Auberville: Trails, Coastal Views and Cultural Heritage

Auberville combines a maritime landscape to the north with countryside to the south. Viewpoints offer views of the Falaises des Vaches Noires and the English Channel. If you are looking for a hotel in Auberville, the landscape and hiking trails give you a tangible sense of the destination: coastal views, striking natural formations and religious heritage are among its distinct features. When planning your stay, you can decide whether you are most interested in trails, scenery or the history of the church.

Hiking trails of different lengths

The Boucle Notre-Dame is 6 km long and combines religious heritage, country lanes and views of the Falaises des Vaches Noires. The longer loop covers 13 km and is listed as taking about three hours. It runs from Auberville along a section of the GR 223 towards Villers-sur-Mer, then along Vaches Noires beach and through Houlgate, before returning to Auberville via the 100 steps. The loop also passes an orientation table with views of the Dives estuary and the beaches of Cabourg, Varaville and Merville-Franceville-Plage. The comparison shows two different route lengths; an approximate duration is given only for the longer loop.

A longer version of the Boucle Notre-Dame passes Auberville’s war memorial, dedicated to the village’s sons who fell in the First World War. For the beach section of the longer loop, check the tide times so that you are not caught by the incoming tide.

Notre-Dame Church and village history

Notre-Dame Church was built from Caen stone in the 12th century and altered in the 17th century. The facade has a bell gable with two openings, containing two bronze bells cast in 1759. These features give the church a distinct architectural character that sets it apart from the surrounding landscape.

The interior also features several historical details: the nave has a wooden ceiling with exposed beams. Its furnishings include a 17th-century altarpiece, a painting from that century and a 17th-century statue of Saint Mark. The altarpiece depicts Le repas chez Simon le pharisien. This means you can explore the church not only through its age, but also through individual features of its furnishings.

Experience the cliffs and landscape

The Falaises des Vaches Noires have a distinctive badland morphology, with a succession of ravines and rocky spurs. Their history dates back to the Jurassic period; they are known for their geological and palaeontological richness. Dinosaur remains have also been discovered there. Viewpoints in Auberville offer views of the cliffs and the English Channel. The coastal landscape and geological formations are complemented by country lanes and the rural landscape to the south of the village.

The Sentier nature des Vaches Noires is a 1.7 km nature trail in Auberville. It runs across bocage meadows and through valleys where vegetation is reclaiming some former structures dating from the Second World War. After the wooded section, the trail offers a panorama of the sea; vegetation may affect the view. These details add another perspective on the landscape and its former structures to the coastal views.

From the beach, the Villers-sur-Mer Tourist Office runs guided discovery tours of the Falaises des Vaches Noires all year round. The tours start from the beach. Dates and booking arrangements may change, so check them in advance if you plan to join a tour.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: Trévières, Port-En-Bessin-Huppain, Bretteville-L'orgueilleuse, Ryes, Longueville, Cahagnolles, Foulognes, Luc-Sur-Mer

For the main travel overview: Calvados.