Valleuse d'Antifer & Plage de la Tilleul
Twelve kilometres south of Fécamp, a narrow chalk valley — a valleuse, the local word for these dry coastal gorges — opens suddenly onto a wild shingle beach backed by 80-metre white cliffs. La Tilleul is the kind of place that makes you feel you've discovered Normandy's coastline before anyone else did.
The Walk Down
Park in the village of La Tilleul and follow the signed footpath through apple orchards and then down the steep valleuse floor — a 20-minute descent on a good path that opens dramatically onto the beach with no warning.
The cliffs here are part of the same chalk formation as Étretat but without the tour buses; on a weekday in May or September you may have the entire beach to yourself, the only sounds the crunch of flint underfoot and the gulls overhead.
The Beach & Swimming
The beach is shingle, not sand, and the water is bracing even in August — typically 17–19 °C. Currents can be strong; swim only when the sea is calm and stay close to shore.
At low tide, rock pools at the base of the cliffs reveal anemones, blennies and small crabs; bring rubber-soled shoes for scrambling. The light on the white chalk at golden hour is extraordinary for photography.
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