Falaise d'Amont & the Notre-Dame-de-la-Garde Chapel
Climb the eastern cliff — Falaise d'Amont — and you reach a tiny white chapel that has watched over Étretat's fishing boats for centuries. The view back across the bay, with the town's rooftops and Falaise d'Aval framed together, is arguably the finest panorama on the Normandy coast.
The climb and the chapel
A steep staircase cut into the chalk rises from the northern end of the beach and delivers you to the clifftop in under ten minutes. The chapel of Notre-Dame-de-la-Garde dates to the 12th century and was rebuilt in 1856; its interior is lined with ex-votos left by fishermen's families.
Just beside the chapel stands a monument and small museum dedicated to aviators Charles Nungesser and François Coli, who took off from Paris in May 1927 attempting the first transatlantic crossing and were never seen again. Their silhouette — a white bird — is inlaid into the clifftop grass.
Best time for the view
Sunrise from Falaise d'Amont is spectacular: the low sun catches the Falaise d'Aval arch directly opposite and turns the chalk faces golden. Arrive 20 minutes before official sunrise for the full colour show.
In clear weather the view extends north toward Fécamp and south toward the Seine estuary. A bench beside the chapel makes it a fine spot for a thermos of coffee and a slow morning.
Combining with the coastal trail
From the chapel you can join the GR21 long-distance footpath heading north toward Yport, a quieter village 8 km along dramatic clifftops with no road in sight.
Return to Étretat along the same path or arrange a taxi from Yport — the walk one-way takes roughly 2.5 hours at a relaxed pace.
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