Campsite Normandie

    Camping in Normandy, France, is the promise of a holiday as close to nature as possible, in a preserved environment where the wild beauty is as omnipresent as it is breathtaking! Book your stay at the 4-star La Gallouette campsite in Saint-Vaast-la-Hougue, on the most beautiful part of Normandy: the Pointe du Cotentin. Whether you rent a mobile home or a pitch for a motor home, you are sure to have a memorable Normandy adventure, alone, with your partner or with your family!

    camping normandie port de barfleur

    A campsite in Normandy? La Gallouette welcomes your holidays !

    La Gallouette is a magnificent Normandy campsite with heated swimming pool that enjoys a dream location on the seaside, on the Cotentin coast. The Normandy region, located in north-western France, is famous throughout the world for its rich history and strategic geographical location open to the Channel Sea, at the tip of Europe.
    With just over 3 million inhabitants, Normandy is made up of 5 departments: the Manche, the Calvados, the Eure, the Orne and the Seine Maritime. Our 4-star Normandy campsite, La Gallouette, is located in the Manche, a mecca for Normandy tourism. Find your ideal holiday accommodation from our wide range of comfortable mobile homes and our traditional camper pitches and set off to discover the many natural, heritage, cultural and gastronomic resources that make Normandy so rich …. The unmissable Mont Saint Michel and Day Landing Beaches are sure to make you realise that staying in Normandy is a particularly wise choice to make the most of all its tourist attractions.

    Understanding the past to enjoy your stay in Normandy

    The ancient history of Normandy

    Normandy is an extremely welcoming region that deserves to be explored in detail. The team at La Gallouette will be able to give you all the information you need to make your camping holiday in Normandy as enjoyable as possible for the whole family! But let’s quickly go back to the past…
    From the 8th century onwards, the Vikings, a Scandinavian people from Northern Europe, entered France through Normandy and plundered churches, castles and abbeys all over the country. In order to stop these attacks, the treaty of Saint Clair sur Epte then committed Rollon, Viking leader, to protect the coasts from invasion in exchange for Norman lands. This is how the name “Normandy” came about, in reference to the “Normans”, i.e. the Northmen. During your holiday at the Normandy campsite La Gallouette, you will certainly notice that the Viking presence can be found just about everywhere in this area, which willingly claims to belong to the barbarian people. It is interesting to note that in the names of the towns of Barfleur, Honfleur and Harfleur, the suffix -fleur- is said to be derived from a Scandinavian word for rising tide.

    Subsequently, William the Conqueror, a descendant of Rollo and Duke of Normandy, extended the Norman territory by crossing the English Channel. He thus acceded to the English crown, became a very powerful king and spread the Norman culture across the Channel. During your stay in Normandy, you can trace this history by visiting the castle of William the Conqueror in Falaise, the illustrious monarch’s birthplace in Calvados. Also, step back into the Norman 11th century by going to see the Bayeux Tapestry, the famous Norman embroidery, almost 70 metres long!

    The Hundred Years’ War, particularly devastating for Normandy, then begins a painful chapter of the past.

    camping normandie bassin de granville

    Recent Norman history

    Another major French, and indeed international, historical period places Normandy at the centre of the narrative: the World War II. In June 1944, the Battle of Normandy, the largest military operation in the world, began with the Allies parachuting onto the Normandy coast. Operation Neptune, known today as “the Landing” is the beginning of The Liberation. Many remnants of these clashes can still be seen on the beaches of Normandy, such as the artificial harbours of Arromanches. On 6 June each year, commemorations are held to honour the soldiers. They are a kind of pilgrimage site for many tourists, especially Americans, who were instrumental in these events. Our camping site is close to the Normandy landing beaches. Indeed, Utah Beach and its museum are only half an hour’s drive from La Gallouette.

    Touristy explorations in the Manche department

    La Manche is surrounded by the sea of the same name which borders it for 350 kilometres of coastline. Here, the population is very welcoming and there are small villages full of charm and authenticity. In this prized area of Normandy, the tide directly influences the oceanic climate which makes the winters mild and the summers temperate. This is why more and more holidaymakers choose our campsite for their holidays each year. The Manche, and particularly the Cotentin region, is very popular for relaxing and escaping the high temperatures and heat waves that occur every summer in Europe. It is also in this department (50) that the Mont Saint-Michel and its mythical abbey are located, the must-see tourist visit of your camping holiday in Normandy.

    3 tourist areas make up the English Channel: the Cotentin region where our seaside campsite is located, the Centre-Manche and the South-Manche. By coming to our 4 star campsite in Saint Vaast la Hougue , you will stay on the presqu’île du Cotentin, a “Unique by Nature” territory to discover alone, with friends or with family.

    A little further south in the Cotentin, you will discover the Coutance country with the cathedral of Coutances. On its west coast, you will enjoy the seaside resorts of Agon Coutainville, Pirou and Blainville sur mer, which, along with Saint Vaast, are renowned for their oysters. In addition to the Mont Saint Michel, continuing towards the South of the Channel, you can visit the town and the St James company, where the famous marinières of the same name are made, a French know-how recognised as “Patrimoine Vivant” in 2013. In fact, you can find a St James shop just a few metres from our Saint Vaast campsite in the town centre.

    camping normandie cathedrale de coutances

    Points of interest and events in Calvados

    In Normandy, our campsite is located in the neighbouring department of Calvados. With its long, sandy beaches that offer an ideal setting for walking and discovering the region from Grandcamp-Maisy to Honfleur, Calvados is easily explored from your holiday accommodation at La Gallouette.

    In Caen, the prefectural town of Calvados, you can visit the Caen Memorial, a peace memorial on the history of the 20th century in France and Europe. Other tourist places of remembrance are also visited every year in Calvados:

    • The Day Landings Beaches (Omaha Beach, Gold Beach, Juno Beach et Sword Beach) Arromanches and its artificial port.
    • Bayeux and the Place Général de Gaulle where the General’s first speech was given after the Debarquement de Normandie.
    • The Colleville-sur-Mer American Cemetery, which honors the soldiers who liberated France during the World War II.
    • The German cemetery at the Cambe on the Bayeux – Cherbourg route.

    Each year, several festivals are organised in Calvados with two of them in particular: the Deauville American Film Festival and the Cabourg Romantic Film Festival. Others, such as the Beauregard music festival, welcome singers of national and European stature. On the programme for 2019: Angèle, Interpol, Disclosure, Clara Luciani… If you are a fan of the 7th art or want to attend some wild concerts, book your camping holiday in Normandy quickly to treat yourself to these exceptional activities that are sure to spice up your holiday!
    To continue with the entertainment, you will find in the Caen region Festyland, the largest amusement park in Normandy. It is a family park that honours Norman culture and history. Climb aboard the “Drakkar express” for a Viking adventure or hop in a vintage car for a ride “on the RN13”, the famous national road that connects Paris to Cherbourg.

    A little further south in Calvados, less than 2 hours’ drive from our campsite, explore the Norman Switzerland which is split between the departments of Calvados and Orne. This part of Normandy is appreciated for its preserved natural area which allows for a multitude of outdoor activities: mountain biking, hiking, climbing, water sports, paragliding, horseback riding… In Clécy, capital of the Suisse Normande, enjoy a ride on the waters of the Orne by canoë-kayak or opt for the practice of nautical activities such as: electric boats, paddle, pedal’eau…

    camping normandie chateau elizabeth ile de jersey

    End your visit to Normandy with L’Orne, L’Eure and La Seine Maritime

    Continuing on the river of the Orne, discover the Normandy department bearing the same name as the river that runs through it. The Orne has a significant cultural heritage. On the programme for your day of exploration from the La Gallouette campsite, visit the Le Pin stud farm, but also museums, châteaux, parks and gardens….
    Among the charming towns to see, Bagnolles de l’Orne is famous for its terms and its thalassotherapy centre, in the heart of Normandy. Even though our 4-star La Gallouette campsite gives you access to a heated pool area, whether you are staying in a rental or caravan site, you will be happy to pamper yourself for a few hours in a thalasso or balneotherapy centre!
    You will also find in the Orne the Regional Natural Park of the Perche whose emblematic animal is the Percheron horse.

    Just like the Orne, the department of Eure has a lush nature that attracts all campers and other lovers of green spaces. This preserved setting comes in various forms such as:

    • several plateaus separated by valleys ;
    • the river the Eure which crosses the department and joins the Seine;
    • of the forests, of which the 3 main ones are the forest of Lyons, the forest of Montfort and the forest of Bord-Louviers ;
      countless waterways.

    If you don’t mind driving a bit more during your camping holiday in Normandy, be sure to visit Giverny to discover the village of Claude Monet, the famous impressionist painter. You will be able to soak up the colourful landscapes that inspired him so much and will not fail to recognise some of the places reproduced in his most famous paintings. Giverny is such a charming commune that it had been selected to represent Normandy as the Favourite Village of the French. By the way, it was our proud town of Saint-Vaast-la-Hougue (where our Normandy campsite La Gallouette is located) that had received the distinction of Favourite Village in 2019!

    The last department to make up Normandy, the Seine-Maritime (formerly called Haute-Normandie) has 1.2 million inhabitants. Its capital is the city of Rouen. The Seine-Maritime is home to many seaside resorts including Dieppe, Étretat, Fécamp or even the Tréport. You can also visit the Vallée de la Seine or let yourself be carried away by the many tourist routes present in Seine-Maritime. You will need to drive 4 hours from our campsite to reach the far reaches of Normandy.

    With its 5 departments, Normandy has some very special qualities and allows you to enjoy a variety of tourist sites during your camping holiday. Museums, amusement parks, nature parks, seaside walks, churches, cathedrals, zoos, beaches, hiking trails, etc. will have plenty to occupy your days. Off the Channel, you will also find the Channel Islands: Jersey, Guernsey, Alderney, Sark and of course the Chausey Islands, off Granville. You will therefore be ideally placed, from our seaside Channel camping, to discover Normandy and all its treasures: the Caen Memorial, the Cherbourg Cité de la Mer, via Mont Saint-Michel, the Bayeux Tapestry, etc. Don’t hesitate to ask the reception team at La Gaoullette to help you to prepare your Norman holiday programme in the best possible way.

    Normandy campsite by the sea

    It is in the department of Manche that we find the Camping La Gallouette, the one and only camping in Saint-Vaast-la-Hougue. Here reigns the calm, the tranquillity and the spirit of the traditional campsite on a human scale. This is the perfect place to spend a holiday in Normandy, whether you want to book a rental of mobil-home, chalet or camping pitch. Our 4-star campsite, one of the most beautiful campings in Normandy, is located just 200 metres from the Channel Sea, close to a fine sandy beach. It offers comfortable mobile homes, camping pitches equipped with water and electricity, quality facilities such as our aquatic area with outdoor heated swimming pool, as well as activities and entertainment for the whole family.
    Le camping de La Gallouette jouit d’un emplacement géographique exceptionnel dans la cité portuaire de Saint-Vaast, élue Village Préféré des Français en 2019. Notre établissement est également placé à quelques pas du port du pêche, des commerces et de nombreuses visites touristiques dont l’île Tatihou, un passage immanquable pendant des vacances en camping en Normandie. Vous pourrez également visiter Utah Beach, la baie du Mont Saint-Michel, la côte de Nacre, la côte d’Albâtre, Sainte-Mère-l’Église, Sainte-Marie-du-Mont et bien d’autres lieux d’intérêt à proximité.
    Profitez de séjourner près des plus belles plages de Normandie pour vous initier à la pratique du char à voile, l’une des activités incontournables de vos vacances en famille sur les côtes normandes !

    You’re bound to enjoy our camping in the Cotentin: the perfect place for your holiday in Normandy!