The Cliffs at Étretat, Claude Monet

Étretat is a small coastal village in Seine-Maritime, Upper Normandy, France. The town is nestled between the famous towering cliffs, which inspired numerous paintings by the impressionist Claude Monet.

Understand

It is on the Alabaster Coast in Normandy. The beach is composed of stones that have been smoothed by the waves of the English Channel and the town is set just behind the beach.

English is not common here, but basic French or use of a phrasebook will get you by. The tourist information centre, next to the bus stop, has a lot of information about the history of the town and can direct you to the beach, a few blocks from the bus stop. Once at the beach, there are trails to hike up to either cliff. There are two large arch formations on the southwest side of the beach is one large arch on the northeast side of the beach; both are spectacular.

Get in

The town is quaint and picturesque, but somewhat difficult to reach because there is no train that goes to town. There are, however, main lines that go to Le Havre and Fecamp, both of which have buses that run a few times daily to Étretat. The bus ride is €2 per person per way, and the trip takes about 45 min through the countryside. Taking one of the taxis queued outside of the Le Havre train station to Étretat will cost around €60.

• Tourist Office, Place Maurice Guillard, ☏ +33 2 35 27 05 21. These friendly people provide information about the bus routes, places to stay and general information about the town. (updated Apr 2019)

Get around

The town is very compact, so walking is the easiest way to get around. Parking places are limited in the centre, but there is a free car park in a field off the D39 road which is about 15 minutes walk from the tourist office.

See

You can walk or hike from the town to the tops of the cliffs and get a commanding view of the channel, the beach and the opposite cliffs.

Do

• Les Jardins d'Étretat, Avenue Damilaville (Walk uphill from the town centre, the gardens are well signposted), ☏ +33 2 35 27 05 76, info@etretatgarden.fr. Daily 10:00-19:00. A neo-futuristic garden extending over the cliffs north of Étretat, it combines lush topiary, architecture and contemporary art installations. At the end of the 19th century, the garden was owned by French actress friend of Claude Monet, who spent many hours painting in Étretat. In 1905, inspired by the artist, she decided to create a garden at the top of the Amont cliff that would reflect Monet's work with avant-garde elements mixed with a touch of impressionism. In 2017, Alexandre Grivko, a landscape architect fascinated by this history, gave Les Jardins d'Étretat a revamp. Plant sculptures evoke the nature of the Normandy coast, while more than a hundred thousand plants provide beauty throughout the year. The goal was to bring together historical and artistic elements of the old garden and contemporary architectural ideas. €14 adult, €7.50 children/handicapped, €12 students. (updated Jul 2023)
• Walks. Excellent walks along the cliffs enables you to view the limestone cliffs and remarkable erosion. 
• Etretat Golf Club. Challenging golf along the clifftops. 

Sleep

• Hotel Dormy House, Route du Havre (left off main road into Étretat from Le Havre), ☏ +33 2 35 27 07 88. Three-star hotel overlooking the bay and the town. Excellent but expensive restaurant. €100.