Opal Coast
Visit Le Portel
Three forts, a fine sandy beach, right next to Boulogne
- Three forts
- Fine sand
- Family
- Argos Museum
Le Portel in brief
- How long
- Half a day: the beach, the forts and the Argos Museum.
- When to go
- June to September for the beach. Fort de l'Heurt can be reached at low tide all year round.
- Parking
- On the seafront, along the sea wall. Le Portel is right next to Boulogne, and it can also be reached on foot.
- From
- Lille 1 h 25Paris 2 h 45Boulogne sur Mer 10 min
The 3 highlights
What to do in Le Portel?
Le fort de l'Heurt
A Napoleonic fort on a rock cut off by the sea at every tide. At low tide, you can walk right up to it.
La plage de sable fin
A sheltered, family-friendly beach, supervised in summer, ten minutes from central Boulogne.
Le musée Argos
The town's history, 90% destroyed during the war and then rebuilt.
And also
- The fine sandy beach
3 activities to book
What activities to do in Le Portel?
Our favourite
For the fortified islet facing the beach
Le fort de l'Heurt à marée basse
The Napoleonic fort can be reached at low tide, from Le Portel beach.
Tide-dependent
To walk in the water
Le longe-côte
Le Portel beach is one of the coast's spots for 'longe-côte' (shallow-water walking), with supervised sessions.
1 h · wetsuit provided by the clubs
For the view over Boulogne and the sea
Le sentier des falaises vers Ningles
The coastal path links Le Portel to Ningles beach and Équihen, along the top of the cliffs.
1 h 30 one way · trail
Our 3 restaurants
Where to eat in Le Portel?
Our favourite
To eat with your feet in the sand
Brasserie La Plage
Quai de la Vierge, on the seafront, facing the beach.
37 quai de la Vierge, Le Portel
For a table in the centre
Le Flobart
Boulevard Pasteur, Le Portel's main street, a few minutes from the sea wall.
12 boulevard Pasteur, Le Portel
To stay on the quays
Le Spot
Quai de la Violette, on the harbour and promenade side.
21 quai de la Violette, Le Portel
Other good addresses
- Le Chesterfield26 Boulevard Pasteur, 62480 Le Portel
- L'entre Deux20 Quai Duguay Trouin, 62480 Le Portel
Our 3 places to stay
Where to stay in Le Portel?
Our favourite
For the view over the Strait of Dover
Nausicaá Fenêtre sur mer
A sea-facing address, ten minutes from Nausicaá and central Boulogne.
Rental · Le Portel
For a family house
Maison à la plage
Close to the seafront, for a multi-day stay without getting back in the car.
Rental · Le Portel
For the simplicity of a hotel
César Hôtel
A hotel address in Le Portel, handy as a cheaper base than Boulogne.
Hotel · Le Portel
Getting there and parking
By car from Boulogne-sur-Mer in ten minutes along the coast. Le Portel is 150 kilometres from Lille and 45 from Calais.
Fort de l'Heurt can only be approached at low tide: check the tide table before heading down to the beach, the sea comes in fast.
The questions people ask before coming
Can you walk out to Fort de l'Heurt?
At low tide, you can walk right up to it. Two hours later, the rock is an island again: check the incoming tide time before you set off.
Is Le Portel a good base for touring the coast?
Yes: the town sits right next to Boulogne, so it's central, with accommodation often cheaper than in the resorts.
Is Le Portel beach supervised?
Yes, in season. It's a sheltered fine-sand beach, one of the most family-friendly in the Boulogne area.
Information about the town
Le Portel is best known for its basketball club and its Welsh rarebit festival, but also for its lovely beach. It's the visitors, though, who tend to talk about it most. The town is ideally placed for touring the Opal Coast and its surroundings. At 150 km from Lille (1 h 40 by car) and 45 km from Calais (40 minutes' drive), it lets visitors explore the region while enjoying the beaches of the Opal Coast, such as those at Ambleteuse or Équihen-Plage.
Do you know Le Portel? Your review
No reviews yet. Yours will be the first.
The form is unavailable at the moment. Send your review to the editors, we’ll publish it here.