Located in the Calvados department, Houlgate is a seaside resort of the Côte Fleurie (Flowery Coast) created on the moors of Beuzeval. The municipality with an area of 1,160 acres (470 ha) is implanted in the Drochon valley, a watercourse formed by the confluence of a dozen streams and torrents. This valley is closed to the west by the Caumont hillock (338 ft / 103 m) and the Dives estuary and to the east by the Houlgate hillock (photo), which rises to 403 ft (123 m) above sea level.