The most beautiful natural sites to discover Normandy

One of the last vestiges of a forest that existed in Gallo-Roman times: the Silva Pertica. Renowned for its sessile oaks and beeches, the forest area covers more than 1,600 hectares and is home to some remarkable trees. They are about 350 years old and were planted at the time of Louis XIV and today reach 40 m in height. You will discover protected natural areas, numerous varieties of mushrooms (regulated picking)... and the buildings of the Valdieu Charterhouse (private property), a high place in the monastic history of the Perche.

These two natural monuments are part of the wonders of the Alabaster coast between Etretat and Benouville. The Belval needle, with its match-like look in the middle of nowhere, is like an adventurer who would go out to sea and would have stayed there, facing the sight of the sea, without wanting to go back. 70 m of chalk that you can't reach on foot. Further on, Roc Vaudieu is more like a section of wall forming, with the Porte d'Amont in Etretat, a cove where the currents turn in circles. These two beauties can be admired from afar. Even at low tide, by taking the precaution of walking on the foreshore as far as possible from the cliff, the risk of scree is never to be neglected, not to mention the tides that can trap unwary people. Nevertheless, we go to the beach, using the Fonds d'Etigue, 800 m after Bénouville (rue des Terriens), at the end of which is a car park that can accommodate a few vehicles. From there, a small valleuse allows you to get down to the shore where you can walk forward, very far from the cliff face.

The Maison de la Réserve is the starting point for guided tours organised by the Maison de l'Estuaire, an association that manages the national nature reserve of the Estuaire de la Seine. The reserve covers 8,528 hectares. Five trails are accessible without a guide, including one from the Normandy bridge and another after the Hode road in Saint-Vigor-d'Ymonville. It is advisable to bring good hiking boots or even boots. Well-received storks have established their habitat here. This reserve is to be discovered and supported. It is to be hoped that soon a shuttle system will be in place to allow non-vehicle passengers to travel to the Reserve House.