directions_bike by Chris Riches -

Cherbourg to Carteret

The departure from Dorset was a couple of days later than planned due to the bad weather, heavy seas and a cold. Had a mostly flat, sunny crossing from Poole and arrived in Cherbourg at 1345. Headed for Carteret on the western Normandy coast along some very pleasant cycle ways mostly free of traffic and through countryside. Stopped at Brix for a much needed ham and cheese grignette and strawberry macarons.

Located a nice campsite on the edge of Carteret where I was given a spot by the fishing pond, which the neighbours where later fishing in.

After putting up the tent I cycled the short distance down to the coast to take in the view of Jersey at sunset. In the street leading to the beach I was surprised to find a night market with food, art and gift stalls.

The new cycling computer has been really useful already!

Distance: 29 miles

Maximum temperature: 23 degrees C

Leaving Poole Harbour
Shipping forecast for the Channel
Stopping at Brix
Camping by the fishing pond
Beach at Carteret
Dusk at Carteret
directions_bike by Chris Riches -

Carteret to Donville-les-Bains

Left Carteret early in the morning and headed down the west coast of the Cotentin Peninsula towards Granville. The sea wasn’t visible for much of the route but stopped at Anneville-sur-Mer for lunch and swan in the sea there at a fairly empty beach which stretched right along the horizon.

Later in the day much of the the area had an estuary type landscape and I cycled over several bridges on the journey south, most notably one running adjacent to the partially destroyed Pont de la Roque. Later discovered that the old bridge was bombed during the Second World War by British bombers in an attempt to prevent German forces from moving south towards Brittany. It has been left as a memorial and served as a visible reminder of the history of the area, and hasn’t been rebuilt since the bombing.

Arrived in the early evening at low tide at a campsite adjacent to the beach, just outside the former cod fishing port of Granville, which was just in sight further along the coastline.

Distance: 51 miles

Maximum temperature: 22 degrees C

Beach at Anneville-sur-Mer