Opal Coast
Visit Wissant
The seaside resort sitting between the two capes
- Between the 2 capes
- Beach
- Water sports
- Village
Photo: Jörg Braukmann, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Wissant in brief
- How long
- A day: the beach and the village, one cape in the morning and the other in the late afternoon.
- When to go
- May to September for swimming. Board sports are practised almost all year round.
- Parking
- Behind the sea wall and at the entrances to the village. Full from morning on summer weekends.
- From
- Lille 1 h 30Paris 3 hCalais 20 min
Ideally placed between Cap Gris-Nez and Cap Blanc-Nez, the seaside resort of Wissant is pronounced 'Wee-sonh'. One of the beaches most loved by people from the north of France, Wissant draws thousands of visitors every year, coming to swim and walk between the two capes. Conditions here are perfect for water sports — sails of every colour dot the water almost all year round.
To the left, Cap Gris-Nez; to the right, Cap Blanc-Nez.
The 3 highlights
What to do in Wissant?
La baie et la digue
An open bay between the two capes, one of the favourite beaches for people from the north.
Le cap Blanc-Nez
To the right of the bay, the chalk cliff and the finest panorama on the coast.
Le cap Gris-Nez
To the left of the bay, the point in France closest to England.
And also
- Wissant market
- The sea wall
- The Fartz trail
- La Ferme de St-Pô
- Saint-Nicolas church
- The Châtelet and Aval dunes
- The Typhonium
- The old town hall
- The windmill museum
2 activities to book
What activities to do in Wissant?
Our favourite
For the coast's most reliable spot
Kitesurf et planche à voile
Between the two capes, the wind almost never truly drops: sails dot the water almost all year round.
Weather-dependent · schools on site
To walk between dunes and marsh
La randonnée du sentier du Fartz
A waymarked trail from the village, crossing the Châtelet and Aval dunes.
2 h · open access
Our 3 restaurants
Where to eat in Wissant?
Our favourite
To eat on the sea wall
Les Sables d'Opale
On the digue de Mer, facing the bay, between the two capes.
1 digue de Mer, Wissant
To stay in the village centre
La Chaloupe
Rue du Muret, a few steps from the square and the market.
1 rue du Muret, Wissant
For a table in the village
Le Green Bistrot
On the same street, in the heart of Wissant.
4 rue du Muret, Wissant
Other good addresses
- La Maison Wissant12 Rue du Comté de Lambert, 62179 Wissant
- Le Père Baptiste8 Rue Jacques et Pierre Wissant, 62179 Wissant
Our 3 places to stay
Where to stay in Wissant?
Our favourite
To be a hundred metres from the sand
Hôtel de la Plage
A hotel address in the village, within walking distance of the sea wall and the shops.
Hotel · Wissant
To range between Gris-Nez and Blanc-Nez
Au cœur des caps
Wissant is the best base in the area: both capes are a quarter of an hour away.
Accommodation · Wissant
For a village stay
Au Vent Du Kent
An address in Wissant, facing the bay and the coastal paths.
Accommodation · Wissant
Getting there and parking
By car on the D940 from Calais in twenty minutes, or from Boulogne-sur-Mer in half an hour via the capes road.
The village is walkable. For the capes, you'll need the car again: each has its own car park, a quarter of an hour from Wissant.
The questions people ask before coming
How do you pronounce Wissant?
'Wee-sonh'. Say it that way and no one will take you for a tourist.
Is Wissant a good base for the Two Capes?
It's the best one: the Blanc-Nez and the Gris-Nez are a quarter of an hour away in either direction, and the village is alive all year round, with shops and places to stay.
Can you swim at Wissant?
Yes, the beach is supervised in season. The wind is frequent, which delights kitesurfers but calls for keeping an eye on children.
Information about the town
Far more than a stop on your tour of the Opal Coast, Wissant is one of the best places to unpack your bags. A true seaside resort of the north and the Opal Coast, it has plenty of holiday lets and campsites to welcome you. The beach side is busy with visitors for much of the holiday season, much like the neighbouring villages of Tardinghen and Ambleteuse, for example.
The inland side holds a lovely surprise too. A short walk through the village reveals places and monuments rich in history. Numerous waymarked trails let you discover the local landscape and breathtaking views, including the English cliffs in fine weather.
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