Cabourg / Deauville

The stretch of Normandy coast known as the Côte Fleurie bears its name well, as you'll see, following this Vélomaritime stage. Note too the great many beach huts that line the way, fiercely competing in designs and colours! Do pause to explore the resort of Houlgate with its Belle Époque villas and admire the first limestone cliffs of eastern Normandy, Les Vaches Noires, at Villers-sur-Mer. There follows a more demanding stretch, your reward coming in the shape of Mont Canisy, a hill providing 360° views over the sea and the Normandy countryside.

The route

From Cabourg to Deauville, there's a mix of greenways, cycle lanes and roads shared with motorized traffic. This stage is very easy to cycle along up to Houlgate, but it then becomes more challenging, with significant shifts in altitude to tackle to reach the Route de la Corniche or Mont Castel. The stretches along greenways are easily accessible, particularly through the heart of the unspoilt Villers-Blonville marsh. This stretch will be signposted in the course of 2021, but in the meantime, remember to download the GPX tracks. In addition, some surfaces along the way require renovation; they will be gradually repaired going through to 2022.

SNCF

Nearby train stations: 

• Deauville (mainline station)
• Cabourg-Dives, Houlgate, Villers-sur-Mer and Blonville-sur-Mer stations in the immediate vicinity of the route (seasonal line serving Deauville mainline station)