Villers-sur-Mer, France
  • General information

    Viller-sur-Mer is a small village (2000 inh) on the Atlantic coast of Normandy between Houlgate and Deauville.
    The village is very well know by (amateur) paleontologists for it's fossil rich Jurassic clay banks.
    This particular site is famous for the posibility to find beautiful Jurassic ammonites.
    You'll probably find loads of bivalves like Gryphea, Lopha Gregarea and Arctostrea's.
    Don't miss the small paleontology museum on the Place Jean-Mermoz that has a nice collection of local fossils.
    The museum is a part of the "Syndicat d'Initiative", the local tourist information office and opens from May until October.
    The surrounding area also has many things to offer like the D-Day landing beaches, Bayeux with it's famous tapistry of William the Conceror.

  • Geological period
    • Middle and upper Jurassic (Upper Callovien and lower and middle Oxfordien)
    • Lower Cretaceous

  • What fossils can I find ?
    • Ammonites
      Cardioceras cordatum
      Euaspidocers hirsutum
      Lamberticeras lamberti
      Scarburgiceras praecordatum
      Quenstedtoceras henrici
    • Bivalves
      Gryphaea (lots of them)
      Merklinia aspera
    • Gastropods
      Bourguetia striata
    • Sponges
      Hallirhoa costata

  • How and when can I get in ?

    The "Falaises de Vaches-Noires" are located west of Villers-sur-Mer and are easily recognised as steep dark banks of clay.
    When standing on the beach walk in the eastern direction towards Houlgate, the banks will start right after the last houses of the Village.
    There is really no need to climb as the lower banks are also very rich on fossils.




Pages designed & developed by CyberMines , a division of MCM ©
Page date March 25, 1997 - mail to : CyberMines