Our mission at Normandie Rando is a simple one: to show you France away from the crowds. On foot or by bike, we love quiet roads, little back lanes and genuine, characterful places. If you enjoy wild landscapes, soaking up the culture of a region or tucking into its local food, we have a trip to suit you. In this article we share five off-the-beaten-track walking destinations to try in 2023.
1) The Pays d’Auge
In the Calvados department, just a few kilometres from the bustle of the seaside resorts of Deauville and Trouville, Cabourg and Honfleur, lies the Pays d’Auge, rightly nicknamed the picture postcard of Normandy. Among green hills, orchards, stud farms, farmhouses and manor houses, this unspoilt corner of countryside rewards walkers with breathtaking views.
Follow a path here and you will also come across some of the most beautiful villages in France: Beuvron-en-Auge with its half-timbered houses, Cambremer, the starting point of the cider route with its lovely gardens, and Beaumont-en-Auge, looking out over the Touques valley from 90 metres up.
These villages are the perfect spot for a leisurely bite and a taste of the local specialities: cider, Pommeau and Calvados, along with the famous Normandy cheeses, Pont-l’Eveque, Livarot and of course Camembert.
In the land of cider and cheese
2) The Cotentin
In the Manche department, the Cotentin peninsula is like nowhere else in Normandy. With its end-of-the-world feel, its wild scenery and a climate that stays mild all year round, it is sure to delight walkers looking for a real change of scene.
Starting from the port of Cherbourg, our walking trip in the northern Cotentin takes you along the old customs officers’ path to the Pointe de la Hague. Nicknamed Little Ireland, this windswept headland is a feast for the eyes, with sheer cliffs, green coves and landmark sights such as the Nez de Jobourg, the Goury lighthouse and Port Racine.
Further south, the cliffs give way to miles of sandy beaches and dunes, a little paradise for Normandy’s surfers and a working shore for the oyster farmers. Kept mild all year by the ocean currents of the Gulf Stream, the Cotentin is also home to many gardens where exotic plants and trees thrive. A truly special place in Normandy.
Walking in the Cotentin
3) Crozon
Now to Brittany for our third destination. In Finistere, south of the port of Brest and reaching out into the Iroise Sea, the Crozon peninsula is a walker’s paradise and Brittany’s wild beauty in miniature: sheer cliffs and heather-clad moors, lively fishing harbours and fine sandy beaches, all strung along the GR34 coastal path.
Among the must-sees are the Cap de la Chevre, with its sweeping view over the bay of Douarnenez, the Pointe de Pen-Hir and its ‘tas de pois’ sea stacks, the Chateau de Dinan, a rocky outcrop joined to the mainland by a natural stone arch, and the port of Douarnenez, with its busy quays, its boat graveyard and the Ile Tristan, reachable only at low tide and home to a fine botanical garden.
The Crozon Peninsula
4) The Perigord Noir
At the heart of the Dordogne valley, in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, lies the Perigord Noir, a crossroads of France’s great prehistoric and medieval sites. Named after its dark-trunked oak trees, the Perigord Noir is a top choice for travellers who want to combine history, natural wonders, charming villages and good food.
Along the Dordogne you walk through wonderful landscapes and discover iconic medieval villages and castles: Sarlat, the perched villages of Beynac and Cazenac, the Chateau de Castelnaud and the fortified town of Domme with its view over the Dordogne.
The prehistoric sites worth seeking out include the replica of the Lascaux cave, as well as the Vezere valley, the cradle of prehistoric archaeology and a Grand Site de France, and the troglodyte village of La Madeleine.
And don’t miss the region’s many culinary specialities: foie gras, Perigord truffles, walnuts and strawberries, and the wines of Bergerac.
5) The Bay of Mont-Saint-Michel
You couldn’t really call the Abbey of Mont-Saint-Michel an off-the-beaten-track destination, but we do encourage you to come and enjoy the treasures of its vast bay. From Granville to Cancale, between sandy beaches, polders and salt marshes, walkers discover ever-changing scenery, the stage for the biggest tides in Europe and home to nearly 130 species of birds, several species of fish and predators such as dolphins and seals.
From the little town of Pontorson, just 10 kilometres south of the Mont and set on the River Couesnon, you reach the abbey by way of the Moidrey windmill, built in the 19th century and still working today, with a lovely view over the bay.
On the Breton side, we are especially fond of the medieval town of Dol-de-Bretagne and its granite rock, where legend has it that Saint Michael and the devil once did battle. Further north, take in the vast oyster beds of the port of Cancale too, a perfect place to pause for a bite while enjoying the view over the bay.
