Basly is located some 6 km south-east ofCourseulles-sur-Mer and 10 km north-west ofCaen. Access to the commune is by the D79 road fromBény-sur-Mer in the north-east which passes through the village and continues south-east toColomby-sur-Thaon. The D83 comes fromDouvres-la-Délivrande in the north-east through the village then south-west toThaon. The D404 passes through the north-east corner of the commune and the D141 fromFontaine-Henry toColomby-sur-Thaon passes through the south-west corner. The commune is entirely farmland.[4][5]
TheMue river forms the border of the south-western corner of the commune as it twists around then flows north-west to join theSeulles atReviers.[4][5]
At a place calledCampagne in the commune (near the Moto-Club) many archaeological remains have been found. This is on a spur blocked by the valley of theMue. The most famous remains are those of a habitat from the firstIron Age (theHallstatt culture) with an associated rectangularnecropolis. There is archaeological evidence of a Neolithic stockade in medieval times.
Basly appears asBasly on the 1750Cassini Map[6] and the same on the 1790 version.[7]