Beaches

Plage de Collignon

The Plage de Collignon is in the Tourlaville district east of the centre, on Boulevard de Collignon. The beach is open all year. Dunes rise behind it, and from the shore you look out over the breakwaters and forts of the roadstead. There are restaurants nearby.

• Lifeguards: 1 July to 31 August, 11:00 to 13:00 and 14:00 to 19:00
• Animals: dogs and other animals are banned from the beach from 1 July to 31 August
• Water quality: rated excellent
• Water sports: kitesurfing, sailing, windsurfing, diving and kayaking, plus a boat channel and a sailing school

Two campsites are close to the beach; they are on the camping page.

Querqueville and Urville-Nacqueville

On the west side of town is the beach at Querqueville, La Goule de Braye, on Rue de la Plage. It has fine sand, a children’s paddling pool at low tide and a rock pool.

• Lifeguards: 1 July to 31 August, 11:00 to 13:00 and 14:00 to 19:00
• Dogs: banned from 1 July to 31 August
• Facilities: playground, pétanque, volleyball, beach football, fitness trail, picnic area, toilets, showers, a Tiralo beach wheelchair and a snack bar in summer
• Parking: large free car park

Further west is the beach at Urville-Nacqueville, on Route du Fort. It belongs to the commune of La Hague, not to Cherbourg-en-Cotentin. It has fine sand, dunes and views over the roadstead.

• Lifeguards: July and August, 11:00 to 19:00
• Animals: dogs and horses are banned from 15 June to 30 September between 10:00 and 18:30
• Facilities: marked boat channel, car park 150 m from the beach, sailing school 800 m away

Cliffs, small harbours and the Anse de Vauville further west are covered on the La Hague page.

Unspoilt coves to the east

East of Cherbourg, between Maupertus-sur-Mer and Fermanville, lies the Anse du Brick. This small, unspoilt cove is part of the Val de Saire and has a sand and shingle beach below green cliffs.

Further east, near Fermanville, comes the Anse de la Mondrée, with rocks and pools and a coastal path running along the bay. Campsites at the Anse du Brick and in Fermanville are on the camping page.

The roadstead off the beaches

From Collignon and Urville-Nacqueville you look out over the roadstead of Cherbourg, a stretch of water of more than 1,500 ha. The central breakwater (Digue centrale) was built between 1783 and 1853 and is 3.7 km long. The western breakwater followed in 1889-1896 and the eastern one in 1890-1894. The system includes the forts of Querqueville, Chavagnac and the Île Pelée. Since 2021 the breakwaters and forts have been protected as a Monument historique.

What lies behind the breakwaters, from the ferry terminal to the marina, is on the harbour page. For the view from above, head up to Fort du Roule.

Accessible beaches

• Plage de Collignon: four disabled parking spaces, a firm path, a ramp that can be used with assistance and an adapted toilet about 10 m away
• Querqueville: a Tiralo beach wheelchair on the beach
• Urville-Nacqueville: Tiralo and adapted toilets at the sailing school, 800 m from the beach

Good to know

• Lifeguards are on duty only in summer: at Collignon and Querqueville from 1 July to 31 August, at Urville-Nacqueville in July and August.
• The dog bans apply over the same period at Collignon and Querqueville, and for longer at Urville-Nacqueville, from 15 June to 30 September during the day.
• The children’s paddling pool at Querqueville only appears at low tide, so if you are bringing children, plan your visit around the tides.
• Forecasts and climate figures for beach days are on the weather in Cherbourg page.