Cycling around the Cotentin peninsula

GRANVILLE

Welcome to Granville!
After settling into your accommodation, take a moment to take a deep breath of sea air and roam the streets of the port city. Perched on its Roc, the upper town offers remarkable views of the sea and the rest of the town.

From GRANVILLE to AGON-COUTAINVILLE 42km 210m

Granville is worth a visit, so if you ran out of time the day before, take a trip to its charming downtown area and waterfront.
The rest of the day is by bike towards Agon-Coutainville. For this first stage, the course is relatively flat. It alternates between sandy portions on the coast and passages in the middle of the marshes. Along the way, a few slopes allow you to test your legs before arriving in Agon-Coutainville.

From AGON-COUTAINVILLE to BARNEVILLE-CARTERET 65km 214m

From Agon-Coutainville, this route takes you along small country roads, ideal for discovering typical villages and enjoying the tranquillity of the region. You’ll pass through Blainville-sur-Mer, then Gouville-sur-Mer, famous for its colourful huts, as you pass fields and meadows. On the way to the Lessay moor, you will pass through stretches of wild heather, far from busy roads. You will then arrive in Lessay, where you can visit the 11th-century Romanesque abbey with its elegant stone vaults. At Saint-Germain-sur-Ay, you have a clear view of the harbour, a tranquil space where the tides reveal mudflats inhabited by a rich biodiversity. Continuing along the minor roads, you will reach Portbail and its intimate harbour, with its marina nestling between the dunes and marshes. Before entering Barneville-Carteret, you’ll pass through the Barneville Spit, a sandy stretch that marks the transition to the wilder coastline.

From BARNEVILLE-CARTERET to AUDERVILLE 75km 1007m

From Barneville-Carteret, drive along the dunes to Surtainville, with its vast unspoilt beaches. At L’Anse de Sciotot, the views of the cliffs and the sea make this an ideal place to take a break. As you approach Flamanville, the road becomes hilly, revealing the granite castle surrounded by woods. The port of Diélette follows, with its quays bustling with fishing boats, before the dunes of Biville and their rare plant species. The climb to the Thot belvedere rewards you with a view of the sea and the Mare de Vauville reserve, a natural pond surrounded by reeds. The Château de Vauville then rises, with its exotic garden. After the Beaumont valley, the terrain steepens at the Nez de Jobourg, offering spectacular panoramic views. The bay of Écalgrain finally leads to Cap de Goury, the final point with a view of the Channel Islands.

From AUDERVILLE to CHERBOURG 35km 495m

The route starts in Auderville, with its rolling countryside and a succession of ups and downs. You’ll pass through Jacques Prévert’s garden, a poetic place where flowers and literary inspiration mingle, before discovering his house, a testament to his life and work. The Brasserie waterfall, nestled in the greenery, offers a soothing pause before heading on to Gréville-Hague, famous for its typical stone houses, and after crossing the woods of the Château de Nacqueville, the route reaches Querqueville. Here, the Fort de Querqueville marks the start of the cycle path that runs alongside the Pointe de Querqueville and the Anse. You will pass through the hamlet of La Mer and skirt the beach at La Saline. This path leads directly to Le Vœu abbey, before entering Cherbourg, bringing this demanding and varied stage to a close.

From CHERBOURG to SAINT-VAAST-LA-HOUGUE 56km 295m

Leave Cherbourg.

The route follows the Vélomaritime to Château des Ravalet, a Renaissance building surrounded by wooded parkland. The route then follows the course of the river Saire, winding through the Val de Saire, a verdant valley of meadows, hamlets and mills. Temporarily leaving the Vélomaritime, the route leads to Barfleur, famous for its granite houses and typical port. Here, you can linger to discover the church of Saint-Nicolas and taste the local oysters. Back on the Vélomaritime, the route skirts the sea, offering seascapes between pebble beaches and coves. The final kilometers pass through maritime landscapes before arriving at Saint-Vaast-la-Hougue, where the Vauban towers and the UNESCO World Heritage island of Tatihou mark the horizon.

• For a few more km 64km 357m

  The route follows the coast along the busier roads to Bretteville, where the beach opens out onto the calm waters of the English Channel. A climb up to the Pointe du Brick offers a breathtaking panorama of the cliffs and sea. Continuing on, the Cap Lévi fort stands as a reminder of local military history, surrounded by wild moorland and overlooking a secluded cove. The route then crosses Cap Lévi and follows country roads lined with hedgerows to the Pointe de Barfleur. This promontory offers sweeping views of the coastline, and the Chapelle des Marins, nestling close to the waves, is testimony to the local religious heritage. Barfleur, with its granite houses and bustling port, is one of the most beautiful villages in France. The tour ends in Saint-Vaast-la-Hougue, with its seascapes and Vauban Tower, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. An immersion in Norman history and nature.

From SAINT-VAAST-LA-HOUGUE to CARENTAN 64km 238m

From Saint-Vaast-la-Hougue, the La Vélomaritime route follows the small roads of the Regional Natural Park of the Cotentin and Bessin Marshes. Take advantage of your stopover in Quinéville to taste the famous cakes of the artisanal biscuit factory. This itinerary allows you to take a leap in time and learn many facts about the landing of June 6, 1944. You arrive in front of the famous church of Sainte-Mère-Eglise: look up, you will see John Steel’s parachute , American paratrooper. You continue your way to Utah Beach: this 5 km long beach saw the disembarkation of more than 20,000 men and 1,700 vehicles on June 6, 1944. You can also discoverd, along the way, the Azeville batterie, these fortifications of the Atlantic Wall erected by the Germans at the beginning of the 1940s. Your route ends in Carentan.

CARENTAN

End of stay after breakfast.