An 18-hole links course, a GR®223 hiking stage and historic sites offer different ways to explore Fontenay-sur-Mer. You can choose what to focus on according to whether you prefer hiking, playing golf or exploring the church and castle grounds. Specific highlights range from a 14-kilometre stage to a protected object at the entrance to the church choir.
Hiking and golf in Fontenay-sur-Mer
The GR®223 includes a 14-kilometre hiking stage to Fontenay-sur-Mer. The section leading to Fontenay-sur-Mer passes through Le Plain, a bocage landscape in the Cotentin. Part of the stage follows unpaved paths, also known locally as “chasse”.
Another activity to choose from is Golf Utah Beach Normandie. The 18-hole links course is set on a preserved 60-hectare site in Fontenay-sur-Mer. Its course lies between the dune coast and the Marais du Cotentin, in a natural landscape described as exceptional. The hiking stage and the golf course therefore offer clearly different experiences: one is about covering the route on foot, the other about playing a round on an 18-hole course.
Church and protected furnishings
The church of Fontenay-sur-Mer was built in the 13th century. Its porch, with three arcades, is considered unique in the region. Opposite the church is a dovecote.
At the entrance to the choir is the “poutre de gloire dite perque et sa statue: Christ en croix” (the so-called rood beam, or perque, and its statue: Christ on the Cross). This movable cultural property was protected on 8 February 1990. The designation covers the beam and the statue of Christ on the Cross; the church’s date and the protected status of this particular object are two different historical details.
The Parc du Château de Courcy
The gardens and grounds of the 17th-century château can be visited at the Parc du Château de Courcy. The park includes a rose garden, a pond, moats and a French-style parterre. These different features make the gardens a point of interest in their own right, alongside the château building.
The gardens and grounds of the Château de Courcy are listed in the supplementary inventory of historic monuments. This distinction matters when planning your trip: the gardens and grounds are open to visitors, while the listing described applies to these areas. A sightseeing route through the Cotentin Clos du Cotentin follows the D14 to Fontenay-sur-Mer and the Château de Courcy.
Plan your visit and explore the landscape
The regional setting can also help you get your bearings: Fontenay-sur-Mer is one of the communes in the Baie de Seine occidentale area (ZPS/ZSC). Together with the landscape between the dune coast and the Marais du Cotentin, and the bocage landscape of Le Plain, this offers a range of regional settings to explore. The GR®223 stage to Fontenay-sur-Mer is 14 kilometres long; the sightseeing route through the Cotentin Clos du Cotentin follows the D14.
When choosing your stay, you can start by deciding what you want to focus on. Hiking the GR®223, playing golf on the links course, and visiting the gardens and grounds of the Château de Courcy are different reasons to include Fontenay-sur-Mer in your plans. The church and its protected furnishings add specific architectural and cultural heritage details to the cultural attractions. Then choose accommodation to suit your own travel plans, giving priority to the activities that matter most to you.
Discover more destinations: Moyon, Courtils, Romagny, Sacey, Folligny, Saint-Lô-D'ourville, Sourdeval, Fervaches.
For the broader travel overview: Manche.
