sports & activities
things to do
Whether you’re an adrenaline junkie or a leisurely fishing fan you’ll find just what you’re looking for in Normandie… the Great Outdoors in Normandie really is GREAT!
You’ll be spoilt for choice of things to do in Normandie, with its wealth of countryside, beaches, forests and water there is an endless diversity of activities to suit everyone.
Get out and enjoy the Great Outdoors with walking, horse riding, kite surfing, sand yachting, golfing, cycling, fishing, kayaking or just building sand castles… so whatever activity floats your boat you’ll find it in Normandie!
Cycling
Cycling is a fantastic way to see Normandie.
There are more than 310 miles (500km) of cycle paths where you can combine fresh air with sightseeing and keeping active, even if you’re not up to entering Le Tour de France!
There are plenty of cycle routes that suit all levels of ability and experience and you can stop off at many small villages for a pit stop and re-fuel with an espresso or juice at a pavement café.
We have a few bikes and helmets that you can borrow and if you’re a bit more serious we can arrange bike hire for you. You might even like to hook up with one of the local cycling clubs.
Golf
There are 40 golf courses throughout the region and 12 of them enjoy sea views. Our nearest, Omaha Beach Golf Club has stunning views out to sea and for the non-golfers of the family, they have a fantastic bar, restaurant and Spa.
And the course overlooking the beautiful white cliffs at Etretat is truly spectacular.
Also in the heart of lush green meadows, on wooded hillsides or along rivers and beside lakes, Normandie’s other courses, like Vire in the bocage, provide different challenges to keen golfers in stunning backgrounds.
Water Sports
You’ll be spoilt for choice with dozens of sea-related activities along Normandie’s nearly 400 miles of coastline.
You’ll find professional instructors in 80 schools approved by the French Sailing Federation who will teach water fans of all ages. So why not try a sport catamaran, a dinghy or a cruising yacht?
Alternatively give windsurfing, surfboarding, kitesurfing, sand-yachting, kayaking or skimboard a go.
Our local beach, Omaha has a school where you can hire a sand yacht, canoe, windsurfer or have a lesson on the sands.
Sand yachting
On the sand of Omaha Beach, at Saint Laurent-sur-Mer, you’ll be exhilarated as you race across the sand in your own sand yacht.
Horse Riding
There are studs and equestrian centres nearby and many of them cater to families and English speaking visitors who love to ride.
There is a riding school in our local village 3kms away and the “Hara Nationale” (National Stud) at Saint-Lô is about a 30 minute drive away – it’s a fine example of 19th century architecture. It is a leading national stud farm in terms of the number of stallions and is the guardian of the purest traditions.
There is a 190 km-long route, divided into 9 different stages, links the two National Studs of Le Pin and Saint-Lô.
Fishing
The region is considered one of the best in France for salmon fishing and also for sea-trout, and there are plenty of brown trout too. Anglers aren’t confined to just fishing the rivers – the lakes and “marsh lands” all tend to have good quantities of pike etc.