Opal Coast: Calais to the Bay of Somme

Route description

Calais is the arrival point for ferries and the Channel Tunnel. Leave town on the D940, which follows the coast west to Cap Blanc-Nez, white chalk cliffs facing Dover; on a clear day the English coast is plainly visible across the Strait. Beyond Wissant, Cap Gris-Nez is the closest point in France to England.

Boulogne-sur-Mer is France’s leading fishing port, with a walled upper town and the large Nausicaá sea centre. South of it the landscape changes to dunes and pine woods, and Le Touquet-Paris-Plage is an elegant resort with a wide sandy beach and villas among the trees.

The route ends at Saint-Valery-sur-Somme on the Bay of Somme, a vast tidal estuary where seals rest on the sandbanks, best seen from Le Hourdel at low tide. A heritage steam railway runs round the bay in season. Never try to cross the bay on foot without a guide, as the tide comes in fast.

The D940 is narrow through the villages and exposed to strong winds on the capes, which can make high-sided motorhomes feel unsteady. Spring and September are pleasant and quieter; the seaside car parks and campsites are busiest during French summer holidays.