A flagship destination

The Val de Saire can claim to be a flagship destination(s), due to the presence on its soil of the Gatteville and Cap Lévi lighthouses, but above all it is its own characteristics (market gardening, pink granite, schist blue…) which make it a preserved, unique territory, in which it is pleasant to disconnect and recharge your batteries.
The Val de Saire is located on the eastern tip of Cotentin, in Normandy.

It is a wild coastline shaped by the sea where sandy beaches, coves bathed in light and pebble coves are enclosed. Nature lovers and families enjoy crossing these landscapes between dunes and marshes.

As they walk, visitors discover Barfleur, one of the Most Beautiful Villages in France dominated by the Gatteville lighthouse, Saint-Vaast-la-Hougue with its Vauban de la Hougue and Tatihou towers, listed as UNESCO heritage sites. , Cap Lévi, with its Napoleonic fort, its lighthouse and its semaphore, the panorama of La Pernelle, the airship hangar, a veritable concrete cathedral, the famous GR®223, a hiker's delight...

Sheltered from external influences, the Val de Saire, which takes its name from the 31 km long coastal river, the Saire, has retained all its authenticity offering an exceptional heritage, both natural and built, and local flavors from the sea ​​or land.

It's up to you to come and discover this territory that is both endearing and invigorating. Having remained isolated for a long time, it offers those who come to explore it an unsuspected wealth, a land of rainbows in all seasons.

A preserved wild nature

The landscapes of Val de Saire are shaped by the sea, omnipresent and fickle.

Every day, the sea offers to those who know how to look at it thousands of wonders which it hastens to hide and immediately rediscover with the rhythm of the tides which rise and fall twice a day, covering or uncovering the foreshore as if for the better. give them back the next day. The rocky coastline, the marshes and the moors on the dead cliffs, so many subjects of discovery allowing an observation of the fauna and flora specific to each environment. Between the dunes, the moors and the woods, an ever-changing spectacle! As the flowering progresses, the landscape, like a painter's palette, is full of vibrant and luminous colors.

Beach cove
Aymeric Picot

01

The foreshore

Rocks, pebble beaches, fine sand beaches... serve as a backdrop to the work of the artist that is Mother Nature. A canvas as big as a landscape. As big as these extraordinary landscapes. The variety of species does the rest in an almost infinite variety of fauna and flora. Kelp, algae, moss, lichen bring color. Crabs, shrimps, periwinkles, limpets, oysters and other cockles and clams bring life there. Life the Val de Saire way. To the heart, to pleasure and to gluttony.

Plant in the sand
Armel Vrac

02

The dunes

Appreciate the particularities of nature and take a closer look at the sand you will walk on: pretty coarse, right?
Coming from granite rock, the size of the sand grains ranges from gravel to pebble. This composition makes the dunes of Val de Saire a place exceptionally rich in rare and protected plants. You will certainly miss a blue thistle, a sea kale or a tiny sand toadflax.

Neville
Armel Vrac

03

Swamps

The presence of water gives rhythm to life. Whether freshwater or brackish water, all year round, you will see birds taking advantage of the resources offered by the marshes. There will probably be the lapwing, the mute swan, the mallard, the shelduck, the little egret, the spoonbill, the marsh harrier, the snipe, the little grebe...

Lande du Brulay
Aymeric Picot

04

The land

Put on a pair of walking shoes to explore the different trails (GR®223, GRP tour du Val de Saire, hunting, etc.) which crisscross the moors of Fermanville and the surrounding area. From the first steps, you enter a space rich in history, color and nature. Arriving on the heights of Brulay, the breathtaking view of the sea and the harbor of Cherbourg will not escape you.
This position was also strategic during the Second World War as evidenced by the presence of numerous blockhouses.
Everywhere around you, the vegetation is specific to poor soils: look at the granite which is outcropping in places. As flowering progresses, the landscape takes on yellow, pink, purple or purple colors. Observe the bushes, you will probably be able to tell the difference between the three species of heather or the two species of gorse. These are a favorite of the ponies that roam the grazing enclosure.

The Val de Saire
Frédéric Malvaud / https://normandie.lpo.fr/

05

Wildlife

Discreet wild fauna also inhabit this type of vegetation. Among the most emblematic birds, let us mention the Red Warbler present all year round or the European Nightjar which sings, or rather purrs, at nightfall on summer evenings. The moors are also appreciated by insects such as the butterfly called Agreste or even reptiles such as the Smooth Coronella. This snake from the grass snake family is harmless and rare in the English Channel.

Preservation and respect for natural spaces

The heritage and landscape value of the natural spaces of Val de Saire is part of the wealth of the department which requires safeguarding actions. The Conservatoire du Littoral is a key player here which ensures the sustainability of the sites through land acquisition. He delegates management to Mixed Syndicate of Coastal Areas of the Channel. On the ground, two guards monitor, inform and develop on a daily basis to protect the fauna, flora and their habitat.

The preservation of natural spaces also concerns all nature lovers by respecting the instructions displayed on the site entrance signs.

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