Cap du Rozel, Cape in Le Rozel, France
Cap du Rozel is a rocky cape on the western coast of the Cotentin peninsula, jutting into the sea near the village of Le Rozel in Normandy, France. From its highest point, the view opens over dunes, bare rock, and open water stretching toward the horizon.
Excavations around the cape revealed that Neanderthals lived in this area around 80,000 years ago. Flint and quartz tools, animal bones, and traces of hearths found on site give a clear picture of daily life along this stretch of coast at that time.
At the top of the cape stands a statue called Maris Stella, representing a sailors' Virgin, made by sculptor Joseph Bataille. Local people see her as a protective figure watching over those who live and work by the sea.
The walk to the cape starts from the village of Le Rozel, where parking is available near the trailhead. The path follows the GR 223 coastal trail past an old castle and a beach, so sturdy shoes are a good idea since the ground can be rocky and the wind strong.
Footprints left by Neanderthals tens of thousands of years ago were found at this site, which is extremely rare anywhere in the world. This makes the cape one of the very few places where traces of how ancient humans actually moved have been preserved in the ground.
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