CLIFFS OF STATE

The Côte d’Albâtre, from Cap de La Hève to Dieppe, forms a wall that is unique on this side of the English Channel. The openings that criss-cross it from the sea are called valleuses, and the most famous of them is here, at Étretat. Climbing up the Aval cliff from the seafront, then skirting the golf course, you pass a first escarpment, to reach the Porte d’Aval, a fragile bridge over the sea, which argues with the Aiguille and its 51 meters, far less than the 130 m of Cap d’Antifer... But poetry fills the space, the sky and the hollow of the Aiguille if you listen to Maurice Leblanc. Down below, you can cross from one side to the other via the Trou à l’homme, a tunnel dug to go faster than going round at low tide. However, this doesn’t prevent tourists from getting trapped there, so watch out! The Chemin des Douaniers leads to the Manne Porte, a majestic and imposing arch, and further on to the Pointe de la Courtine, behind which nestles the Antifer beach, which can be reached from the Tilleul. On the other side, on the Amont cliff, the fishermen have built a chapel to pray to the Virgin to protect them. This doesn’t prevent the sea from raging against Étretat during major storms. Étretat also has its Porte d’Amont, from which you could once descend onto the foreshore, although this is no longer advisable. In the distance, you can still make out two marvels: Roc Vaudieu and Aiguille de Belval, in Bénouville. Enough to stare at the horizon for hours...