Sallenelles Bay, Orne estuary

In Merville-Franceville-Plage, park in the small car park at the bird observatory, next to the D514 (a few other spaces are available at the side of the road).

(S/E) Head towards the observatory – the large wooden hut visible from the car park – and climb a few steps for a view of the Gros Banc Bird Reserve, then continue to the right of the observatory along a path that circles the reserve.

(1) On the other side of the reserve, on the north side, you’ll find a second observation point on your left; then carry on straight ahead and continue round the reserve, which remains on your left. Pass a third observation point.

(2) You’ll reach the southern end of the reserve, where you’ll find a fourth observation point. Carry on walking as close as possible to the reserve until you reach a fifth observation point. The path then bends to the right and, about fifty metres further on, at a junction of footpaths, you’ll find an information board about the Orne estuary. Carry on to the right, following the estuary on your right-hand side.

(3) Shortly afterwards, you’ll come across wooden signposts; continue to the right, towards Sallenelles.

(4) Further on, ignore a path leading uphill to the right, then look out for the red and white markings of^{the GR®®223}and follow them until otherwise indicated. About fifty metres further on, you’ll pass a lock. You’ll reach the village of Sallenelles, where you can take a short stroll up and down the little Rue Léopold Trebutien, lined with small fishermen’s cottages. Back on the^GR®®, continue to the right, following the estuary.

(5) You’ll come to signposts with the Maison de la Nature et de l’Estuaire on your left. Carry on straight ahead towards the Pont de Ranville. Further on, you’ll find an information board about the local flora. A little further on, you’ll come to a sign reading ‘Warning: section of the greenway on the embankment closed during high tides...’.

(6) Turn left onto a long straight stretch along the Orne dyke.

(7) At the signposts, leave the dyke and the red and white^GR®® markings to turn left towards Amfreville. At the crossroads shortly afterwards, carry on straight ahead. You’ll reach a small road at the entrance to La Basse Écarde and turn left towards the house with blue shutters.

(8) As the road curves to the right, take a path just to the left of the house with the blue shutters. Further on, ignore a path on the left.

(9) At a junction with a path coming from the right, marked on the ground by a makeshift fire pit made of a few stones (and the remains of a fire), turn right to begin the climb towards Hameau Oger. Cross a road and continue straight ahead. At the top of the hill, you’ll find an orientation table on the left, overlooking a panoramic view of the Orne estuary. Carry on for about a hundred metres until you reach, at the entrance to Hameau Oger, a small street by a beautiful house (guesthouse).

(10) Carry on straight ahead, passing to the right of the cross erected in the small square, then continue along the road opposite. At the junction, walk a few metres to the left, then turn right towards Bréville (signposted). Ignore a private road on the left.

(11) At the crossroads, turn left and carry on straight ahead along this small road, ignoring all paths and roads to the left and right, until you reach a 90° bend in the road. At this bend, there is a path straight ahead and a path to the right, both marked in red and white by the^GR®®223(follow this^{GR®® route} from now on unless otherwise indicated).

(12) Turn right towards Merville (signs). At the junction of four paths, turn right towards Merville via Le Bois (signs).

(13) At the next junction, ignore the path on the right and continue straight on, this time towards Merville via Le Buisson (signposted). The path runs through the pastures of the Haras du Rezt. At the junction with a small road, continue straight on; then, when the path bends to the right, ignore the path leading down to the left.

(14) At the junction with a small road, leave the red and white^GR®® markings and turn left. At the next junction, continue to the left, cross a stream via a bridge, ignore the road on the left, then take the next road on the right. At the next junction, turn right and you’ll come out onto Avenue Alexandre de Lavergne, which runs through the village of Merville-Franceville. On the right, a bridge spans a stream, the Graye.

(15) Turn left onto the lane running alongside a car park, then pass to the right of the town hall and arrive at the D514 roundabout. Continue straight ahead along Rue de Paris, keeping straight on until you reach the sea.

(16) Head down to the beach and turn left, towards the Orne estuary, walking along the beach (if the beach is impassable due to high tide, see “alternative route” in “Practical information”). Further on, pass a beach volleyball court in an area frequented by kitesurfers. A little further on, take a path that runs between small dunes encroaching on the beach and the large, bush-covered dunes that line the beach. Shortly afterwards, you’ll see a wooden post a few metres ahead on the right.

(17) Then turn left to leave the beach via a narrow path that climbs up through the scrub, quickly reaching the crest of the dunes where a narrow path runs. Cross the crest and head back down the opposite side. You’ll come to a flat area with a large pool (the size of which varies depending on the season and the tides) bordered by blockhouses. Turn right to pass between the pool and the first blockhouse, then a second one by an inlet.

(18) Then turn left at the corner of this last blockhouse and continue straight on, keeping another pool on your right, along the path furthest to the left. You’ll reach the car park on your right. Join the road and, shortly afterwards, you’ll find a sign on the right for ‘la redoute’ and a few steps leading up to an orientation table and information boards about the nature reserve. Head back down and take the path opposite, which leads, after a few metres, to the second observation point, on the edge of the reserve, which you passed at the start of the walk.

(1) Return to the car park by following the route in reverse, walking alongside the nature reserve on your right (DA)

Moderate difficulty hike; standard hiking kit required.

The Visorando app is useful between (17) and (1)

It is best to undertake this walk outside of spring tides and/or in bad weather, as the embankment along the Orne is then off-limits, and Merville beach may be submerged.

Alternative route: if the beach is submerged, or if you do not have a GPS and are unsure where to leave the beach, at (16) do not follow the beach but take the promenade on the left; at the end of this, continue along the path that extends from it, over the dunes and parallel to the beach, ignoring all paths that lead down to the right towards the beach. Further on, when the path bends to the left, ignore the path leading off to the right towards the beach. At the junction, ignore the path on the left which joins a road, and continue to the right, through the vegetation covering the dunes. You will eventually reach a small road; turn left to find the sign for ‘La Redoute’ and the steps leading up to the orientation table, which you should follow from the end of the main route description between (18) and (1).

Discover more walks in this area, complete with descriptions or via the Visorando app, here

Gros Banc Bird Sanctuary

Viewpoints and orientation tables

La Redoute de Merville