Updated on 19 October 2020
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If you’re looking for a little inspiration for your next cycling trip to Normandy, you’ve come to the right place. From short to multi-day rides, from foodie to historical trails, discover our full collection of cycle routes across the region. Find the perfect one for you by clicking on any of the cycle routes below to see a full breakdown of the route, distances, elevation, and heritage sites or hidden gems along the way. Feel free to download, print or share!
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La Vélomaritime - Voie verte de Merville-Franceville à Caen
Further information
Services
Green way, Shared lane, Bicycle path
IGN MAP
OPEN STREET MAP
Starting point
Plage de Merville-Franceville
The beach is accessible:
- From the main parking lot
- From Kite-r Evolution
- From the playground
- From Avenue Jean Mermoz
- From the Avenue de la côte Fleurie
- From the Parking des Mouettes
-From the Magniez parking lot
3 first aid posts are open in July and August every day from 12:00 to 18:30 (02 31 24 22 39). A Tiralo is available for people with reduced mobility at the N1 first aid post at the same times. Toilets and showers as well as baby changing facilities are also available at this same station.
To know the supervised and unsupervised areas, please refer to the attached document
In July and August, you have the possibility to rent beach baskets directly on the spot, next to the first aid post N1 :
- 6€ for half a day
- 10€ for one day
- 50€ for a week
- 150€ for one month
Unless special arrangements are made, dogs are allowed all year round on the beach but must be kept on a leash. However, from 1 July to 31 August, they are prohibited in the area between the western end of the bathing area of the N3 aid post and the eastern end of the bathing area of the N2 aid post between 9 am and 8 pm. They remain authorised all day long to the East of the N2 station.
Horses are allowed on the beach under the following conditions:
- From 16 June to 30 September from 5am to 9am and after 8pm: only between the eastern end of the town and the parking des Mouettes and between the Orne Estuary and the Kite-Surf marked out area and this only 2 hours before and 2 hours after the official low tide time.
- The rest of the year: every day except Saturdays, Sundays, bridges and public holidays where they are only allowed before 10am and after 7pm on the whole beach.
The main part is bordered by a pleasant promenade. The two extremities are wilder with the appearance of some dunes.
Port de Caen/Ouistreham - Port de plaisance de Ouistreham
The wind whistles through the poplars as ducks and swans rub shoulders with the seagulls. Making fast in Ouistreham rimes with stopping over in a marina with a truly bucolic atmosphere. The marina is calm, spacious and well-equipped. As you arrive, you will encounter ferries and local fishing boats. Nestling on the banks of the canal that leads to Caen, just a stone’s throw from the famous Pegasus Bridge, the marina is an excellent departure point for visiting William the Conqueror’s city, the beaches and casinos of the Côte de Nacre coast, or even the birds in Sallenelles bay.
Port de Caen/Ouistreham - Port de Plaisance de Caen
At the end of a lively canal, an entire town awaits you. In the heart of Caen, the marina is a stopover offering a medley of history and modernity. Berth at the foot of William the Conqueror’s castle, amidst an urban decor of pubs, restaurants and stores. An entire city breathes and lives around your boat. And the road that takes you there is equally eventful: the canal, from Ouistreham, offers a tour of port facilities and historic sites, such as Pegasus Bridge and the Château de Bénouville. At just 3 knots, you slowly enter the region’s very lung.