What to do nearby
Demeure Bleue sits at the heart of the Alabaster Coast, in the Durdent valley. The sea and Lake Caniel are ten minutes' drive away, Fécamp 25 minutes, Étretat and Dieppe under an hour.
Distances from the house
Veulettes-sur-Mer, Petites Dalles and Grandes Dalles are about ten minutes away, Veules-les-Roses half an hour. Pebble beaches tucked between two cliffs, perfect for the end of the day.
- Veulettes-sur-Mer10 min
- Petites Dalles beach10 min
- Lake Caniel and its water sports centre10 min
- Cany-Barville, shops and village life10 min
- Cauchois airfield15 min
- Fécamp25 min
- Veules-les-Roses30 min
- The cliffs of Étretat45 min
- Dieppe55 min
- Le Havre60 min
- Deauville75 min
The closest beach
Veulettes-sur-Mer
This is the closest beach to the house, about ten minutes by car. A long pebble beach backed by cliffs that uncovers sand at low tide, and a seafront promenade where every terrace lines up facing the water. Parking on the promenade is free.
Eating by the sea
Every business sits on the seafront and puts its terrace out on the promenade once the weather turns: Les Frégates, Restaurant de la Mer, the Côté Plage brasserie and crêperie, La Chaloupe, Chez Laurette, L'Authentik Café and the Au Rendez-vous des Pêcheurs bar. For dinner with your feet in the pebbles, the Esta'frites chip shop does the seafront chips.
The casino
The casino stands at the end of the promenade, on place du Catelier. The first one was built on the beach in the 1870s; the present building dates from 1957 and was put up with sandstone from the Notre-Dame-du-Bon-Port chapel in Saint-Valery-en-Caux. Inside you will find some fifty slot machines, blackjack and Texas hold'em poker, a bar, a performance and exhibition hall, and Le Purple Gourmand restaurant. Open every day of the year from 11am, and late at weekends. Photo ID is required for the gaming floor, which is over-18s only.
Fishing on the rocks
At low tide the rocky shelf below the cliffs is uncovered and turns into a playground for children: crabs, shrimps and small fish caught in the pools. Bring boots or water shoes, check the tide times before you set off, and keep an eye on when the water starts coming back.
Nature outings
In summer the Côte d'Albâtre tourist office runs free outings on the rocky shelf, meeting in front of the casino. A guide teaches children how to spot and catch crabs and shrimps, with the sea stories that go with it. From age 3, boots required, booking essential as places are limited.
One of the most beautiful villages in France
Veules-les-Roses
Half an hour from the house, Veules-les-Roses is listed among the most beautiful villages in France. Thatched cottages, watermills, watercress beds and gardens running down to the water, all in a valley that opens onto a pebble beach wedged between two cliffs.
The shortest river in France
The Veules runs for 1,149 metres, from its source in the valley to the Channel. It is the shortest river in France, and the only one you can follow from mouth to source in half an hour on foot. A waymarked trail runs alongside it, past the mills, the watercress beds and the finest villas.
Where to park
The village is busy and its lanes are narrow. From the D925, take the route des Abattoirs to reach the Falaises car park: it is free, you arrive with a view over the village and the beach, and the centre is a five-minute walk away. Four more free car parks complete the picture: du Canon, des Chasses-Marées, des Sources and des Cressonnières.
Reading on the beach
Every summer the county sets up a free reading hut on the seafront, with sun loungers and a terrace. Around a thousand books to read on the spot, no membership and nothing to pay, plus writing workshops and readings aloud. Open daily from 11am to 7pm, weekends and public holidays included, from early July to late August.
Where to eat
Les P'tits Galets occupies the former Grand Hôtel des Bains et de la Plage, fifty metres from the sea on rue Victor Hugo. Seasonal land-and-sea cooking built on Pays de Caux produce: Cauchois farm chicken, Veules oysters, mussels, scallops. Open seven days a week all year, with a terrace and a children's corner.
Butot-Vénesville, Alabaster Coast, Normandy
The beaches of the Alabaster Coast
Veulettes-sur-Mer, Petites Dalles and Grandes Dalles are about ten minutes away, Veules-les-Roses half an hour. Pebble beaches tucked between two cliffs, perfect for the end of the day.
Lake Caniel
Ten minutes from the house, Lake Caniel is an ideal destination for families, sports lovers and anyone who enjoys the outdoors. A remarkable site in the heart of the Durdent valley, with activities for every age.
Swimming banned during the summer of 2026
Swimming in Lake Caniel was banned several times during the summer of 2026, because of excess microcystins linked to cyanobacteria. The aquapark, the cable wakeboard and stand-up paddleboarding closed at the same time. Fishing is still allowed, but eating fish from the lake is not advised, and pets must neither swim in it nor drink its water.
Before you go
- Check the bans in force with the regional health agency, or directly with the leisure centre, on the morning itself.
- The rest of the site is open: the path around the lake, the playground, the multi-sports court, the skate park, the summer toboggan run and the land-based activities.
- For swimming, the sea is the better option. Veulettes-sur-Mer is about ten minutes away and its beach is supervised in season.
On the water
- Cable wakeboarding, open to beginners and experienced riders alike
- Aquapark and its inflatable obstacle course, open from 1 July to 31 August
- Canoeing, kayaking and stand-up paddleboarding to explore the lake at your own pace
- Pedal boats for a gentle tour of the shoreline
Family activities
- Summer toboggan run
- Playground and inflatable village for younger children
- Bowling
- Île aux Jeux, 650 m² with a maze, a ball pit and video games
Free all year round
A skate and roller ramp, a multi-sports court, a nature trail and a playground are open freely all year round.
Local produce
Markets
There is a market almost every day within half an hour of the house. The one at Cany-Barville, on Monday morning, is among the biggest in the county: it fills the town hall square, place du 8-Mai and the fairground, with growers, farmers and craftspeople. The others are smaller and more village-scale, and all of them are morning markets.
On Saturday mornings, head for Doudeville or the big market in Fécamp, on place Bellet. In summer, Saint-Valery-en-Caux also opens on Sunday morning, on place de la Chapelle. Hours run an hour longer in season; if in doubt, the town hall or the tourist office will confirm the market is on.
- Monday morningCany-Barville10 min
- Tuesday morningSotteville-sur-Mer30 min
- Wednesday morningVeules-les-Roses30 min
- Thursday morningFontaine-le-Dun30 min
- Friday morningSaint-Valery-en-Caux20 min
With the children
Ponies and riding
Les Poneys de Mélanie offer led pony rides through the streets of Sotteville-sur-Mer, a few minutes from the coast. A simple, gentle outing made for the youngest riders.
Available all year depending on demand, bookings and the weather. Other pony activities are possible on request.
Le Petit Torcy riding school
For anyone who wants more than a led ride, Le Petit Torcy sits at Ourville-en-Caux, between Yvetot, Fécamp and Cany. It is a French riding school accredited by the national equestrian federation, offering playful, structured teaching, plenty of outdoor riding, and competition in show jumping, TREC and dressage.
Something sweet
Les Saveurs du Lait farm
About twenty minutes from the house, at Saint-Vaast-Dieppedalle, Hélène and Arnaud Follet turn their cows' milk into ice cream, sorbets, yoghurt, cream and jam. The farm can be visited freely during shop hours, and you can watch the milking. Wednesday afternoon is the first opening of the week, which makes it the slot to take the children. You will leave with a few tubs, that much is more or less unavoidable.
Getting there
- Free farm visit during shop hours, all year round
- Wednesday, Thursday and Friday from 2pm to 7pm
- Saturday from 10am to 12.30pm and from 2pm to 6pm, closed on public holidays
- Milking can be watched from 5pm, Wednesday to Saturday
- A farm produce vending machine stays open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
Opening times shift a little with the seasons: a phone call before you set off saves a wasted trip.
During your stay
What's on
The Alabaster Coast has something on all year, and the programme changes every week. The tourist office keeps the official diary of local events: that is the source to check before and during your stay, and it is updated continuously.
The regulars
- Lire à la plage, the free reading hut on the Veules-les-Roses seafront, from early July to late August
- Nature outings on the rocky shelf at Veulettes-sur-Mer, in summer, free with booking
- Open-air concerts at the Grand Marnage festival in Paluel, mid-August
- Les Musicales de Normandie, from late July to late August, in heritage venues across the county
- The herring and scallop fair in Dieppe, in November
Exact dates move from one year to the next: check the diary before you travel.
Further afield in Normandy
Fécamp and its Bénédictine Palace, the cliffs of Étretat, the port of Dieppe, Le Havre and its Perret architecture, and Deauville: Demeure Bleue makes a good base for exploring Normandy.
- Holiday home, Alabaster CoastExplore 130 km of cliffs from a house halfway along the coast.
- Holiday rental, Pays de CauxFlax fields, clos-masures and markets: the Caux countryside around the house.
- Holidays in Seine-MaritimeRouen, Le Havre, Étretat, Dieppe: the whole département as day trips.
- Stay near Veulettes-sur-MerA week of beach days at Veulettes, then back to sleep somewhere quiet.
- Holiday home near FécampFécamp in 25 minutes, via Valmont or the coast, then back to the quiet.
- Near Saint-Valery-en-CauxSaint-Valery-en-Caux in 20 minutes: harbour, markets and the memory of 1940.
- Near Veules-les-RosesGetting your day at Veules-les-Roses right: the right time, the right car park.
- Days out with the kidsFamily days out by age and by weather, with drive times from the house.
- The best beachesTen pebble beaches, from the nearest to the furthest away.
- Getting here from ParisCar, train or ferry: journey times from Paris and the UK, and when to travel.