The Falaise d'Aval, the Needle and the Manneporte on Foot

The falaise d'Aval is the western cliff, the postcard one: from above you see the Porte d'Aval, the arch that dips into the sea, and beside it the Needle, a free-standing rock 51 metres high. If you go a little further you can look out over the Manneporte, the largest of the three arches, at the end of the Jambourg beach. It is the walk nobody should miss in Étretat and it costs nothing.

The route

It starts at the end of the seafront promenade, on the west side of the beach. Steps and an earth path climb to the plateau, next to the golf course. In about twenty minutes you are at the first viewpoint over the Porte d'Aval and the Needle. From there the path continues along the edge, always on the grass, to the view of the Manneporte. Round trip, with stops to look, allow between an hour and a half and two hours. The stretch is short but has a steep climb at the start and the ground is slippery when it rains.

If you want to walk further, you are on the GR 21, the Alabaster Coast trail between Le Havre and Le Tréport: beyond the Manneporte there are far fewer people.

The rules

Walk on the marked paths and at least 5 metres from the edge, because the chalk crumbles. It is forbidden to walk at the foot of the cliff, to enter the Trou à l'Homme, the tunnel under the cliff, and the Chambre des Demoiselles. Do not take pebbles from the beach either: they protect the coast from storms. Infringements are fined and rescues may be charged for.

With a guide

If you want to know what you are looking at, Natterra, a naturalist guide from the village, runs outings along the cliffs: seabirds, coastal plants, chalk and flint.