Here you will find a hotel, restaurants, a fort, beautiful white sandy beaches, a chapel built in 1840, and a fishing village. Less than an hour by boat from Granville, this unspoilt island, a paradise for fishermen, will amaze you. During the journey, you may even be lucky enough to see dolphins.
The beaches
Chausey boasts six white sandy beaches, three of which are dedicated to tourists and bathing.
Chausey has its own farm, one of the first buildings built on the island; also on the island is the “village des Blainvillais” and the “petite cale” (small landing slip).
The main landing slip
Its use is reserved for fishermen and passenger boats coming from the continent, and was built at the beginning of the First World War by German prisoners held in the Fort.
The house of Marin Marie
Maritime artist and navigator, Paul Marin Durand Couppel de Saint-Front (Marin Marie) considered Chausey as his home base. He bought a house at the foot of the chapel.
The lighthouse
It has been in operation since 15th October 1847, and towers at 39 metres above the highest seas.
The semaphore
Built in 1867 at the top of a hill named “Gros-Mont” (the highest point of Grande Ile at 31 metres above sea level), the semaphore was closed down in 1939.
Shuttle links from Granville to Chausey
Departing from Granville, embark for Chausey with “Jolie France”. This maritime company, established since 1977, has three passenger boats and offers daily crossings from April to September and on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays from October to March.
The towers of Baudry and Lambert
These are situated on the path to the lighthouse. They were built in the middle of the 19th Century, in order to put an end to a quarrel between the inhabitants of Granville and Cancale.
The chapel
Built around 1850, it houses stained-glass windows created by Yves Durand de Saint-Front (son of the painter Marin-Marie), a beautiful Louis XIV altar and two ship models.
The castle
Situated on the west coast of the island, the castle was built in 1559, and restored in 1923 by industrialist Louis Renault, who fell in love with Chausey.
The fort
Commissioned by Napoleon III, it was completed in 1866. It sheltered 300 German and Austrian prisoners during the First World War and housed a small Garrison of the Third Reich during the Second. Today, it is occupied by a fisherman’s family.
