Introduction

The Normandy department of Manche remains one of the largely undiscovered gems of northern France.

Perhaps most famous for its strategic role in the D-Day Landings in 1944, Department number 50 has much to offer the modern-day visitor - whether it's a young family looking for the perfect beach holiday, the outdoor type interested in walking and wildlife, or the couple looking for a romantic break with first class accommodation and even better restaurants!

Often known as the Cherbourg Peninsula, Manche juts out into the English Channel like an accusing finger. It stretches 90 miles from the major port of region, Cherbourg, to Mont-St-Michel in the south west, where the department meets Brittany.

The western coastline - punctuated by many pretty little fishing villages, marinas and traditional resorts - hides some of the most picturesque yet deserted sandy beaches in all of northern France.

History

The peninsula is popular both as a summer playground and as a place of pilgrimage for those with a specific interest in World War Two. The east coastline in particular boasts an abundance of fascinating memorials, relics and museums dedicated to Operation Overlord – the D-Day Invasion.

A few miles inland from the landing beaches is the international visitor magnet of Ste-Mère-Eglise - the first town in France to be liberated by the allies.

Major towns

• Cherbourg
• Valognes
• Bricquebec
• Saint-Lô
• Carentan
• Coutances
• Granville
• Ste-Mère-Eglise

Weather

The Cherbourg Peninsula lies just 60 miles south of southern England and a few nautical miles east of the main Channel Islands. The department's weather, therefore, is more like that of southern England rather than Provence. Winters are generally mild, with temperatures rarely dropping to freezing point. But although snow may be a rarity, rain - and lots of it - is certainly not. In fact, because Manche is surrounded on three of its sides by sea, it tends to have its own microclimate - mild, wet and windy in the winter, and pleasantly warm and breezy during the summer months. June, July, August and September can usually be relied upon to provide a more than adequate number of days to enjoy the department's glorious beaches.

Average temperature in Manche (Celsius)

Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
7.6	6.4	8.4	13.0	14.0	20.0	21.6	22.0	18.2	14.5	10.8	7.9

Beaches

There are dozens of unspoilt, sandy beaches framing the Cherbourg Peninsula, some with Blue Flag status. Many, especially those on the western coastline, have resident lifeguards and toilet and washroom facilities, together with a nearby café or two. Even in August, parking at the beach is not normally a problem and is invariably free. In the north, those overlooking Jersey, around Barneville-Carteret, are perhaps the most popular, whilst further south, the beaches around Granville attract both the locals and tourists.

Tourist sites

Most of the department's tourists sites centre around the D-Day Invasion of Normandy or its fine selection of pretty fishing villages and yacht marinas. Along the east coast are numerous memorials and museums commemorating the world-changing events of June 6th 1944.

Perhaps the most established, largest and best-known resort along the department's west coast is Granville, just a few miles across the bay from Mont-St-Michel. The town has developed around its fishing and commercial port from where regular ferries take visitors to Jersey and for day trips to the largely uninhabited Iles Chausey, a group of granite rocks lying a few miles off shore.

Granville has carefully retained its "belle époque" elegance and boasts a wide range of facilities and attractions - including a casino, theatre, racecourse, sea-life aquarium and a modern pleasure craft marina.

At the southern tip of the Peninsula is Mont-St-Michel which has been a significant place of pilgrimage for more than 1000 years, and for most days of the year is a magnet for tourists. Built on an island linked to the mainland by a causeway, Mont-St-Michel offers the visitor one of France's greatest abbeys, together with many half-timbered medieval houses, a unique shopping street and spectacular views over the bay.

Family entertainment and sports

Manche offers a wide variety of outdoor pursuits for all the family. These range from sand yachting to kite-flying - just two of the region's most popular beach sports.

Apart from walking in some of France's most magnificent countryside, gliding offered at the aerodrome of Lessay, and golf at several interesting and challenging courses up and down the Peninsula, most outdoor pursuits in Manche revolve around the beach or water. Sailing tuition is available in most resorts, and in St-Sauveur-Le-Vicomte a canoeing and white-water kayaking centre attracts all ages and abilities.

One of the most recent additions to Manche's list of family attractions is La Cité de la Mer - a marine and sealife centre in Cherbourg. Opened in the spring of 2002, La Cité de la Mer offers visitors a fascinating three-hour journey through the many facets of underwater exploration.

Food and drink

For gourmets, Manche shares many of its specialities with other departments of Normandy. The whole region is famous for its dairy products - especially the many varieties of cheese. And like many French coastal regions, Manche is also known for its seafood - especially mussels and oysters. The department's restaurants, however prestigious or humble, are proud to serve their own variations of the local produce. And as an accompaniment they will be pleased to serve locally-produced cider or a glass of world-famous Calva, the region's powerful but smooth apple brandy.

Ease of access

Wherever you are in Manche, you are never more than 90 minutes by road away from a ferry port. Cherbourg is the busiest, with frequent crossings to southern England and Ireland. And the Port of Caen has regular routes to Portsmouth, courtesy of Brittany Ferries.

Air travel to Manche is a little more tricky. Although Cherbourg boasts a super little airport a few miles east of the town, at the time of writing, no commercial flights were scheduled from the British mainland for 2007. There are, however, occasional connecting flights to and from Paris and Jersey, and hopes are high amongst members of the chamber of commerce that a low-cost British airline will re-introduce flights to the airport very soon.

Value for money

Manche can cater for all types of holiday – from budget family breaks to extravagant and luxurious château holidays. Once the ferry is booked and paid for (always cheaper outside school holidays), the decision is which accommodation to choose. Within walking distance to the beach is always going to be more expensive, but the benefit of Manche is that wherever you choose, you are never going to be more than half an hour's drive from the coast. So to have the best of all worlds, consider booking a cheaper property in a pretty little village or in the lush countryside – a great base from which to explore the whole region.

Summary

The majority of visitors rush through Manche from the ferry ports to their chosen holiday destinations further south. Little do they know what they are missing. Manche offers wonderful scenery, deserted beaches, lovely little towns, historic interest, food and drink which is difficult to improve upon, and a warm welcome from the locals who wonder why more people don't visit them. Away from the main summer months, the answer, perhaps, is the department's unpredictable climate…