Manche, Basse-Normandie

Manche, which is a French department in Normandy named after La Manche (the sleeve), which is the French name for the English Channel.

Properties for sale in the department benefit from close proximity to tourist attractions such as the mount Mont-Saint-Michel and its bay, UNESCO World Heritage Site, as well as to cross the Cotentin peninsula with its landscapes of hedged farmland, marsh, moors, cliffs and sandy beaches.

The first capital was Coutances until 1796, and it resumed that role after World War II because of the almost complete destruction of Saint-Lô during the D-Day invasion of Normandy. When Saint-Lô was rebuilt, it again became the capital.

The climate is oceanic, with mild winters, temperatures rarely reaching below freezing, and temperate summers, around 25°C. Precipitation is substantial, but varies greatly by region, between 700mm on the coast and 1300mm in the southern central area.

The west coast benefits from the Gulf stream's influence, allowing the naturalization of many Mediterranean and exotic plants (mimosas, palms, agaves...).

There is often a sea breeze on the coast, which combined with tides contributes to quick temperature changes over a single day.