Etretat Cliffs

The Etretat Cliffs rise along the Normandy coast of northwestern France, about 32 kilometers northeast of Le Havre. They are built from a complex stratigraphy of Turonian and Coniacian chalk, ancient marine deposits later exposed and shaped by coastal erosion, with some sections of cliff reaching about 90 meters in height. The site is best known for three natural arches carved through the chalk: the Porte d'Amont and Porte d'Aval, both visible from the town of Etretat, and the larger Manneporte, hidden from town view. A tall detached rock stack called L'Aiguille, or the Needle, rises about 70 meters above the sea nearby. The dramatic coastal scenery has drawn painters including Monet and Courbet, who worked to capture its cliffs and arches on canvas. This entity documents the Etretat Cliffs specifically as a geological formation, the chalk cliff and arch complex itself.