Côte d'Opale

Sea kayaking and paddleboarding on the Opal Coast

Seeing the cliffs from the water, the only way to see them whole

Three sea kayaks on the water, at the foot of the white cliffs

The essentials

Where: Côte d'Opale
How long: Two to three hours
Price: Hourly hire, or a guided half-day trip

Sheltered spots
April to October
Guide recommended
Views of the cliffs

From the beach, a cliff is a wall. From the water, it's a layered face of chalk and flint, with caves at its base and colonies of birds in its ledges. Kayaking is the only way to see it whole.

But this coast is exposed: it faces the busiest strait in the world, the tide runs hard, and the wind picks up around midday. This isn't a lake.

Where to paddle

The sheltered stretches are the marinas and harbours — Gravelines, Étaples, Boulogne — and the enclosed bays, such as the Canche and Authie estuaries, where you paddle among the birds at high tide.

The foot of the capes is also navigable, but with a guide: that's where the current is strongest, and there's no landing point for several kilometres.

The three things to check before setting off

The tide The tidal current is stronger than you are. You set off with the current towards your return leg, never the other way round — and you plan the trip around slack water rather than your own schedule.
The wind An offshore wind pushes you out to sea and can't be felt from the beach. It's the most dangerous setup, especially on a paddleboard.
The swell A short, choppy sea, typical of the strait, tires you faster than a long swell. A two-hour trip can easily turn into three.

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