Portbail is the kind of haven-side village the Cotentin has few of left: a long thirteen-arch bridge spans the lagoon, boats lie on their sides at low tide, and the light is extraordinary at both ends of the day.
The heritage is astonishing for such a small place: the church of Notre-Dame, almost a thousand years old, stands guard by the haven, and next to it archaeologists uncovered a 6th-century baptistery — one of the very rare witnesses of early Christian Gaul north of the Loire.
Add a market renowned across the region, sandy beaches stretching to the horizon and sunsets over the Channel Islands: Portbail is the perfect stop on a west-coast day out.
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.