The charm of the seaside

You will be amazed by the unique and preserved natural spaces, the large sandy beaches and the harbor of Port-Bail. On the Côte des Isles, the bathing waters are recognized for their quality. The seaside villas, established during the crazy era of sea bathing, are the charm of the seaside town of Barneville-Carteret...welcome to the Côte des Isles!

In sunny weather, with a sky full of threatening clouds, during a strong gust of wind or after a downpour and in all seasons, the landscapes of this little corner of Normandy will surprise you.

The havens

Harbors are real small estuaries where fresh and salt water mix. The observation of the tidal phenomenon is striking.

They allow the development of exceptional fauna and flora and offer an enchanting spectacle at each tide and depending on the season. Vast natural territories, they have always been used by man: collection of “glinette” (obione: purple plant typical of salt meadows), grazing of the famous salt meadow sheep, extraction of tangue to amend sandy, infertile and saline soils. Salicornia, also called sea pickle, grows there in abundance.

Barneville Carteret
All around Together

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Barneville Harbor

The harbor of Barneville, sheltered by the Cap de Carteret, was a natural port active in the 1710th century for maritime trade and shipbuilding. From 1788 to 71, 1731 ships were built there. In 1880, improvements were made to remedy the movement and silting of the channel. In 1945, an unsinkable north pier and a south sea wall were built. The “small port”, enlarged in 280 with the help of the XNUMXth US engineer combat battalion, was then supplemented by a beaching area for pleasure craft.

Barneville-Carteret

Harbor of Port-Bail-sur-mer
Armel Vrac

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The harbor of Port-Bail

With a surface area of ​​around 300 hectares, the Port-Bail harbor is classified as a Natura 2000 zone, it fills and empties with the rhythm of the tides. The sea which enters it and the river which flows into it, the Olonde, maintain its mouth between its two sandy spiers. The harbor is bordered to the south by the Lindbergh dunes and forms a vast eco-complex with this dune massif.

Port-Bail-sur-mer

The dunes

hatainville dunes
Armel Vrac

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The Hatainville dune massif

This massif of perched dunes, one of the largest in Europe, peaks at 80 meters and extends over 400 hectares, covering Baubigny and Les Moitiers-d'Allonne. It is the property of both the commune of Les Moitiers-d'Allonnes and the Conservatoire du Littoral.

it formerly moved under the influence of the wind, creating a “sea of ​​sand”. Currently, the dunes no longer move, having been fixed by seaweed. Crossed by the GR®223 and two hiking interpretation trails, you can discover all the biodiversity of this environment.

Hatainville Dunes

Barneville Carteret
Aymeric PICOT

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The dune spire of Barneville-Carteret

Located at the end of the maritime boulevard of Barneville-plage, the dune spire was formed by the wind and the modest watercourse “le Fleuve”, at the origin of the formation of the harbor. The Conservatoire du Littoral has set up an orientation table on a fortification from the last war. It is a pleasant place for walks offering lovely views of the cape, the marina and the town of Barneville-Carteret.

Harbor of Port-Bail-sur-mer
Aymeric Picot

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Lindbergh dunes

Located south of the harbor of Port-Bail, in the town of Saint-Lô-d'Ourville, this dune massif extends over 80 hectares. They take their name from the hero of the first air crossing of the North Atlantic, Charles Lindbergh who, in 1, flew over this area to get to the Lessay air camp. At low tide or low tidal coefficient, the GR®1927 continues on the footbridge at the village of Rivières then runs along the Quai Aubert to reach the town center of Port-Bail.

The beaches

It is from the 20th century that the beaches of the Côte des Isles met with great success, at a time when sea bathing was booming, favored by the Paris-Carteret rail link. Since then, they have always been a delight for vacationers, sheltered from the Atlantic swell by the Channel Islands and warmed by the Gulf Stream.

Lovers of fine sand and sea bathing will have the choice between several beautiful beaches stretching over around thirty kilometers, between Baubigny and Denneville. These beaches will delight young and old alike.

Cape Carteret

A rocky promontory classified as a Sensitive Natural Area of ​​La Manche, Cap de Carteret is a remarkable site visited by more than 100 people each year. Located opposite the Channel Islands, it is renowned for being the playground for hiking enthusiasts (GR®223) but also the place of residence of funny “owners”: goats from the Hague, which were reintroduced by the SyMEL (Syndicat Mixte des Espaces Littoraux), the site manager, to enable routine maintenance of the moor and heather.

It is also the breeding ground of the great Norman raven with spectacular courtship displays above the cape during the months of February and March. The flora is essentially oceanic flora with a dominance of gorse and several very rare floral species in Normandy such as Boccone's clover or small-flowered Romulea.

From the heights of Carteret, an exceptional view of the islands of Sark, Jersey and as far as Granville on the south coast is available to visitors…

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