When to go to the Opal Coast?
→ The detailed month-by-month page, with real weather records
Best time: May to September
At a glance
Why go to the Opal Coast?
The Opal Coast is France's answer to the cliffs of Dover, with miles-long sandy beaches, dunes, fishing villages and a hedgerow hinterland that rolls down to the ramparts of Montreuil thrown in. The Grand Site des Deux-Caps, between Blanc-Nez and Gris-Nez, offers one of the finest coastal walks in northern Europe, and Boulogne, France's leading fishing port, guarantees plates of fish like nowhere else.
All of it less than two hours from Paris by TGV, which makes it one of the most accessible coastlines in France. It is a destination for walkers, families and wind-sports fans, kitesurfing, sand yachting, surfing, with a real life out of season: the capes can be walked in winter, Nausicaá can be visited in the rain and Boulogne's restaurants keep going all year round.
Anyone hoping to sunbathe on a beach at 28°C will be disappointed; anyone who loves Turner skies, oysters and wind will be smitten.
Map of the Opal Coast: what is where?
The map shows the 6 places covered in this guide, to picture the distances and plan your route.
- Cap Blanc-Nez
- Cap Gris-Nez
- Nausicaá
- Boulogne-sur-Mer
- Le Touquet
- Montreuil-sur-Mer
How much does a trip to the Opal Coast cost?
| Style | Per day | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Backpacker | €50-75 per day in a campsite or simple hotel, sandwiches and welsh, free walks on the capes and one paid visit during the stay, such as Nausicaá. | |
| Comfort | €110-160 per day with a sea-view hotel in Wimereux or Le Touquet, fish restaurants, Nausicaá, the Boulogne museum, sand yachting. | |
| Premium | €220+ per day with a luxury hotel in Le Touquet or a chef's guesthouse near Montreuil, gourmet dinners and golf. |
Is the Opal Coast safe?
The Opal Coast is a safe destination. The real risks are natural: the chalk cliffs collapse, so walk neither along the edge nor at the foot on a rising tide, and the tide comes in fast over the flat beaches of Wissant and Le Touquet, where baïnes and currents can catch you out. Swim in supervised areas in summer. The wind never lets up on the capes, so a windbreaker is useful even in July, and the sun burns without you feeling it. Munitions and wartime remains sometimes surface in the dunes after storms: do not touch, report them.
What to see and do in the Opal Coast
- Cap Blanc-Nez
- Cap Gris-Nez
- Wissant
- Nausicaá
- Boulogne-sur-Mer old town
- Wimereux
- Le Touquet-Paris-Plage
- Montreuil-sur-Mer
Cap Blanc-Nez
The highest point on the Opal Coast at 134 metres, Blanc-Nez is a chalk cliff belonging to the same formation as the English cliffs, visible 34 km away on a clear day. The Dover Patrol obelisk at the top honours the French and British sailors of the First World War, and Second World War bunkers still dot the slopes. The site is listed as a Grand Site de France together with Gris-Nez and is walked along the GR 120, heading down to the Petit Blanc-Nez beach and the village of Escalles. Fossils and flint nodules litter the foot of the cliff at low tide.
Cap Gris-Nez
Gris-Nez marks the boundary between the English Channel and the North Sea and lies just 28 km from England, which makes it the historic starting point for cross-Channel swims. Its 1957 lighthouse and its maritime traffic monitoring centre watch over the Strait of Dover, the busiest in the world with some 400 ships a day. The coastal paths towards Audresselles and Wissant Bay run above coves and mussel-covered rocks where seabirds stop off during migration. In a westerly wind, the site is windswept but magnificent.
Nausicaá
Opened in 1991 on the Boulogne-sur-Mer seafront and enlarged in 2018, Nausicaá is the largest aquarium in Europe, with more than 58,000 animals and a 10,000 m³ open-ocean tank viewed through a picture window 20 metres by 5. Manta rays, hammerhead sharks and shoals of trevally circle above visitors, while an 18-metre tunnel runs through the tank. The older shorelines circuit features penguins, fur seals, sea lions and a coral reef. The centre is also committed to raising awareness of ocean protection, with exhibitions on sustainable fishing and the climate.
Boulogne-sur-Mer
France's leading fishing port, Boulogne is split between a shopping lower town and a fortified upper town, whose 13th-century ramparts enclose the Basilica of Notre-Dame, the belfry and the counts' castle. The castle museum gathers surprising collections, Inuit masks from Alaska, Greek vases and Egyptian mummies, among Gothic halls. The basilica's crypt, one of the largest in France, holds Romanesque remains and 19th-century paintings. On the Quai Gambetta, fishmongers' stalls sell the catch landed overnight every morning.
Le Touquet-Paris-Plage
Born in 1882 from a housing estate laid out on planted dunes, the resort was developed by English investors who built a golf course, racecourse, tennis courts and Anglo-Norman villas scattered through the forest. The Art Deco covered market, the neo-Norman town hall and the 1951 lighthouse make up the centre, while the 12 km beach welcomes sand yachts and kites. It is the most elegant resort on the coast, with boutiques, pâtisseries and a nightlife that contrast with the rest of the shoreline. Le Touquet airport still receives private flights from England.
Montreuil-sur-Mer
Standing 15 km from the sea that abandoned it, Montreuil is a fortified town perched on a hill above the Canche, with 3 km of ramparts, a citadel reworked by Vauban and cobbled streets lined with 18th-century houses. Victor Hugo, passing through in 1837, set here the chapter of Les Misérables in which Jean Valjean becomes mayor under the name of Madeleine, and every summer the town replays the novel in a sound and light show in the citadel. Its gastronomic reputation reaches well beyond the region, with several acclaimed restaurants in the town and in the neighbouring Course valley. The Saturday morning market fills the main square.
How many days, and which itinerary?
Three days are enough for the Deux-Caps, Boulogne and Nausicaá. Five days let you add Le Touquet, Montreuil and a day on the beach or sand yachting. A week is a must if you want to walk the coastal path in sections, visit Calais and head down to Berck and the Authie Bay.
🗺️ Day-by-day itinerary · 📓 Free printable Opal Coast guide (PDF) · 🌍 All of France
weekend (2 days)
day 1, arrive at Calais-Fréthun by TGV, hire car, Cap Blanc-Nez and the walk down to Escalles, lunch in Wissant, the Cap Gris-Nez path towards Audresselles, night in Wimereux. Day 2, a morning at Nausicaá, a fish lunch on the Quai Gambetta, the ramparts and museum of Boulogne's old town, back in the late afternoon.
4-5 days
days 1 and 2 as for the weekend. Day 3, the Slack dunes and Fort d'Ambleteuse, sand yachting or kitesurfing in Wissant in the afternoon. Day 4, Le Touquet by bike through the forest, the covered market, the lighthouse, sunset on the beach. Day 5, the ramparts of Montreuil-sur-Mer, a gourmet lunch in the Course valley, back via Étaples and its fish auction.
one week
add to the 5-day version a day in Calais for the Cité de la Dentelle, the UNESCO-listed belfry and Rodin's Burghers, a day in Berck and the Authie Bay for the seals, and the kites if you are there in April, and a day walking the whole Deux-Caps path, from Sangatte to Audresselles, 20 km with a bus back.
Getting there and getting around
From Paris Nord, the TGV takes about 1h45 to Calais-Fréthun and about 2h30 to Boulogne-Ville, with a change or direct depending on the timetable. Étaples-Le Touquet is served by direct TGVs in just over 2 hours, with extra trains in summer.
By car, the A16 reaches Boulogne in 2h45 from Paris. Once there, a car remains the simplest way to string together capes, beaches and hinterland, but the regional train runs along the coast from Calais to Rang-du-Fliers via Boulogne and Étaples, and cycling is pleasant in Le Touquet, in the Slack dunes and on the coastal cycle route.
Seasonal buses link Wissant and the capes with Calais and Boulogne.
Where to stay in the Opal Coast?
Small budget: the campsites at Escalles and Wissant, at the foot of the capes, and those at Équihen-Plage or Le Touquet rent pitches and mobile homes for €20 to €80 a night. The simple hotels in Wissant, Audresselles and lower Boulogne charge around €70-90 for a double, often above a fish restaurant.
Comfort: Wimereux is the best base for exploring, with seafront hotels on the promenade at €110 to €170 a night and renowned restaurants. Boulogne offers characterful addresses in the old town, and Le Touquet a full range of hotels in the forest or near the beach, pricier at weekends.
Our pick: a room with a Channel view in Wimereux or Wissant, to watch the sun set behind the English coast, or a guesthouse in the Course valley or around Montreuil, among hedgerows and gourmet restaurants, where you dine at a chef's table and sleep in an old farmhouse.
Our places to stay, stop by stop, at three budgets →
What to eat in the Opal Coast?
Boulogne lands fish from the Channel and the North Sea every night, and you can taste it everywhere: sole, turbot, pollock, smoked or rollmop herring, grilled mackerel, bouchot mussels in season and brown shrimp. The welsh, cheddar melted with beer over bread and ham, warms up windy days, and maroilles tart, potjevleesch and leek flamiche hold the hinterland.
The Boulogne market on Place Dalton on Wednesday and Saturday, the Étaples fish auction and the Le Touquet covered market are the best places to shop. Allow €15 to €25 for a fish dish in the restaurants on the Wimereux or Wissant promenade, €9 to €13 for a welsh, and €60 to €150 at the top tables of Montreuil and the Course valley.
The region's craft beers, blonde and amber, go with everything.
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 Opal Coast
When is the best time to visit the Opal Coast?
May, June and September offer the brightest days with reasonable visitor numbers. July and August are warmer, around 20-22°C, and livelier. The capes can be walked all year round, in winter with spectacular light and cheaper accommodation.
Can you see England from the Opal Coast?
Yes, on a clear day, from Cap Blanc-Nez and Cap Gris-Nez, which is just 28 km from Dover. The white English cliffs stand out clearly in the late afternoon, and at night the lights of the English coast can be seen from Wissant and Wimereux.
How much does Nausicaá cost and do you need to book?
Adult admission costs €30 in low season and €31.50 in high season at the ticket office, a little less online. Booking a time slot is strongly recommended during school holidays and at weekends, when the queue can exceed an hour.
How do you get to the Opal Coast without a car?
The TGV links Paris with Calais-Fréthun in 1h45 and with Boulogne or Étaples-Le Touquet in 2 to 2h30. Once there, the regional train runs along the coast from Calais to Rang-du-Fliers, seasonal buses go up to the capes and cycling is pleasant in Le Touquet and the dunes, but to string all the sights together, hiring a car is still simpler.
Where can you see seals on the Opal Coast?
In the Authie Bay, at Berck-sur-Mer, where a colony of harbour seals rests on the sandbanks at low tide, visible from the Pointe du Bec du Perroquet. The Canche Bay, near Le Touquet, is home to a few as well. Keep your distance and bring binoculars.
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