Anneville-Sur-Mer: Beach, Dunes and Nature

Anneville-sur-Mer is suited to travellers who want to include a coastal landscape with a beach, dunes and the Havre de Geffosses in their choice of destination. Plage d’Anneville-sur-Mer lies south of the Havre de Geffosses; the Havre stretches from Geffosses to Anneville-sur-Mer. This means there are two distinct geographical points of reference: the specific sandy beach and the larger coastal stretch of the Havre. If you are looking for a hotel for a stay here, you can start by considering whether the beach, nature, hiking or cultural heritage is especially important to your travel plans.

Beach and Dunes

Plage d’Anneville-sur-Mer is an expansive sandy beach lined with dunes. The beach is considered unspoilt and little frequented, and is particularly suitable for people seeking peace and nature. How quiet it feels on site can vary by season. The Dunes d’Anneville et de Gouville-sur-Mer are also among the four Espaces naturels sensibles of this kind on the west coast of Manche. This makes the beach and dune landscape a clear focus when choosing where to stay. The beach name and the designation Dunes d’Anneville et de Gouville-sur-Mer mark two different points of reference: the Plage as a specific sandy beach and the named dune landscape. This allows you to consider the beach and nature as related, but not identical, priorities.

The Havre de Geffosses and Nature

The Havre de Geffosses stretches from Geffosses to Anneville-sur-Mer. It is considered a protected area for local wildlife and plant life and includes an ornithological reserve with exceptional biological diversity. Ornithological refers to birds; bird conservation therefore has an explicitly named place alongside the protection of fauna and flora. For your travel decision, this is a different focus from the beach description: here, the focus is on a natural area whose protection encompasses local wildlife, plant life and birds.

Hiking and Getting There

After crossing the Havre de Geffosses, the GR®223 long-distance hiking trail continues through dunes to the slipway in Anneville-sur-Mer. The route therefore takes in the Havre, the dunes and the named destination. This gives you a clear distinction for your planning: the beach focuses on a single coastal location, while the GR®223 follows a sequence along the trail. Check local trail conditions before planning your route.

To reach the Plage, drive from Coutances or from the coast first towards Gouville-sur-Mer and then north towards Pirou. Before the Havre, turn left onto the D532 towards the sea and campsites to reach Plage d’Anneville-sur-Mer. Check road conditions before setting out.

Local Cultural Heritage

Another point of interest is Église Saint-Samson. It dates from the 12th to the 18th century and has a wooden vaulted ceiling and a saddleback-roofed tower. The wooden vaulted ceiling describes a feature of the interior, while the saddleback roof describes the shape of the tower roof. This long time span and these architectural features give the church a distinctive character alongside the beach and dunes. If you also consider architectural history when choosing your destination, this cultural heritage adds another dimension to the coastal focus.

Discover more destinations: Tanis, Notre-Dame-De-Cenilly, Aumeville-Lestre, Blainville Sur Mer, Vaudreville, Saint-Vaast-La-Hougue, Annoville, Saint-Georges-De-La-Rivière

For the wider travel overview: Manche.