Tour of Grande-Île in Chausey

Chausey Island (more specifically La Grande Île) is a must-see for tourists visiting La Manche and the surrounding area. This route allows you to explore the island on a pleasant and comprehensive walk.
The island itself is exceptionally beautiful and wild. The surrounding seascapes are also stunning. It is said that at high tide there are as many islands visible as there are weeks in the year (52) and at low tide as many as there are days in the year (365).

Details

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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 5.53 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 1h 40 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Easy

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 32 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 31 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 25 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 3 m

Description of the walk

The vehicle remained parked in Granville. The crossing to Chausey is made by boat with a specialised company or by private pleasure boat.

(S/E) From the wooden jetty on stilts, built over the Sund, head towards the mainland, leaving the Grande Cale on your right and following the small road up to the first houses. Immediately head east towards the old fort (construction began in 1859 on the orders of Napoleon III and was completed in 1866).

(1) Go around it to the north-east, leaving the pyramid-shaped tower, known as Lambert, on your left, then follow the road to the lighthouse (built in 1847).

In front of the entrance to the lighthouse property, take a very good path on the left, which passes between the houses and runs along the south coast. The south-western part of the island belongs to the town of Granville.
Walk along the old fort to the west and reach Port-Marie beach. At low tide, it stretches far out.
Continue along the path that skirts the beach to the north.

Head for Pointe de Bretagne, sticking to the coastline rather than cutting across the numerous tracks. To do this, always take the paths on the left at the forks. However, the thick scrub of broom and other thorny plants sometimes prevents you from getting too close to the shore here. Leave the monument on your right and continue along the path on the western shore of the island. Keep the imposing Château-Renault building in your sights.

(2) Walk along the sea side of the château, leaving its granite-carved swimming pool on your right and passing by Port Homard beach, which faces south-west. Then head north to reach Grande Grève beach, which faces west, where fishing boats used to run aground for hull maintenance, depending on the direction of the winds.

Walk along the beach towards the northern tip of the island, which you can quickly reach by passing to the left of the large house. At low tide, you can even reach Île de la Genêtaie from the beach. Take the same path back and, before crossing the beach, take the left fork towards Gros Mont.

(3) At the summit stands the island's old semaphore, built in 1867. You can walk freely across the summit plateau, but there is no easy way to get back down to the eastern shore other than by the same path you took on the way up. So take this path and head for the eastern side of the Grande Grève.

Note: in October 2025, a chain blocked the path to the semaphore and a sign explained that the summit plateau was closed to pedestrians to prevent erosion. Please do not cross this barrier!

(4) This cove is known as Havre de Gros-Mont (also called Anse à Gruel or Anse à la Truelle); here lie the skeletal hulls of a few trawlers that ended their long careers here. To the north-east of the cove, you can take a detour to the old ruined station where wagons filled with granite from the quarries were mechanically lifted onto boats bound for the mainland, and the equally ruined Renault garage (the same as the castle).

Head to the southern end of the harbour and take a path due east that goes around the north side of a large house, right at the high-water mark. Continue around this other cove, which is littered with rocks, and cross the dyke that blocks the south-eastern end.

(5) This will take you to the village of Les Blainvillais. Here you will find numerous fishermen's houses (or old houses), the old farm and a holiday centre. The pretty cove of Les Blanvillais opens onto the Sound; the site is picturesque. You can make a detour to the north-east slipway that leads into the channel and even walk along it at low tide.

(6) Continue the loop, making sure to visit the island's chapel and its small dolmen, which was uncovered about twenty years ago by Abbé Delaby, the last priest to reside on the island. A little further on, on the right, on a large lawn, walk around the typical, well-restored houses. After this pleasant tour, return to the starting point of the route (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 3 m - Landing stage
  2. 1 : km 0.2 - alt. 23 m - The old Fort Napoleon
  3. 2 : km 2.03 - alt. 6 m - Le Vieux-Fort or Château Renault
  4. 3 : km 3.31 - alt. 23 m - Gros-Mont semaphore (31m)
  5. 4 : km 4.05 - alt. 7 m - Havre de Gros-Mont
  6. 5 : km 4.75 - alt. 9 m - Blanvillais neighbourhood
  7. 6 : km 5.16 - alt. 19 m - Parish church
  8. S/E : km 5.53 - alt. 4 m - Landing stage

Notes

Warning
The route is suitable for adults and accompanied children, but not for people with reduced mobility.

Time
I completed this route on foot in 3 hours, including breaks and photos. This is a fairly generous time estimate. However, to really enjoy the area, especially in good weather, allow 3 to 5 hours for a family outing.

Drinking water
There are no drinking water points along the route. Bring what you need. However, there is a drinking water tank available for everyone at Grande Cale..

Shelter
There is no shelter along the route.

Equipment
In summer, bring the usual equipment for hiking in the plains (hiking boots, walking or sports shoes, suitable clothing, rainwear, water, food, etc.).
In all seasons, bring a map, a GPS or the Visorando app on your smartphone.

Traffic
High in the village centre and at Les Blanvillais as soon as the good weather arrives. Medium to low on the trails.

Worth a visit

Reviews and comments

4.7 / 5
Based on 19 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.6 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.8 / 5
Route interest
4.7 / 5
User 27814581

You can still reach the Grande Grève beach and walk there. On Chausey, as the island is managed by a property investment company owned by the island's residents, many areas are private and therefore off-limits to the public. Please refer to this website https://www.tourisme-granville-terre-mer... The map of the island states that you must only walk on the marked coastal path and public footpaths.

That is all the information I can give you.

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MCTOUL
MCTOUL
• Edited:

Can we still win the Great Western Strike and the building at the northern tip, or is it blocked off?
(Or give me the latitude/longitude coordinates of the chain's position if you have them.)

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MCTOUL
MCTOUL

Thank you, I will modify the route accordingly
Kind regards

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User 27814581

The path to the semaphore is blocked by a chain with signs indicating that entry is prohibited. At the start of the path, there is a sign describing this part of the island, explaining that it is the most fragile part of the island because it is subject to erosion, both natural and caused by travellers trampling on it, hence the prohibition to preserve the area. That's all the information we have.
Best regards

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MCTOUL
MCTOUL

Dear User 27814581,

Thank you for your feedback.
Are there any prohibition signs near the old semaphore or a fence preventing access to the trails marked on IGN?
If not, many hikes pass through private land without any problems.
Kind regards

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User 27814581

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 11, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

The route is as described, except for the section of the semaphore, which is closed to the public as the path is private.

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jacqueline73200
jacqueline73200

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 11, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

No particular difficulties on this route.

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MCTOUL
MCTOUL

Hello Domibalda,
Thank you for clarifying that!
Kind regards

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Domibalda
Domibalda

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 02, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

The section of the hike towards the Grand Mont is closed, meaning that points 3 and 4 of the hike are inaccessible

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visomerigot
visomerigot

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 23, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

a relaxing and very pleasant hike in glorious weather on 20 August. Superb scenery

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mamie.jac21
mamie.jac21

Overall rating : 5 / 5

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

Tour taken in the morning with the 8am boat. There were fewer people in that direction and it was very pleasant.

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irishelfe
irishelfe

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 24, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A feast for the eyes and ears with the birds, the sea and the peaceful atmosphere
even with the weather changing rapidly, it's pure bliss

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AR&Ré
AR&Ré
• Edited:

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 20, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

a magnificent trip under the Normandy (or Brittany) sun. (Ouch, ouch, sensitive souls, I must admit that I am from Occitania.)
very beautiful site, white sandy beaches, but unfortunately, as the boat takes you there at high tide, the day is almost at low tide, which is unsettling for someone used to the Mediterranean. Thanks to GPS, we were able to find the tiny paths along the beaches and get off the beaten track. The map route is spot on.
Thank you for this trip

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MCTOUL
MCTOUL
• Edited:

Hello Michel (Frajman),
I'm sorry you were disappointed with the reliability of the description. However, the ratings from other Visorando users were excellent!
1) Regarding the use of cardinal points, this is a universal editorial principle in hiking and is required by Visorando for those who write descriptions. I quote: "Describe your route in the style of a road book (paths to follow, changes of direction, etc.). Be as precise as possible!"
The first use of cardinal points in this hike is "Go around it to the north-east, leaving the pyramid tower on your left". On the contrary, this seems to me to be sufficiently complete to prevent you from getting lost...
As you have with you: this description + the map in the PDF file + the IGN map of the area (as indicated and highlighted at the bottom of the description; the map number is in the Technical Data Sheet), you have all the basic tools you need; it is not essential to have a compass.
However, I fear that using a map requires you to know how to find your bearings in relation to the cardinal points, otherwise it may be completely useless. There are excellent training courses available on the internet, so don't hesitate to learn!

2°) Regarding the term "large house": it is indeed vague... But there is no ambiguity since there is only one house and the route must leave this house on the right, hence the instruction "...passing to the left of the large house." I could just as easily have written "passing to the left of the house."but I prefer to stick with this description – which is not essential – but which allows hikers to make sure they are on the right path. The alternative of giving the exact dimensions of the house or a detailed description of its windows, doors, garden, etc. is superfluous... Let's keep it simple!

3°) "Besides, the island is small and it is impossible to get lost." Yes, indeed, you said it yourself...

I would be very honoured if you would reconsider your position after reading my arguments and, if possible, even your rating!
Kind regards

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Frajman
Frajman

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 01, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

It is difficult to follow the description, which requires you to orient yourself using the cardinal points. (I do not have a compass.)
Some terms are not very precise, such as 'large house', which is open to interpretation.
Furthermore, the island is small and it is impossible to get lost.
These comments are not criticisms, but information about my experience for the purpose of improvement, if possible.
Kind regards
Michel

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