Carentan Normandy

where you can dock with your own boat or you can take a boat tour around the marshes if you don’t have your own boat! You can also canoe and fish around Carentan.
While sea fishing is free, you must purchase a permit from the tourist office to fish in the rivers. The estuary is one of the few places in the world where a unique phenomenon occurs, the mascaret tidal wave – a wave that makes its way upstream from the sea.

The marshes have some bird huts, so you can watch the wildlife unseen. There are nature trails and bike routes around town. There are some bike trails in the area. Carentan is also on the Tour de Manche cycling route, which runs along the Brittany and Normandy coasts and into Devon and Dorset. For those who don’t want to bike, you can follow one of the pilgrim paths to Mont St Michel on foot.

The market is the place to sample fantastic local produce. There are also many small stores in town where you can buy local products. Fish dishes such as smoked trout or trout marinated in Calvados and basil are very popular, as are dishes with locally produced beef. As in the rest of Normandy, creamy dishes and cheeses such as Camembert, Livarot and Pont l’Evêque are always on the menu. For dessert, try flan normand, a delicious apple pie. Don’t forget to sample some Norman cider, known as cidre, and a few sips of Calvados apple brandy!

Photos –> Peter Nanne

• Country: France

• Region: Normandy

• Department: Manche

• Population: 6,300