When to go to the Bay of Somme?
→ The detailed month-by-month page, with real weather records
Best time: April to June and September to October
At a glance
Why go to the Bay of Somme?
The Bay of the Somme is one of the few places in France where the landscape changes completely in six hours. At high tide it is an inland sea fringed with villas and harbours; at low tide, a 70 km² desert of sand and mud that you can cross on foot, home to seals, migrating birds and salt-meadow sheep.
Add a century-old steam train, two characterful towns facing each other across the water and a light that painters adore, and you understand why the bay ranks among the most beautiful in the world. It is a destination for people who like to walk, watch and slow down: couples on a weekend away, families with curious children, photographers and birdwatchers.
It lends itself to two- or three-day breaks from Paris, Lille or Rouen, with no car needed if you plan around the TER regional trains and the little steam railway. Anyone after hot sandy beaches and nightlife should look elsewhere; those in search of wind, silence and plates of brown shrimp will be well served.
Map of the Bay of Somme: what is where?
The map shows the 6 places covered in this guide, to picture the distances and plan your route.
- Saint-Valery-sur-Somme
- Le Crotoy
- Parc du Marquenterre
- Pointe du Hourdel
- Cayeux-sur-Mer
- Saint-Riquier Abbey
How much does a trip to the Bay of Somme cost?
| Style | Per day | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Backpacker | €55-80 a day camping or in a simple B&B, market picnics, free walks and one paid activity a day such as the little train or a guided crossing. | |
| Comfort | €110-160 a day in a boutique hotel in Saint-Valery or Le Crotoy, fish restaurants in the evening, the Marquenterre, the steam train and a seal-watching trip. | |
| Premium | €200 and up a day with a bay-view room, a gourmet table built around salt-meadow lamb, a hot-air balloon ride or a microlight flight over the bay. |
Is the Bay of Somme safe?
The only real danger is the bay itself: quicksand, channels that fill up in a few minutes and a tide that comes in faster than a walker. Never venture far from the shore without a guide, and check the tide times posted in the tourist offices. Keep 300 metres away from the seals: it is the law and it is vital for the pups. The wind is constant and the sun deceptive on the mudflats: sunscreen, hat and windproof jacket even in summer. Ticks are present in the Marquenterre dunes, so check yourself after a walk through long grass.
What to see and do in the Bay of Somme
- Saint-Valery-sur-Somme
- Le Crotoy
- Parc du Marquenterre
- Baie de Somme Railway
- Seals at the Pointe du Hourdel
- Crossing the bay on foot
- Cayeux-sur-Mer and its boardwalk
- Abbey of Saint-Riquier
Saint-Valery-sur-Somme
The bay's capital, Saint-Valery layers a lower town of quays and fishermen's houses beneath a medieval upper town ringed by ramparts. William the Conqueror gathered his fleet here before crossing to Hastings in 1066, and the gate that bears his name still opens onto the town's flower-filled lanes. The Herbarium, a terraced garden of medieval plants, and the Sailors' Chapel offer the two finest viewpoints over the estuary. The Courtgain quarter, with its painted façades and nets hung out to dry, has kept the soul of a seafaring village.
Le Crotoy
Set on the north shore, Le Crotoy is a pre-war seaside resort that has kept its brick villas, its sea wall and its south-facing beach. Jules Verne, Colette, Toulouse-Lautrec and Seurat all stayed here, drawn by the light and the bathing. It is the starting point for guided crossings to Saint-Valery and the terminus of the steam railway. The harbour still shelters a small fleet of gillnetters, and the Butte du Moulin overlooks the whole bay.
Parc du Marquenterre
North of the bay, the Marquenterre is a land of dunes reclaimed from the sea, 200 hectares of which form a bird park opened in 1973 and incorporated into the Baie de Somme nature reserve. Three trails of 2 to 6 km link a dozen hides where guides lend telescopes and advice. Spoonbills, storks, avocets and herons nest in spring, while autumn brings tens of thousands of geese and ducks passing through. The park is one of the major stopovers on the western European flyway.
Pointe du Hourdel
This small shingle harbour at the southern mouth of the bay is the best place to watch France's largest seal colony. Several hundred harbour seals and grey seals rest on the sandbanks at low tide, visible with binoculars from the sea wall or the old blockhouse. The path to Cap Hornu runs along the salt marshes and passes the salt-meadow sheep, whose meat carries an AOP label. A distance of 300 metres must be kept from the animals, especially during the pupping season from June to August.
Cayeux-sur-Mer
A shingle resort facing the Channel, Cayeux is famous for its boardwalk of almost 2 km lined with some 400 colourful beach huts, put back up every spring. The village had its golden age in the early 20th century, from which it keeps villas and a former casino. To the south, the Brighton lighthouse and the Hâble d'Ault reserve, a former arm of the sea turned marshland, offer one of the wildest walks on the Picardy coast. Cayeux's pebbles, of rare purity, are extracted for industrial use.
Abbey of Saint-Riquier
Inland, near Abbeville, Saint-Riquier was in the 9th century one of the most powerful abbeys of the Carolingian empire, with nearly 300 monks. The present church, rebuilt in the 15th and 16th centuries, is a masterpiece of Picardy Flamboyant Gothic, with a tower-façade covered in statues and a wonderfully luminous interior. The 17th-century monastic buildings house the département's cultural centre, which hosts exhibitions and a classical music festival in July. The surrounding village, with its UNESCO-listed belfry, rounds off the visit.
How many days, and which itinerary?
A two-day weekend is enough for Saint-Valery, Le Crotoy, a bay crossing and the seals. Three to four days let you add the Marquenterre, Cayeux, the little train in both directions and the hinterland, without ever rushing: here, it is the tide that sets the schedule.
🗺️ Day-by-day itinerary · 📓 Free printable Bay of Somme guide (PDF) · 🌍 All of France
weekend (2 days)
day 1, arrive at Noyelles-sur-Mer by TER, little steam train to Saint-Valery, upper town, ramparts and Sailors' Chapel, dinner of mussels and shrimp on the quays. Day 2, guided crossing of the bay to Le Crotoy timed with the tide, Le Crotoy's beach and sea wall, return by steam train or bus.
4-5 days
days 1 and 2 as for the weekend. Day 3, morning at the Parc du Marquenterre as soon as it opens, afternoon on the beaches of Quend or Fort-Mahon. Day 4, seals at the Pointe du Hourdel two hours before low tide, the Cayeux boardwalk, the Hâble d'Ault reserve. Day 5, Abbeville and the Abbey of Saint-Riquier before heading home.
one week
add to the 5-day version a day cycling the trails that ring the bay (Saint-Valery, Noyelles, Le Crotoy), a day out to Mers-les-Bains and its Belle Époque villas then Le Tréport, and a day at the hortillonnages of Amiens, floating gardens explored by boat, with the cathedral as a bonus.
Getting there and getting around
From Paris-Nord, the TER reaches Noyelles-sur-Mer in about 2 hours, direct or via Amiens or Abbeville, and Noyelles is the connecting station for the steam railway to Le Crotoy and Saint-Valery.
By car, allow 2h30 on the A16, exit Abbeville or Rue.
Once there, a car remains handy for trips out to the Marquenterre, Le Hourdel and Cayeux, but the bay is very well suited to cycling: a 25 km loop links Saint-Valery, Noyelles and Le Crotoy on flat trails, and there are plenty of bike hire shops in both towns.
Département buses serve the villages in season, with limited timetables.
Where to stay in the Bay of Somme?
Budget: the campsites at Saint-Valery, Le Crotoy and Saint-Quentin-en-Tourmont, near the Marquenterre, rent pitches and mobile homes for €25 to 90 a night, often with an indoor pool. A few B&Bs in the inland villages, around Rue or Noyelles, charge around €70-85 for a double with breakfast.
Comfort: Saint-Valery has most of the boutique hotels, in houses on the quays or villas in the upper town, at €100 to 160 a night in season. Le Crotoy offers a few addresses facing the bay, popular for their sunsets, at the same price level. Book early for spring and autumn weekends, which are in high demand.
Our pick: sleep in a room overlooking the estuary, at Cap Hornu or on the quays of Saint-Valery, and wake to boats lying on their sides in the mud. The old Picardy farmhouses turned guesthouses, between Saint-Valery and Cayeux, offer absolute calm and breakfasts of local produce.
Our places to stay, stop by stop, at three budgets →
What to eat in the Bay of Somme?
The bay is there to be eaten: bouchot mussels in season, brown shrimp caught by trawl and sold cooked at the harbours of Le Crotoy or Le Hourdel, samphire and sea aster gathered on the salt marshes, and above all AOP salt-meadow lamb, raised on the bay's salty grasslands and served roast in the restaurants of Saint-Valery.
The ficelle picarde, a pancake baked au gratin with ham and mushrooms, and the gâteau battu, a tall golden brioche, round off the menu.
The Saint-Valery market on Sunday mornings and the Le Crotoy market on Fridays bring together market gardeners, fishermen and cider makers.
Allow €18 to 28 for a fish dish in the restaurants on the quays, €4 to 6 per 100 g of cooked brown shrimp, and €30 to 45 for a set menu built around lamb.
Entry requirements
Schengen area: an ID card or passport for EU citizens, 90 days visa-free for UK, US, Canadian and Australian passports.
Rules change: check your own government's travel advice before you go.
Frequently asked questions about the Bay of Somme
When is the best time to visit the Bay of the Somme?
April to June and September-October offer the best light, the great bird migrations and reasonable crowds. Summer is pleasant but very busy at weekends, and winter is superb for photographers, with plenty of seals around and cheaper hotels.
Can you see the seals for free?
Yes, from the Pointe du Hourdel or Cap Hornu, at low tide, with a pair of binoculars. Guided outings with a telescope, around €17, help you understand the colony better and find the sandbanks where the animals rest depending on the tide.
How do you cross the Bay of the Somme on foot?
Only with an approved guide, because quicksand and the incoming tide make the bay dangerous. Crossings from Le Crotoy to Saint-Valery last 2h30 to 3h, cost about €17 per adult and are booked according to the tide times, from March to November.
Do you need a car in the Bay of the Somme?
No, not necessarily. The TER from Paris arrives at Noyelles-sur-Mer, where the steam train runs on to Saint-Valery and Le Crotoy, and a bike is enough for the loop around the bay. A car becomes useful for the Marquenterre, Le Hourdel and Cayeux; otherwise rely on the seasonal buses or taxis.
How many days should you spend in the Bay of the Somme?
Two days for the essentials, four to see everything without rushing, a week if you add Amiens, Mers-les-Bains and the Marquenterre beaches. The rhythm of the tides means planning each day in advance.
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