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Itinerary

Visiting the Opal Coast in 3 days

Three days to travel the whole coast without ever rushing

  • Les Deux Caps
  • Nausicaá
  • The seals of Berck
  • Sand yachting

3 days

The itinerary in brief

Duration
Three full days, Friday to Sunday
Distance
About 250km in total, in short stages
Start
Starting in Calais, two nights on the road
When
May to September for outdoor activities; the capes are worth the detour year-round

Three days is the right length of time for the Opal Coast: enough to see both ends of the coastline, short enough that you're not spending your days in the car.

The itinerary runs from north to south, then back up to the Deux Caps on the last day. Every stop has its alternative, for rainy days or for when you already know it.

The route

The stops, in order

  1. Calais
  2. Les Deux Caps
  3. Wimereux
  4. Boulogne
  5. Le Touquet
  6. Wissant

23 stops · about 250km in total, in short stages

Visiting the Opal Coast in 3 days on the Opal Coast, between Berck to the south and Dunkirk to the north
The 6 stops on the itinerary, in order.
Day 1From Calais to Boulogne8 stops · 8.30am – 9.30pmCollapse
  1. 8.30am
    Calais beach, its huts and the belfry in the distance

    Departure from Calais

    The trip sets off from Calais, after breakfast in town.

    See everything in Calais →

  2. 9am
    The cliffs of the Deux Caps and the sea below

    Le Grand Site des Deux Caps

    First stop: Cap Blanc-Nez, at Escalles. Park up and take one of the paths that run along the cliff. The more energetic can do the 6.4-kilometre loop. The beach can be walked too, as long as you go at low tide.

    Second stop: Cap Gris-Nez, at Audinghen, standing 49 metres high. Views of the lighthouse, the British coast, and, to the right, Blanc-Nez and the village of Wissant. A 3.4-kilometre loop takes you round; the site is accessible to visitors with reduced mobility.

    See everything in Audinghen →

    AlternativeIf you already know it, or if it rains

    Stay in Calais for the morning:

    • The Cité de la Dentelle et de la Mode
    • The Dragon de Calais, to see the seafront from its back
  3. 12pm
    The terrace of a seafront restaurant in Wimereux

    Lunch in Wimereux

    Three addresses in town:

    • L'Aloze Atlantic, for the seafood platters
    • Le Ranch, for grills, with a vegetarian menu
    • Le Thaï Curry, Thai cuisine, with vegan dishes

    See everything in Wimereux →

    AlternativeFor a picnic

    Head to the Pointe aux Oies, a wild beach tucked into the dunes of the Slack, five minutes from the centre.

  4. 1.30pm
    Wimereux seafront and its white-and-blue beach huts, seen from the beach

    The Wimereux seafront

    A stroll to walk off lunch between the seafront and the beach huts, the most iconic promenade on the coast.

  5. 2.15pm
    Nausicaá's big tank, with a manta ray gliding above visitors

    Nausicaá

    Sharks, rays, penguins, cold-water fish: Europe's number one aquarium takes half a day to visit, and the exhibitions explain what's at stake for the ocean without the jargon.

    See everything in Boulogne sur Mer →

    AlternativeIf you've already done Nausicaá

    Boulogne is an open-air museum: three street-art trails, two on foot and one by bike, lead to the town's murals. There's still time afterwards to unwind along the banks of the Liane.

  6. 5pm
    The square in Boulogne-sur-Mer's old town, its façades and flowers

    The fortified town of Boulogne-sur-Mer

    Above the lower town, the old town still has its 13th-century ramparts and cobbled streets. Not to be missed:

    • The castle museum
    • The crypt of the Notre-Dame basilica
    • The belfry
    AlternativeFrance's biggest crypt

    The one at the Notre-Dame basilica can be visited with a guide or on your own, with an audio guide.

  7. 7.30pm
    The restaurant terraces along the quays of Boulogne-sur-Mer

    Dinner in Boulogne-sur-Mer

    Two addresses:

    • Il Siciliano, Italian specialities, with vegetarian and vegan options
    • Le Châtillon, for fresh fish and seafood
  8. 9.30pm
    A holiday residence in Wimereux, seen from the garden

    Staying overnight in Wimereux

    Four addresses in town, from gîte to campsite:

    • La Fenardière, a gîte with a spa and private pool
    • La Naturelle residence
    • Hôtel Saint-Jean
    • Camping l'Été Indien
Day 2From Le Touquet to Berck7 stops · 9.30am – 7.30pmCollapse
  1. 9.30am
    The big beach at Le Touquet at low tide

    Le Touquet-Paris-Plage

    A forty-five-minute drive from Wimereux. Le Touquet is the coast's seaside resort par excellence, and the most popular with families.

    • Three trails cross the dune areas
    • The heritage can be explored on foot or by bike
    • The parks and gardens are part of its reputation

    See everything in Le Touquet →

    AlternativeWith the family, at Bagatelle

    If the kids are after a carousel rather than a dune, the Bagatelle amusement park fills a whole day.

  2. 11am
    The Anglo-Norman villas of Le Touquet-Paris-Plage

    Strolling through the centre of Le Touquet

    The town centre mixes Anglo-Norman, baroque and rococo styles. The Avenue Saint-Jean is where the shops are concentrated.

  3. 12.30pm
    A restaurant terrace in Le Touquet, parasols and laid tables

    Lunch in Le Touquet

    Three addresses in town:

    • Le Touquet's Beach
    • L'Enduro Plage
    • Le Burger Fermier Les Enfants Rouges, with vegetarian dishes
    AlternativeFor a picnic

    The Jardin d'Ypres, right in the centre, is well suited to this on sunny days.

  4. 2pm
    A pleasure boat on the Canche estuary

    Boat trip on the Canche estuary

    Five kilometres east, Étaples and its marina. The guided boat trip lasts about an hour, led by two of the town's former fishermen.

    AlternativeIf it's windy or rainy, in Étaples

    Three indoor visits:

    • La Maison de la Miniature
    • Le Musée de la Marine
    • Le Chantier de Construction Navale Traditionnelle
  5. 4pm
    Seals resting on the sand of the Authie estuary

    The seals of Berck-sur-Mer

    Berck beach is a refuge for a colony of seals, which rest there in a group at low tide. To be sure of seeing them, arrive at least two hours before low tide.

    Two precautions: keep your dog on a lead, and stay at least two hundred metres away. Disturbing them during their rest harms their health, and above all that of the young.

    In spring, Berck's international kite festival takes over the beach for a week.

  6. 6pm
    Berck-sur-Mer's tourist train in front of the seafront

    The little train of Berck

    A half-hour ride from the tourist office, a tour of the town and an open view over the seafront.

  7. 7.30pm
    The frontage of a restaurant in the centre of Calais

    Dinner and overnight stay, in Wimereux or Calais

    Day three is decided now: the Deux Caps, or the Dunkirk area. For the Deux Caps, stay in Wimereux. For the Dunkirk area, stay overnight around Calais instead — you'll save an hour on the road.

    Three safe bets for dinner in Calais:

    • L'Histoire Ancienne, with a vegan and vegetarian menu
    • La Tourello, with vegan dishes
    • L'Hovercraft, with vegetarian dishes
    AlternativeWhere to stay in Calais

    Four options, depending on budget and mood:

    • La Fenardière, a gîte with a spa and private pool
    • Ibis Styles Calais Centre, for a hotel
    • Le Domitys Le Fil de Soie, for an aparthotel
    • Le Domaine des Palominos, for a mobile home
Day 3Le Grand Site des Deux Caps4 stops · 9am – 7pmCollapse
  1. 9am
    The Deux Caps coastline, its cliffs and fields

    From Wimereux to Wissant, along the coast

    A morning to cross the villages of the Grand Site, at your own pace. The route:

    • The Slack dunes, parking at the Pointe aux Oies. The loop is 5km, and the beach is worth the walk down.
    • Audresselles, a fishing village, with its low houses, rocks and converted bunker, which can be rented.
    • Le Châtelet beach at Tardinghen, for the wreck of the Lord Grey, a 37-metre steam trawler visible at low tide.
    • The centre and seafront of Wissant, its fishermen's houses and its promenade.

    See everything in Wissant →

  2. 12.30pm
    The frontage of a bistro in the centre of Wissant

    Lunch in Wissant

    Two addresses in the village:

    • Le Green Bistrot
    • La Maison Wissant, with a vegetarian menu
    AlternativeFor a picnic

    The seafront, quite simply.

  3. 2pm
    A sand yacht racing along Wissant beach

    Sand yachting in Wissant

    The coast is known for its wind, which makes it one of the best sand-yachting spots in France. Wissant's school offers taster sessions, as does the kitesurfing school.

    AlternativeWith the family, Dédale Opale

    A maze cut into a cornfield, in Wissant. Open only in summer.

  4. 7pm
    A hotel in Wissant, seen from the street

    Dinner and overnight stay in Wissant

    The same addresses as at lunch for dinner, Le Green Bistrot and La Maison Wissant. For the night, the Hôtel de la Baie de Wissant, or one of the village's gîtes.

Your choiceThe Dunkirk area4 stops · 8.30am – 7pmCollapse
  1. 8.30am
    Dunkirk's harbour museum and its boats at the quayside

    Departure from Calais to Dunkirk

    Allow an hour's drive. The morning is spent at the Musée Portuaire and Dunkirk Zoo.

  2. 12.30pm
    The three-masted Princesse Elizabeth moored in Dunkirk

    Lunch in Dunkirk

    Two addresses:

    • Le Princesse Elizabeth, to eat on board
    • HOB'S House of Burgers
  3. 2pm
    Malo-les-Bains beach and its seafront

    Malo-les-Bains beach

    One of the evacuation beaches: during Operation Dynamo, 340,000 Allied soldiers were evacuated from here to England.

    Dunkirk's Aquarium is just around the corner, if the weather turns.

  4. 7pm
    A hotel in the centre of Dunkirk

    Dinner and overnight stay in Dunkirk

    The same addresses as at lunch for dinner. For the night, the Hôtel Ibis Dunkerque Centre, or a bed and breakfast.