The Tilleul beach in Normandy near Étretat

The Tilleul beach is just outside Étretat, not far from the famous white chalk cliffs that have made this region of Normandy so famous.

The Tilleul beach has to be earned, as you have to leave your car and walk for 20 minutes to get to the beach, which is very well maintained except at the end. The path is not flat and you have to walk down to the sea. Plage des Tilleuls is covered in pebbles, giving it a unique charm. Unlike fine sand, the soothing sound of pebbles beneath the waves creates a calming, relaxing atmosphere. It's a real pleasure to stroll along the beach, feet caressed by the tide-polished pebbles.

Because of its location near Étretat, this beach also offers breathtaking views of the majestic cliffs. These spectacular geological formations, sculpted by natural erosion, rise proudly above the sea, providing a striking backdrop that has captured the imagination of visitors for centuries.

The Plage des Tilleuls is therefore a place of natural beauty, and you'll never find many of you there, as the 20-minute walk discourages most beach-goers. If you're ever in Étretat, be sure to visit Plage des Tilleuls.

Interest: ratinggreat (1 user)
Difficulty: difficulty
Duration: 2 h.
Departure point (Google Maps)

Departure for Tilleul beach

Departure for Tilleul beach
Leave your car in a field parking lot and continue on foot along a road not open to traffic.

The descent to Tilleul beach

The descent to Tilleul beach
The path is very pleasant, winding through the forest.

The shady path

The shady path

Arrival at the beach

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Arrival at the beach
The finish at Plage du Tilleul is well deserved, with a final section that is a little more difficult.

The last effort

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The last effort

The Tilleul beach

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The Tilleul beach
The beach is large and never really crowded, even in high summer

The cliffs

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The cliffs
On arrival, the scenery is breathtaking. The beach is surrounded by cliffs.

Pebbles on the beach

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Pebbles on the beach
It's a pebble beach, so keep your shoes on.

Landslides

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Landslides
It's forbidden to get too close to the cliffs. It's not possible to reach Étretat via the beach, as the coastal path runs along the top of the cliffs. You can easily reach it if you want to climb to the top of the cliffs and take a longer hike.

View of Tilleul beach

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View of Tilleul beach
As the beach is a little difficult to access, swimming is not supervised.

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