Pointe du Roc Lighthouse & Clifftop Walk
The rocky headland of Pointe du Roc, capped by a working lighthouse, is Granville's finest natural viewpoint and the place locals head at dusk when the light turns the sea to hammered copper. On a clear day the Chausey archipelago looks close enough to swim to.
The Viewpoint Itself
The lighthouse (Phare de Granville) sits at the very tip of the granite promontory, 49 metres above sea level. You can't enter the tower, but the surrounding platform and the clifftop benches just to the south give a 270-degree sweep of the Baie du Mont-Saint-Michel.
At low tide, the rocks below are exposed in dramatic tiers of barnacled granite, and you can watch local fishermen picking through the pools for crabs and sea urchins. At high tide, waves crash against the base of the cliff and send spray 20 metres into the air in winter storms.
The Clifftop Path
A signed coastal footpath runs south from the lighthouse along the cliff edge, linking Pointe du Roc to the beach of Saint-Nicolas and beyond. The 2 km section closest to the lighthouse passes through low coastal scrub with sea views the entire way — no trees to interrupt the panorama.
Birdwatchers should bring binoculars: the cliff ledges host nesting herring gulls and fulmars, and migrating gannets are regularly spotted offshore in autumn. The path is well-maintained and suitable for all fitness levels.
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