Normandy's Alabaster Coast

South of the Somme, the Côte d'Albâtre (Alabaster Coast) stretches from Le Tréport to Le Havre, a succession of chalk cliffs interrupted by valleys where rivers have carved their way to the sea. This is perhaps France's most dramatically beautiful coastline, where white cliffs rise vertically from pebble beaches, where natural arches and sea stacks create a constantly changing sculpture garden carved by wind and wave.

Étretat stands as the jewel of this coast. Its three natural arches—the Porte d'Aval, Porte d'Amont, and Manneporte—have inspired artists for centuries. Monet painted them obsessively, returning in different seasons and lights to capture their changing moods. Maupassant, who grew up here, described the Needle (L'Aiguille), a 70-meter limestone spike rising from the waves, as "an immense triangle of cliff that looked like the petrified sail of a stone ship."

But Étretat is more than a pretty picture. The town's fishing heritage persists in its distinctive boats, the caïques, designed specifically for launching from and landing on steep pebble beaches. These boats, with their flat bottoms and high prows, represent centuries of adaptation to local conditions. Though few still fish commercially, the boats are lovingly maintained for festivals and demonstrations, keeping traditional skills alive.

The cliff-top paths of the Alabaster Coast offer some of France's most spectacular hiking. The GR21 follows the coastline for nearly 200 kilometers, revealing hidden valleys (valleuses) where streams have carved passages to the sea. Each valley tells its own story: some shelter tiny ports where fishermen once hauled boats up steep ramps, others hide grand villas built by 19th-century industrialists seeking seaside retreats, still others remain wild, accessible only to those willing to scramble down steep paths.