Supertide of the century: Thousands of tourists descend on French city of Mont Saint-Michel to witness spectacular event sparked by the solar eclipse .

Tens of thousands of curious visitors have crowded historic Mont Saint-Michel and other beauty spots along the French coastline with the promise of a ‘tide of the century’, but it may not have lived up to everyone's expectations.

Anticipating a wall of water that could equal the height of a four-storey building, tourists and locals staked out positions around the picturesque landmark last night and again today, including the partially-washed out causeway as the tide retreated.

They travelled to France’s northern coast for the first giant tide of the millennium, with experts predicting that it could reach as high as 46ft - 18ft above normal - thanks to the effects from yesterday’s spectacular solar eclipse.

Tidal specialist Nicolas Pouvreau told French media that the surge was a few inches short of expectations.

French officials said the supertide would be a major opportunity for tourism in Brittany, including the walled port city of Saint-Malo.

Large waves crash over the crowded waterfront - leaving spectators soaking wet - during the incoming tide in Saint-Malo, France

But tidal specialist Nicolas Pouvreau told France 24 the surge was a few inches short of expectations.

Mont Saint-Michel was briefly turned into an island at high tide, but low tide provided an opportunity for people to walk on the expansive flat seabed. 

Although it is dubbed the ‘tide of the century’, the ‘supertide’ phenomenon occurs once every 18 years when a rare alignment of the sun, moon and Earth create a massive gravitational pull on the sea.

On each occasion, Mont Saint-Michel provides a stunning setting for those looking to watch the phenomenon.