This Waterfront Village in New York Feels Like It Belongs on the Coast of France

One of the many perks of vacationing on the East Coast of the United States is having your choice of seaside destinations that recall more faraway locales on the opposite side of the Atlantic. One such place is the North Fork of Long Island, particularly Orient, New York, which at times reminds me both geographically and culturally of Cancale on the coast in Brittany, France.

First, Orient and Cancale each sit on outcroppings into the water near a bend in the land, which gives a kind of twinning effect in the natural surroundings. Both are home to some truly gorgeous beaches, as well as hiking trails with dazzling views. In Orient, I like to hike the 4.6-mile trail in Orient Beach State Park; the out-and-back, easy trail is open year-round, and there are spots along the way perfect for swimming, fishing, and birding as well.

In Cancale, the Corniche de Cancale trail, which translates to “Cornice of Cancale,” is a similarly easy, 2.4-mile out-and-back route that takes you along the ocean and beach for a little more than an hour. Both this trail and its New York counterpart are popular for their spectacular coastal views and lush greenery in the warmer months.

Second, there are the oysters. Orient was known for its oysters by the indigenous Algonquian, and the five families who came to the area from the New Haven Colony in Connecticut in the 17th century called the eastern tip of Long Island “Oysterponds” for the tidal pools teeming with shellfish. By the 19th century, the region consistently outproduced Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts in marketable oysters. Today, descendants of one of the five New Haven Colony families, the Tuthills, own and operate Oyster Ponds Shellfish Co., which farms small and sweet Orient Point Pearls, mineralic Oysterponds Selects, and perfect-for-grilling Grandes. You can find them on nearly every local restaurant menu and just about every seafood market.

Similarly, Cancale is known as “The Oyster Capital of Brittany,” particularly for the European flat oyster, locally called huîtres plates. They also farm the popular Pacific oysters, huîtres creuses, which are flat and more common in France, so the huîtres plates are more of Cancale’s signature specialty. You can buy them from local vendors along the town’s seawall, and they’re best enjoyed with a view of the water from which they were plucked, as well as a glass of local wine.

Wine is yet another shared thread between these two coastal villages, as each sits in a region studded with vineyards. Muscadet and Gros Plant are the main grape varietals found in Cancale, producing dry, crisp white wines that pair so satisfyingly with oysters. The North Fork, where Orient is situated, produces a wider variety of both red and white varietals, and the Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, and Chenin Blanc are what to drink with your briny bivalves.

Wishing you could visit France, but need to stay a little closer to home? Want a relaxing seaside vacation without a trip to the airport? Share this article with your travel buddy to start planning your trip to Orient, New York today.