In the immediate area there are pretty villages to visit, lots of churches and cathedrals, old chateaux and abbeys.

 

The beach is approximately 20 minutes away by car. It is a wide, safe, sandy beach stretching along the coast for around 5 kilometers. The nearest point is St Martin de Brehal where, in the summer months, you will find a few shops selling traditional beach items, a bar, a cafe and, most importantly,  a place to buy ice cream!  Life guards are on duty here during the summer holidays (between certain hours)  and they monitor specific swimming areas.

 

 

The nearest town is Gavray. Market day is Saturday morning when all the locals and tourists turn out to buy their fresh vegetables and fruit, fresh fish, cheese & cream, clothes and leather goods, shoes.

There are several bars in Gavray where you can stop for a coffee or beer, as well as
several restaurants offering a variety of foods.

There is a small but well stocked supermarket which sells everything you could want, just on the edge of Gavray as well as three boulangeries and one butcher (but be prepared to queue as he is very popular!)

Local products include Gavray cheese (a strongly flavoured, unpasteurised camembert) and the local Andouillerie de la Baleine (smoked sausage) which does tours in the summer months.

Coutances and Granville are the nearest “big” towns.

Coutances Cathedral and the Jardin Public (public gardens) are well worth a visit.

In Granville a visit to Granville Hauteville (the old town high above the main town) is a lovely quaint old walled town and, because it is on the peninsula, you can walk all around the battlements and have wonderful views of the town and the sea, the Chaussey Islands and, on a clear day, Jersey.
From the harbour down below it is possible to take a ferry (foot passengers only) for a day trip to the Chaussey Isles or to Jersey.

The Chaussey Isles are a privately owned nature reserve. It is only possible to land on the biggest of the isles, on which there is a hotel. 

The Jersey crossing is 1 hour 15 minutes and the port in Jersey is a short walk away from the main town of St Helier  where you can get tours of the island or spend the day in the main town.  It is recommended that you book the ferry in advance as the trip is very popular.

Generally parking in Normandie is free but sometimes it is limited to one or two hours (blue zone parking). In the bigger towns and  cities (e.g Caen) you will have to pay for parking.

 

Further afield:

Other suggested places to visit include the Castle of William the Conqueror in Caen, the Ladies’ Abbey (founded by William’s wife Mathilda) and the Men’s Abbey (founded by William). There are many other abbeys, and churches in Caen and it is known locally as the city of 100 spires.

Caen is approximately 1 hour 15 minutes away.

Or you could head south west and visit the Mont Saint Michel – The island Abbey with it’s tiny trading streets, church and magnificent abbey at the very top of the rock.

Keep going into Brittany and visit the pirates town of St Malo within the fortified walls on the coast. Walls to walk, streets to explore restaurants and shops aplenty. From the tourist centre outside the walls it is possible to take a small “train” ride around the town to see everything and plan your walk!