Hard against the frontier with Brittany, and cut off from the rest of Normandy by difficult marshy terrain, the Cotentin Peninsula has traditionally been seen as something of a backwater, far removed from the French mainstream. It nonetheless makes a surprisingly rewarding goal for travellers, and one that by sea at least is very easily accessible. Regular ferries from both England and Ireland still dock at the peninsula's major port, Cherbourg, with a plethora of attractive little villages such as Barfleur and St-Vaast nestled amid the hills to both east and west.The Cotentin's long western flank with its flat beaches serves as a prelude to Mont St-Michel, with hill towns such as Coutances and Avranches cherishing architectural and historical relics associated with the abbey. Halfway down, the walled port of Granville, an extremely popular destination with French holiday-makers, is a sort of small-scale mirror-image of Brittany's St-Malo.
Pages in section ‘Cotentin Peninsula’: Cherbourg, Around the Cotentin.
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