When we first moved to France, my kids were bummed that they couldn’t go swimming as we live inland. They were, after all, born on small islands surrounded by some of the most beautiful waters (Okinawa and Hawaii). So when my youngest daughter asked if there were any beaches around, we thought a drive two and a half hours north was in order. Welcome to Étretat!!! This very tiny commune, coming in at a whopping 4.07 sq km (1.57 sq mi), is mostly known for its chalk, white cliffs. The cliffs include three arches and a pointed formation called L’Aiguille, or the Needle, which rises 70 meters (230 ft) above the sea.

Before heading out to Étretat for our trip, the forecast called for the entire time to be a severe storm with a lot of wind and rain! I figured I would try to get some photographs in if possible otherwise it was going to be a few days hanging out in the beach chalet. I was most fortunate with the weather. There was times it was bad but I waited patiently and the weather would clear up before the next set of the storm rolled through Étretat. The storm provided me with some incredible cloud coverage and it created very dramatic lighting and interesting skies for my photographs.

For any of you golfers out there, a short walk up the cliffs to the west of Étretat will lead to an 18-hold golf course overlooking L’Aiguille. The golf course hosts a golf school for youngsters 4 - 18 years of age. It is highly affordable at only 30 Euros for 30 minutes or 55 Euros for 60 minutes. The course even boasts Lady’s Day, and several memberships and clubs. Don’t forget to stop by the clubhouse for lunch!

In the center between the two cliffs, rests the small town itself. Here you will find several restaurants, shops, a wooden covered market, and the 19th century villa Le Clos Lupin. Le Clos Lupin is a museum made famous by the gentlemen burglar Arsène Lupin in Maurice LeBlanc children’s book. You may have seen the series Lupin on Netflix based on this fictional character. We stayed in a small chalet overlooking the English Channel. Of course, even though the temperature was fairly cold, my youngest daughter had to go swimming until she turned purple!!! Make sure you bring some easy to slip off shoes as the beach is a pebble beach and wreaks havoc on the feet. We even saw a few people bring out blow up mattress to lay down and soak up some sun.

Now let’s take a walk to the eastern cliffs. Get ready for a workout climbing up 341 stairs! From this cliff, you have a perfect, unobstructed view of the falaise d’Aval (Aval arch) immortalized in works created by Claude Monet and Eugène Boudin. Even with the number of people at the top of the cliff, you can feel the calmness and peace of the slight breeze in the air and the lapping of the waters below. Right as you enter the clearing at the top of the stairs, you will see Chapelle Notre-Dame-de-la-Garde, built in 1854 by sailors who carried building materials on their back and arms as a chapel dedicated to the Blessed Virgin. On August 6, 1856, the chapel was blessed as a place for sailors and fisherman to worship. Unfortunately, the original building was destroyed in 1942 by German occupiers., but it was reconstructed in 1950.

Lastly, make sure to visit the Jardins d’ Étretat! This is an Asian inspired Neo-futuristic garden listed as a World Heritage by UNESCO and winner of the European Garden Award in the category “Best development of a historic park or garden”. The garden features seven different parts: avatar, emotions, impressions, d’eval, zen, la manche, and d’Amont. Each part is filled with remarkably unique statues, sculptures, and garden formations. Words and pictures simply do it no justice. It is a must see in person.

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Let’s go swimming in the English Channel