They call it the oasis of the Cotentin, and the change of scenery is real: around a 17th-century manor, a few hundred metres from the sea, thrive palms, giant gunneras, bamboos and hundreds of southern-hemisphere species. The secret? The exceptionally mild microclimate of this coast, sheltered by the hills of La Hague.
Listed as a “Jardin Remarquable”, the park unfolds like a journey: each green chamber opens onto a different mood, up to the final view over the bay of Vauville.
It is the perfect gentle stop on a day in La Hague, between the Écalgrain bay and the Nez de Jobourg.
Stay at the château
Make the château your base for this and everything else in the guide: four B&B rooms from €95 a night, four self-catering cottages from €100 a night, 35 minutes from the Cherbourg ferry. Best rate when you book direct.