vous d’autres choix. Néanmoins, ces deux parcours, l’un de deux jours, l’autre d’une semaine, vous donneront de beaux exemples d’itinéraires. Evidemment testés par l’équipe du Petit Futé, ils sont bien différents. Avec le premier, nous vous proposons de partir sur les traces du débarquement allié le temps d’un week-end. Le second vous fera parcourir la Manche de l’est au sud en passant par la pointe nord : la mer sera l’accompagnatrice privilégiée de votre voyage, mais ses couleurs, ses humeurs et ses rivages si changeants vous donneront à découvrir des paysages incroyablement multiples. La Manche pour un week-end ou une semaine : il y a tant à voir !

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Discover Manche

People talk about the sea, but the department is easy to place on a map (it's long, from the tip of the Cotentin to Mont-Saint-Michel), but it's not the best known. Some know the southern part of the department, around Mont-Saint-Michel; others, the area around the D-Day landing beaches; and still others, the northern part of the Cotentin and the area around Cherbourg. And yet! Diverse though it may be, the département of La Manche is indeed a concrete administrative entity, and much more than that. In this part of your guide, you'll learn about the essentials of the département and get to know it better before you set out to explore it. From geography to history, from economics to fine arts, you'll see that there's a lot to do, and a lot to know! So that you don't come here without knowing the key elements, discover La Manche in a few sections.

Pictures and images Manche

Parapluies suspendus dans les rues de Cherbourg, en clin d'oeil au film de Jacques Demy. Krzysztof Pazdalski - Shutterstock.com
Bateaux à quai à Cherbourg Bruno DELACOTTE - Fotolia
Barfleur. giumas - stock.adobe.com
Le Nez de Jobourg. Ludwig Deguffroy - iStockphoto.com

The 12 keywords Manche

1. # Bocage

It is one of the symbols of the Manche, and even of Normandy as a whole. The bocage develops its palette of greens here: those of the trees, the meadows, the plants, conscientiously following the more or less folded geography of the place. The most numerous residents are the animals: the livestock are found in abundance.

2. # Cherbourg

If it is not the prefecture, the city is, by far, the largest. About fifteen kilometers long, along the sea, the city is dynamic, multiple, commercial, rich of an intense cultural life, and abounds in small lanes, parks and architectural beauties. The bad clichés are hard to believe: the city is a favorite.

3. # Horse

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A little bit everywhere, you will see here stud farms or breedings. If Normandy is historically a land of horses, the Manche region plays a major role. Whether you are an experienced rider, an amateur or a novice, with or without children, you will find many opportunities to ride your horse in the department: memories guaranteed.

4. # Hills

La Manche is a coastal department, but it is also very hilly - which may be surprising. In the north, the hills and cliffs impress when they end in the sea, like the Roule in Cherbourg. In the south-east, a landscape sometimes worthy of low mountains: hills, promontories, steep valleys or winding roads are frequent.

5. # Landing

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Museums, memorials, memorials and ceremonies regularly celebrate the liberation of 1944, which began - among other places - on Utah Beach on the east coast. While the fighting was intense (as evidenced by the many military cemeteries), the successful outcome opened the way to the rest of the country, and Western Europe.

6. # Gastronomy

I might as well say it straight away: here, we don't eat light! La Manche is Normandy, and Normandy is all about hearty dishes, fresh cream, butter and cheese! Thus sublimated, local dishes have a thousand flavors, and a thousand possibilities. In the Channel, fish and seafood are also honored: we love it!

7. # Islands

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Here, they are numerous. To the east, the uninhabited Saint-Marcouf. To the west, a host of rocks and islands, such as the Ecrehous or Chausey archipelago, about fifteen minutes from the mainland. And then, just opposite, the Channel Islands, so close and so far away: in a few minutes, you are in another country: passport please!

8. # Haven

On the west coast of the Cotentin, a small number of harbors cut the coastline. These inland bays, where the sea only penetrates at high tide, are natural coastal shelters full of charm, separated from the sea by dune strips. Geffosses, Blainville, Regnéville or the Vanlée harbor are among the most impressive.

9. # Marshes

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The heart of the department, over several hundred square kilometres, is the place of marshes. Fauna and flora are here in their territory, and the quietness of the place is not an empty word. If, in summer, you can navigate on the canals, in winter, the whole territory is covered with water, creating a real - and splendid - inland sea.

10. # Mont-Saint-Michel

It is so well known that it is the emblem of the department. Majestic, splendid, mythical, mysterious: it's hard to find the words to describe "the wonder" - its nickname here. Of course, a first visit to the Manche cannot do without the Mount. Finally, we remind you for all practical purposes: it is well and truly located in the Channel..

11. # Beach

They are numerous, and of all sizes: some are dozens of kilometers long, others take place in pretty little creeks sometimes difficult to access. With more than 350 kilometers of coastline, the Channel has many beaches: swimming, surfing, lazing around... are all summer possibilities!

12. # Surf

Few people know this, and yet! The west coast of Cotentin has several surfing spots. Siouville-Hague or Le Rozel, for example, are renowned for the strength of the swell, and the possibilities that come with it. In addition to the locals, some national stars come to train here, and there are even dedicated schools for novices and experienced surfers.

You are from here, if...

You are not afraid of the rain: Cherbourg's umbrellas are the best in the world, rain is part of your daily life.

... but you remember that it doesn't rain here any more than anywhere else: the bad faith is not yours, it's your interlocutor's (of course!).

You often say "heula": this very frequent interjection is an exclamation that marks your surprise.

You get angry if someone attributes Mont-Saint-Michel to Brittany: no joking with the subject. "The Couesnon (the river separating Normandy and Brittany) in its madness put the Mont in Normandy": that is your argument!

You defend your department in all circumstances: there is no more magnificent one for you, and no territory is more beautiful in your eyes.

You speak of "south-Manche" and "north-Cotentin" to evoke the geographical extremities of the department.

Card Manche

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