No need to go far away to find beautiful sailing areas. France offers all along its coasts of the Channel, the Atlantic and the Mediterranean wonderful stopovers, rich in cultural and natural heritage. In Normandy, don't miss the Bay of Veys. Here is a brief overview of the riches of this bay in the Cotentin region.
An exceptional natural ecosystem
The Bay of Veys is located on the east coast of the Cotentin. It is constituted by the estuary of four coastal rivers and represents an area of over 4000 hectares of sandy or muddy foreshore. It takes its name from the Norman word vey, which means ford .
Its characteristics make it an exceptional natural space. The bay has been registered as a wetland of international interest, a Ramsar site, in the same way as the bay of Mont-Saint-Michel, and a natural area of ecological, faunistic and floristic interest. There are several thousands of birds in winter, as well as a colony of seals. Don't forget your binoculars to observe them quietly without frightening them.
The ports of the bay of Veys
Because of the shallow depths and sandbanks of the bay, navigation requires great care. At high tide, the access to the ports of Isigny and Carentan are marked by beacons. These two atypical ports are located inland, in the heart of the villages. They are the link between the sea and the countryside.
If the port of Isigny offers only a few places for visitors for a short tourist stopover, the port of Carentan is much more developed with its 350 places, including 50 reserved for visitors.
Access to the port of Carentan
After having taken the channel marked out by 12 buoys, including 6 luminous ones, then its dammed part, the boats arrive at a lock open 5 hours per tide: 2 hours before and 3 hours after high tide. The lock gives access to the floating basin of the port of Carentan.
In addition to its visitor berths, this marina has all the amenities of a large one. It has all the classic conveniences and services with its pontoons and catways provided with water and electricity, wifi, sanitary blocks, fuel, shipyards, shipchandlers, crane, careening area...
For visiting boats, the great advantage of the port of Carentan is that it is located in the village, less than ten minutes from the city center and its shops. The train station is also within walking distance from the port and the train connects Carentan directly to Paris in about 2.5 hours and Cherbourg in 30 minutes.
What sailing in the Bay of Veys?
From Carentan, there is no shortage of boat trips depending on the weather conditions. Heading northwest, you can fish near the Saint Marcouf islands, classified as a picturesque site, without landing there because they are used as a bird sanctuary. Moreover, the fortifications on the Ile du Large are being restored. You can also anchor between the two islands.
The navigation will continue towards Tatihou and its name full of promises. Here, we will go ashore to visit the island and its maritime museum. In the evening, we will anchor in front of one of the most beautiful villages in France, in Barfleur, or moor in the port of Saint-Vaast-la-Hougue, near the Vauban fortifications. If we have time, we will go to Cherbourg to visit the Cité de la Mer.
Heading east, we will make a tour off Omaha Beach before returning to anchor at Pointe du Hoc. We can also visit the port of Isigny and taste their delicious caramels.
For larger expeditions, Carentan and the Bay of Veys are an ideal base from which to cross the English Channel to the Isle of Wight in the United Kingdom, Portsmouth and Southampton. Finally, just on the other side of the Cotentin Peninsula, is the exceptional sailing ground of the Channel Islands.
