Between seaside villages, fine sandy beaches and a nature reserve, it is the most charming site in the Hauts-de-France region.
From the English Channel to the North Sea, the Hauts-de-France coastline is full of fabulous natural sites on more than 190 kilometers. Among his cOrder dunes, cliffs and fine sandy beaches, the region is home to one of the most beautiful bays in the world, listed as a UNESCO world heritage site.
It is the largest estuary in northern France. Its 7,200 hectares will delight nature lovers with its diversity with a setting that changes with each tide, fabulous colors and remarkable fauna and flora. The landscapes will certainly remind you, for those who have been there, of the setting of Mont-Saint-Michel. Here, it’s the same phenomenon, the sea enters the bay more quickly than it can leave. Long beaches of fine sand, colorful huts, wild moors, endless dunes, gigantic cliffs, the Bay of Somme is a gem with a thousand landscapes and shades of light!
Geographically located between Saint Quentin en Tourmont and the Pointe du Hourdel in Hauts-de-France, the Bay of Somme oscillates between land and water. We take the time to discover its bodies of water, its marshes, its dunes and salt meadows where the sheep graze and we let ourselves be enchanted by the small fishing towns which surround the bay: Le Crotoy, Saint-Valery-sur-Somme, Mers-les-Bains and its magnificent Belle Époque villas or even Cayeux-sur-Mer .
After enjoying delicious mussels and fries, we set aside a good half day to visit the Marquenterre Ornithological Park. The birds stop in this little natural paradise to the delight of visitors: herons, storks, egrets, ducks, coots, moorhens and other hundreds of species offer an indescribable spectacle. Guides are available to explain the lifestyles of the birds and mammals living in the park.
If the Bay of Somme is a mecca for ornithology, it is also where we find the largest colony of seals in France. Although they are present all year round (so bring your binoculars to admire them!), they give birth in July, the most favorable time for observing them. Fishing is also a key activity in the bay: brown shrimp, scallops, sole, rays, monkfish, not to mention the cockle and mussel collectors! The mudflats that you will see between Saint Valéry and Le Crotoy allow you to harvest samphire, a kind of soft gherkin with branches, delicious in salads, which also feed the local birds.
Ideal for recharging your batteries far from the urban hustle and bustle, the Baie de Somme is a true haven of nature and tranquility which can be visited at any time of the year, offering different faces depending on the seasons! Ready to go? We cannot recommend enough to book a getaway aboard the Bay of Somme railway. This little steam train runs between Le Crotoy, Noyelles-sur-Mer, Saint-Valéry-en-Somme and Cayeux-sur-mer.