Camping in Manche in Normandy: going green

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Spending your holidays sunbathing is not part of your plans, let alone your desires. You're looking for peace and quiet, greenery, and dreaming of walks in the countryside. So why not head west, to Normandy and more precisely to Manche?

Manche, because of its geographical location by the English Channel, is first and foremost the sea, but not only. The tourism authorities, as well as a large number of the 132 campsites in the department of Manche, have played the green tourism card and that of the discovery of a considerable natural heritage. Whether you are a hiker, cyclist, horse rider, etc., Manche has a few nice surprises in store for you, which will be just as many opportunities to go green.

More than 130 campsites in the Manche

There are a number of beautiful campsites in the Manche, including Les Iles in Hudimesnil, which is located just outside Granville, L'Anse du Brick (Maupertus-sur-Mer), which is conveniently located on the seafront, Le Cormoran in Ravenoville and Château de Lez-eaux in Saint-Pair-sur-Mer, in the bay of Mont-Saint-Michel.

Choose your stay from over 130 campsites in Manche.

Manche on foot

The Manche is a paradise for hikers, one figure is enough to convince you, 7000 km of marked paths. It offers enthusiasts some great routes such as the GR 223, also known as the "Chemin des douaniers". Amongst the other routes on offer, it is possible to walk 9 GRP (Grande randonnée de pays) and 51 PR (promenade et randonnée). Throughout the season, guides and enthusiasts accompany hikers on nature outings and documentation (topoguides and other detailed maps) is available in all tourist offices and distributed in campsites. Here is a small representative sample:

- The ragpickers' route (76 km): this route offers to revive the routes taken by the ragpickers to transport the scraps of sail and cloth from the Channel ports to the mills where they were transformed into paper. This new route allows you to discover hiking with a donkey.

- The customs path (430 km in 18 stages): the GR223 links Carentan to Mont Saint Michel through often grandiose landscapes such as the "Nez de Jaubourg", the Vauban Towers at Saint Vaast la Hougue and Tatihou as well as Mont Saint-Michel in the middle of its bay, both of which are classified as Unesco World Heritage sites

- The paths of Mont Saint Michel: This is the GR22 which starts from Notre Dame de Paris and covers 130 km in the Manche. The Mont Saint Michel was, notably in the Middle Ages, one of the greatest centres of pilgrimage in Christendom.

- Crossings of the Bay of Mont Saint Michel: Generally speaking, these are 14 km walks lasting six hours. They allow you to discover the fabulous landscapes offered by the Bay of Mont Saint-Michel at low tide. They must be done in the company of experienced guides for safety reasons.

- But also...: Twilight outings in the Cotentin and Bessin Marshes Park or discovery of the numerous peat bogs of the Lande Mouton in the south-east of the department.