Circuit around the Durdent in Paluel

A charming route between the Durdent valley, the cliffs and Veulettes beach.

Details

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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 8.91 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 2h 45 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 69 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 69 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 76 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 4 m
  • ⚐ Country: France
  • ⚐ District: Paluel (76450)
  • ⚑
    Start/End: N 49.832167° / E 0.62887°
  • ❏
    IGN map(s): Ref. 1809OT
  • Hour-by-hour weather

Photos

Description of the walk

Start at the town hall square in Paluel.

(S/E) Head towards the church and go up the road on the right, then take Chemin de la Chapelle. Cross the road and continue almost opposite.

(1) After a break at the chapel, continue along the path and take the first path on the left. Pass the water tower, take the path on the right and turn left as soon as you reach the road.

(2) Continue along the road for about 1 km. In Conteville, turn left onto Chemin du Bois Payen, then quickly turn right. Cross the road from Veulettes to Saint-Valéry (D79) and 200 m further on, turn right to enter the contemporary housing estate of Clos des Fées.

(3) At the end of the road, turn left and then left again, crossing the 2.5-hectare contemporary garden as you wish. When you leave the park, near the entrance, turn right onto Chemin des Falaises. At the end of the path, turn left and enjoy the view of Veulettes beach.
When you leave the woods, turn right onto the "Mémoire d'Albâtre" route, which highlights recently cleared blockhouses. Enjoy the view of the beach once again. Continue towards Veulettes and arrive at the "Pont Rouge" bridge.

(4) At the end of the bridge, cross the road and take the small path on the left that runs alongside the stream near the motorhome parking area.
At the end of the path, near the water sports centre, turn left onto the path that will take you back to Paluel along the marshier part of the Durdent.

(5) You will see a few hunting gabions. At the end of Chemin des Courses, you will come to a paved section and a crossroads.

(6) Take the road on the left to return to the car park at Place de la Mairie (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 7 m - Town hall square. Near the - Durdent (fleuve)
  2. 1 : km 0.46 - alt. 64 m - Chapel of Janville
  3. 2 : km 1.11 - alt. 74 m - Turn left at the road
  4. 3 : km 2.92 - alt. 72 m - Turn left into the contemporary garden
  5. 4 : km 4.84 - alt. 7 m - Pont Rouge, Veulettes beach
  6. 5 : km 6.02 - alt. 5 m - Marsh - Gabions
  7. 6 : km 8.35 - alt. 10 m - Crossroads at the end of Chemin des Courses
  8. S/E : km 8.91 - alt. 7 m - Place de la Mairie

Notes

The development of the contemporary housing estate "Clos des Fées" and its park is not yet visible on the IGN map or the aerial view.

(4) An alternative route is to walk along the beach to the water sports centre.

Worth a visit

Reviews and comments

4.4 / 5
Based on 25 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.3 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.5 / 5
Route interest
4.5 / 5
Tina6973
Tina6973

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 15, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very interesting walk, good weather, cool with a breeze, and beautiful scenery to see.
For guidance, we followed the map and street names. We saw some lovely animals, including sheep, goats, pigs, ducks, swans and llamas. At the end of the walk, you can buy vegetables from the market gardener before getting back in the car, if it's open.
It's true that at the end of the season, the end of the route isn't very pleasant because you have to use the path reserved for bikes and pedestrians. It's much better out of season.
Enjoy your ride!

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Chipoutere76
Chipoutere76

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 15, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

We ended up travelling further than stated because the directions were inaccurate or vague.
For example, at the start, it said to head towards the church and take the road on the right... As a result, we took the road to the right of the church, but we should have gone past the church and taken the road on the right after it.
Then, when passing through the Clos des Fées, the directions said to turn left at the end of the road when we reached the residential area, then left again and, at the exit of the residential area, to turn right... It should have been specified that we had to almost return to the entrance of the residential area, because we ended up going in the opposite direction and had to turn around.
Finally, it says that after the grove, you should take the path on the right "à la mémoire d'albâtre" (in memory of alabaster), but this is on the left, not the right!
Otherwise, it was a very beautiful route, well maintained with interesting sights (chapel, view of Veulettes-sur-Mer, pig farm, Veulettes, etc.) and the Les Clos des Fées residence is really worth seeing!

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Cofo
Cofo

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 15, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A bucolic landscape at first, the fairy enclosure is interesting, with Veulette, the sea and the wet meadows. It's better in good weather.

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patricia genty
patricia genty

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 08, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Very interesting tour, worth doing again with a guided tour of a bunker

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jijiday
jijiday

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 22, 2023
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : Yes

I did this hike a few years ago and the start of the trail was reserved for walkers. It has now been converted into a cycle path (very busy on Saturdays!) and you have to keep turning around to watch out for cyclists. I'm also less enthusiastic than other reviewers about the appeal of this hike. The route is straight and you stay away from wet areas most of the time.

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Flora130777
Flora130777

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 12, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A great, varied hiking trail where I discovered the history and wildlife of the area. Not particularly suitable for children.
The added bonus is walking along the seafront and enjoying a delicious ice cream.

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Jocelyne.duquenoy
Jocelyne.duquenoy

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 16, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Apart from the possibility of taking a wrong turn when leaving the fairy grove (return to the entrance to better locate the Gr), the route is pleasant and varied with no major difficulties

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CAGIMIETLU
CAGIMIETLU

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 03, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

tour completed on 1 January 2022! An excellent idea for starting the year off right! Superb hike!
Easy, varied landscapes, cultural attractions... sea, countryside, marshes...
Thank you to the author of this itinerary. Well done!

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Gercaro
Gercaro

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 14, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful walk with varied landscapes

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jlin
jlin

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 10, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

The fairy village and its remarkable garden, followed by a bit of history with the blockhouses restored by an association, the view of the sea and the path along the Durdent, varied and pleasant pleasures

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Nukkette
Nukkette

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Dec 29, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

taken in December, in sunny weather, at the end of the day, with beautiful light. A very easy walk with no difficulties. A few dirt tracks on the way there, a few cows, and some blockouts for those who are interested. A beautiful beach at the end. The return trip was on a completely straight and monotonous cycle path, quite busy at first and then less and less so. Nevertheless, the landscape along this path is beautiful, even more so than on the way there: the Durdent, swans, marshes. A very clear and simple route, thank you.

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marchersurlesmains
marchersurlesmains

you can extend this hike by 2 to 3 km

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Keritoc
Keritoc

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 17, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average

The first part of the route is beautiful and varied (from Paluel to Veulettes). Discover a small chapel, cross fields and arrive above Veulettes to discover the blockhouses overlooking the beach.
The return to Paluel via the Durdent Valley is exclusively on a paved cycle path, which rarely runs alongside the river. Definitely very nice by bike, less so on foot.
The route is simple and can be done with young children without any problems.

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heliotrop
heliotrop

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 17, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

easy route and beautiful view of Veulette

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Visorandoremi
Visorandoremi

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 23, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

A very pleasant route that I recommend starting at point 5 in Veulettes (car park on the other side of the road) and heading towards 6 and 7 (it's a shame there aren't any benches to sit down for a few minutes in Paluel). A few additional points:
The path to the chapel in Paluel is just to the left of the church when you cross the road
The contemporary garden is well worth a visit, but the description is not very clear.
When you cross the D79 road, you will enter the cliff path. The Clos des Fées housing estate is on the right. You can enter the garden by taking the second or third road on the right. Once you have finished your visit, return to the road where you entered. To continue to point 4, take the dirt road opposite where you came from when you crossed the D79. The cliff path is unpaved; otherwise, continue to the right and left on the dirt road towards the water treatment plant.
At point 4, when you arrive at Mémoire d'Albatre, you have several options for visiting the blockhouses, either by going down or up, with a beautiful view of Veulettes

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