I’ve been a fan of this coastal region of northern France for a long time, partly because there aren’t too many tourists here because they’re always in a hurry. The cooking is always reliable, especially at the bistro level, and one of my favorites is the stinky marvelous cheese.
The Côte d’Opale or Opal Coast extends along the English Channel from Calais to the west and gets its name from the interaction of gray and blue between the sky and the sea. This is going to be my constant vision for the next two days with the remote Dover White Peak.
Day 1: Vicente 21.5 km from Calais, 5 hours
I arrived in Calais via Eurostar on a bright sunny afternoon. The weather is fair and when I go to the beach I am surprised to see almost lonely, just a few dogs walking. I can make the white peaks of Dover because the car ferries go back and forth.
The tide is out so I make my way along the beach, over the hard sand, across countless breakwaters. The wreckage of the WW2 bunker and the placement of the gun is reminiscent of the fact that it was once part of Hitler’s Atlantic Wall, built to repel Allied attacks.
An hour later, I reached Sangatte’s large radar mast and exited the beach on a surfaced track above the newly renovated sea wall.
So far a lot of people have been enjoying the morning sun, but I’ve been back on my own since I soon headed up to the village.
I am aiming for the Cap Blank-Nez, the highest point around, though only 120 meters high. It is marked by a gray obelisk, built-in 1922 to commemorate the WW1 Calais Squadron who patrolled the channel.
The views of Kent Cliff on the other side of the sea are stunning, and the place is a magnet for tourists. Before leaving for the beach I left the crowd and went through more WW2 bunkers. I can now build a Vicente holiday resort behind the nearby distances and other high points, the Cap Greece Nez.
It’s about an hour on the beach and I avoid kite surf and shallow rivers before I reach my destination.
The children are wandering in the waves and the village is completely on holiday. The seafood restaurants promise Moles Freight and Fruit de Mer, but I decided to have a beer to celebrate the end of my day hiking.
Day 2: 27.5 km from Vicente to Bologna, 6.5 hours
It’s another glorious morning and I set off today because I have a few more places today. My legs hurt a little so I walked barefoot along the sand, salt to soothe my blisters. Hardy Jaggar and a few swimmers are my only companions and the tractors on the water’s edge are buzzing around the oyster poles.
I’m aiming for the Cap Greece-Nez so an hour later, leave La Siren beach, climb up to the lighthouse through the wildflowers. It is visible around miles and is an essential lighthouse for channel shipping. The area was heavily protected during World War II and I crossed German bunkers while following the track below sea level.
Ambaltuse has an impressive world castle, built-in 1680 to protect the mouth of the Slack River. It is only accessible at low tides and the path turns inland but I am able to cross the channel with my pack of shoes. Still, walk more beaches before climbing across the headland on a sandy track. I descend to sea level again and arrive at Wimereux, whose busy journey is completed with a big wheel, and stops for ice cream.
I am now at Home Stretch and the path is off the coast through the sand tiller before going to Point de la Croche. The steep steps lead upwards and I cross the car parks filled with camper vans, as I continue along the steep.
Eventually, I descended to the surface of the sea and reached the beach in Baulgan, filled with windsurfers and swimmers. I have time to visit the largest aquarium in Europe, Nausica 6, before enjoying a wonderful dinner, La Matelot, just the opposite. I am celebrating the joy of a two-day walk along with one of the most interesting coastlines in France.