Port of Dives-sur-Mer

William chose the port of Dives as the starting point of his campaign to claim the throne of England.

During the 13th century, the port of Dives was a commercial place for Spanish and Portuguese merchants, their trade in leathers and wine from Cordoba interested the monks of the Saint-Etienne abbey of Caen who imposed import taxation.

Finally, la Confiante, having sustained heavy damage, ran ashore on the pointe de Beuzeval, where it was burnt down.

It was a port of call for merchant ships and fishing boats and also the place of regattas organised by the Count of Dramard.

Although the "new" project was a success, with the construction of the lighthouse and of several more houses as well as a private railway station, it received bad publicity following a television report on M6's Capital business program.

The program described how prices had been inflated to create a buzz around the project and how the group had neglected fitting guttering onto houses built in the notoriously rainy Normandy.

The harbour is capable of berthing 600 pleasure sailing ships as well as 192 additional moorings in the estuary and has a depth of 2 m. The marina was built with locks, open 6 hours per tide.