La Hague Peninsula

La Hague is the blunt northwestern corner of the Cotentin, a landscape of granite cliffs, heather moor, dry stone walls and small hamlets that feels closer to Cornwall or Ireland than to the rest of Normandy. Nez de Jobourg is among the highest cliffs in Europe by some counts, dropping around a hundred and twenty-eight metres. Off the point runs the Raz Blanchard, a tidal race between the peninsula and Alderney where the stream reaches speeds among the fastest in Europe, a serious hazard for shipping. The GR223 coast path follows the cliff line. The painter Millet was born at Gruchy in the middle of it.

What you actually see

• Nez de Jobourg - granite cliffs among the highest on the European coast.
• The Raz Blanchard - a tidal race visible as broken water off the point.
• The moorland - heather, gorse and dry stone walls across the headland.
• Gruchy - the hamlet where Millet was born, with his house.

When to go

April to October for walking; heather colours the moor in late summer. Winter storms make the cliffs dangerous. Wind here is constant and strong in any season.

Honest expectations

Cliff paths are exposed and unfenced with long drops. Weather changes quickly. A nuclear reprocessing plant occupies part of the peninsula and is visible from several viewpoints.

Nearby

Cherbourg lies east; Barfleur is northeast.