Maupertus-Sur-Mer: Coast and Cultural Heritage

Maupertus-Sur-Mer offers visitors a range of points of interest: protected coastal scenery, a designated hiking route and traces of its cultural and industrial heritage. Nature, route planning and history each offer their own focus. If you are looking for a hotel for your stay, you can first consider which of these themes you would like your trip to revolve around.

Coastal Scenery and Protected Areas

Pointe du Brick is open to the public. The protected area covers 401.74 hectares; Maupertus-Sur-Mer is one of the municipalities within this protected area. Pointe du Brick is also part of the Natura 2000 site “Caps et marais arrière-littoraux de Barfleur au Cap Lévi.” The Landes du Brûlé massif covers 330 hectares and is covered with heather, gorse and sea-buckthorn. Protected bats live in the Landes du Brick, including the greater horseshoe bat and the greater mouse-eared bat.

The area figures refer to the protected area and the massif; 6.2 kilometres refers to the circular trail alone. Anse du Brick is a small, wild cove between Maupertus-Sur-Mer and Fermanville. Its sandy and pebbly beach is bordered by green cliffs. The cove is suitable for walks and experiencing natural landscapes; conditions on the beach may vary.

A granite quarry operated at Anse du Brick in the 19th century. The stone was transported to Lille via the port of Cherbourg. The cove and the circular trail offer different types of scenery: the beach and cliffs shape the coastal views at Anse, while the hike also passes through woodland and heathland.

Hiking and Bus Access

The Pointe du Brick circular trail is classified as a moderate 6.2-kilometre hike, taking about two hours. It follows numerous paths through bocage, a hedgerow-defined cultural landscape, as well as through the Maupertus forest and the Brulay heathland. Along the coast, it runs on the coastal path and follows the GR223. For planning your time, the rating and duration should be considered together: “moderate” describes the level of difficulty, while around two hours gives an approximate timeframe for the hike.

The circular trail starts at the “Maupertus-sur-Mer – Anse du Brick” stop on the Cap Cotentin bus network. If you plan to travel by bus, check the current services in advance.

Local Cultural History

The Manoir de Maupertus can be viewed from the outside. The building dates from around the 17th century and has always been inhabited by farmers. The manor is partly protected as a French historic monument; the protection was registered on 30 May 1978.

The church of Saint-Martin is home to a pair of processional lanterns. This pair has been listed as a protected cultural object since 24 August 1990. At the manor, the focus is on the buildings, their period of construction and former use; at Saint-Martin, it is on a specific pair of protected objects.

The military past is also present in the landscape: the largest bunker on the Landes du Brûlé was used by the German army during the occupation.

Discover More Destinations

Pierreville, Le Teilleul, Quettreville-Sur-Sienne, Équeurdreville-Hainneville, Créances, Sainteny, Sourdeval-Les-Bois, Canisy

For the broader travel overview: Manche.