Genets on the Bay of Mont-Saint-Michel

Genets lies on the northern shore of the Bay of Mont-Saint-Michel. The town can be explored through two themes: the coast, with its tides and trails, and its architectural and local history. Tombelaine is visible from Genets; Bec d’Andaine has a beach and dunes. The Church of Notre-Dame de Genêts and the Sainte-Anne Chapel add to this picture of the town’s architectural history. If you are planning a stay in Genets, you can decide whether to focus more on the bay, a walking route or the buildings.

Coast, tides and landscape

Tombelaine is visible from Genets; the island is a bird sanctuary. The tidal range is another defining feature of the bay: at the equinox, the difference between high and low tide is 15 metres. This figure refers to the range between the two water levels and applies at this time. Bec d’Andaine has a beach and dunes. These are distinct landmarks for orientation: Tombelaine is visible from Genets, the tidal range describes the changing water levels, and the beach and dunes mark Bec d’Andaine. This makes it possible to consider the view, tidal landscape and stretch of coast as different aspects of the bay.

Walking stage and crossing the bay

Bec d’Andaine is the starting point for crossings of the bay to Tombelaine and/or Mont-Saint-Michel. These can be made on foot or on horseback. The GR®223 walking stage from Bouillon to Genets also passes along a sandy section to Bec d’Andaine; from there, it continues inland to Genets. The full stage is listed as 20 kilometres, with an approximate duration of five hours and 30 minutes. These present two distinct planning questions: for the GR®223, the route length and approximate duration are given; for crossing the bay, the starting point, possible destinations and ways of travelling—on foot or on horseback—are specified. The walking stage is a route from Bouillon to Genets; the crossings start at Bec d’Andaine and lead to the destinations listed. This distinction helps you see the walk and the crossing as separate activities.

Church, chapel and local history

The Church of Notre-Dame de Genêts has a Gothic, flat-ended choir with side chapels and a projecting transept dating from the 12th century. A flat-ended choir has a straight end; side chapels flank it, while the transept projects out from the rest of the church. The church’s construction phases date from the 12th, 14th, 15th and 18th centuries. The information thus distinguishes the description of individual architectural features from the church’s building history, which spans several centuries.

The Sainte-Anne Chapel is the last surviving one of seven places of worship or chapels in Genets. It houses the Genets tourist information office, bringing together a historical landmark and a practical visitor information service. According to the local historical account, six ships were built in the port of Genêts in 1064. This tradition predates the church construction phases mentioned above and adds a connection to the port to the history of religious buildings.

Discover more destinations: Les Moitiers-en-Bauptois, Houesville, Saint-Martin-Le-Hébert, Trelly, Barfleur, Millières, Saint-Clément-Rancoudray, Brillevast

For the main travel overview: Manche.