The fishing port of Granville | Destination Granville Land and Sea

Granville

France's leading shellfish port

Like the Normans who live here, Granville’s fishing port is a humble place. Nevertheless, it is France’s leading shellfish port, supplying the whole of Europe with scallops, whelks, spider crabs, lobsters, clams, oysters and more. With Bulot de la Baie de Granville (certified IGP and MSC Pêche Durable), Coquille St Jacques de Normandie, Praire de Granville, almond, venus, olivette, and shellfish (spider crab, moussette, lobster, oysters, etc.), and a wide range of other products, we are able to offer you a wide range of products.e, moussette, MSC-certified Cotentin lobster, tourteau, étrille), cuttlefish and fish (gilthead bream and other sole, skate…), more than 7,600 tons of products are landed and sold at the Granville Auction every year. The Auction, or Halle à Marée, is the meeting point between the boats unloading their catch and the buyers, be they wholesalers, fishmongers or fishmongers.

The whelk

of Granville Bay

The true emblem of the port of Granville is the whelk. Recognized by a PGI attesting to the know-how of the industry, the whelk of the Bay of Granville is often enjoyed here as an aperitif, accompanied by a simple homemade mayonnaise. It’s the locally famous“bulot-mayo“! It’s impossible to leave Granville without tasting at least one of these little treasures! In fact, just cross the rue du Port to find a good place to enjoy them.

Did you know?

During the German occupation, in order to camouflage the lighthouse in the eyes of the Allies, Granville harbour was entirely repainted green!

A little history

Inshore fishing, deep-sea fishing and racing warfare

The first 148-meter-long dry-stone jetty was built in Granville harbor under the reign of François I. The pier was completed in 1564. Harbour activity expanded in the 16th and 17th centuries, with Granville becoming a major cod port– the largest in France at the time of Louis XIV – and an oyster fishing port. As early as the mid-16th century, Granville chartered a dozen terre-neuviers for the great cod fishery on the banks of Newfoundland. Cod fishing was one of the main activities of Granville’s fishing port until the early 20th century. From the 17th to the early 20th century, fishing for wild oysters, flat oysters and horse oysters dominated Granville’s inshore fishing activities. Oyster fishing took place from September to May in the Bay of Mont-Saint-Michel, aboard bisquines equipped with dredges. Vauban visited the port in 1681 and 1686. He recommended the construction of a detached breakwater. In 1750, the King’s Council decided to build the V-shaped breakwater on the Moulières rocks. Construction was completed between 1773 and 1778. Between the 16th century and the fall of Napoleon, Granville regularly engaged in racing wars. Under Louis XVI, Granville became France’s third largest privateer port in terms of the number of ships and value of catches.

A stroll around Granville harbour

The lighthouse as a starting point

Why not start your discovery of Granville harbour at the Cap Lihou lighthouse and semaphore? After all, these two buildings are an integral part of the city’s maritime history. Not far away, you’ll also see the Roc barracks, once home to various naval infantry regiments. Take in the panoramic views as you head south along the GR223 coastal path. On the way down, you’ll pass a small stone house. Far from being an old dwelling, it’s in fact a ball-reddening furnace, testimony in its own right to the military importance of the Roc de Granville and the history of French artillery. At the bottom of the path, you’ll reach the quays.

A dynamic fishing port

From the dry d ock to the Marité village, from one end of Rue du Port to the other, experience Granville’s harbor atmosphere up close. On the west side of the harbor, a few dry ships reveal their underside. Thanks to this remarkably shaped slipway, marine craftsmen are able to dry-dock huge vessels and pamper them from every angle. As with the entire outer harbor, this space empties and fills with each tide. Then walk along the quays of theouter harbor, where the boats sleep on the bottom at low tide. You’ll then reach the fish auction, where professionals trade their resources.

Bassin à flot, gare maritime and Marité village

In the wet dock, the hulls are always in the water. Moored alongside the quays, the port’s largest boats are parked in this part of the harbor, which is always underwater thanks to the water gates. Here you can see the launches that will take you to theChausey archipelago or the Channel Islands. There’s often a coaster not far away, loaded with materials bound for other European countries. The merry-go-round of cranes is always fascinating when you observe them closely. Not far away, the Marité, a historic witness to the Terre-Neuvas past, proudly raises its three masts, waiting to embark sailors for the day bound for Chausey or the bay of Mont-Saint-Michel. And of course, fishing boats are in the majority in this basin. Some use trawls, others pots or dredges. How about a refresher course on how each species is fished, and in what season? If you’re in any doubt, take part in the Granville maritime and port guided tour organized by the Granville Terre et Mer Tourist Office.