©Nohcab 14 hikes to explore on the Opal Coast
Whether as a couple, with friends, or as a family, walking is always beneficial for the body and mind, whether you're going on long hikes or short strolls. From the seaside and its white chalk cliffs, to the green hills of the hinterland and the coastal plain, you'll discover open landscapes, vast spaces, and finally take the time to walk at your own pace, to breathe, to listen to the sounds of nature, and to breathe deeply.
Discover Cap Blanc-Nez and its landscape
For a leisurely stroll, without following a marked trail, the Belvédère du Cap Blanc-Nez promenade (1 km from the RD 940 car park, best avoided in the height of summer and during the May-June bank holidays, as it gets very crowded) or the Sangatte seawall promenade (4,7 km round trip) are sufficient to appreciate the site. The descent towards the Cran d'Escalles beach (1,2 km round trip from its parking lot) completes these short options.
For the hike itself, two slopes are available to you on either side of the Cape Blanc-Nez, detailed below: the Hauts de Sangatte to the north, the Balcons d'Escalles to the south. The two trails converge at the summit, 134 meters above sea level, classified as a Grand Site de France since March 2011, where the obelisk of the Dover PatrolCombined, these two sides form what many call The Cap Blanc-Nez Loop.
©Nohcab 
©Nohcab The Heights of Sangatte
Starting from the Hubert Latham rest area in Sangatte, this trail, marked in yellow, covers 7,5 kilometers on the north slope of the Cape Blanc-NezThe route climbs towards Noires Mottes, running alongside the Bottom Pinion, an artificial lake created from chalk extraction during the construction of the Channel Tunnel, now a bird sanctuary. At Mont d'Hubert, a former restaurant, now closed, paid tribute to Thomé de Gamond, a pioneering engineer on the project. Channel Tunnel.
The path leads to the summit of Cap Blanc-Nez, 134 meters above sea level, where the obelisk of Dover PatrolThe descent towards Sangatte follows the cliff along the GR 120 and passes in front of the statue of Hubert Latham, who attempted to cross the strait by airplane at the beginning of the 20th century.
Detail of the Sangatte Heights
©Timothé Lovergne 
©Nohcab For the good of all, adopt good behavior!
Respect natural spaces by staying on marked trails, gKeep animals on a leash for their safety and that of others. cash who populate the places. Similarly, adopt a discreet attitude and do not approach wild animals, they can be appreciated from a distance. Let the wildflowers grow so that everyone can admire them. Are you planning to eat on site during a picnic? Pick up trash and do not light fires.
The Balconies of Escalles
From the Haute-Escalles parking lot, this trail marked in yellow covers 7,4 kilometers on the southern slope of the Cape Blanc-NezThe route follows the Chemin du Moulin, then climbs Mont d'Hubert before crossing the RD 940 to also reach the summit, a designated Grand Site de France. Along the way stands the Dover Patrol, obelisk erected in homage to the French and British soldiers who defended the Strait of Dover during the First World War. The return journey descends via the Notch towards Escalles, then through the hamlets of Tape-Cul and Haute-Escalles.
Discover the Balconies of Escalles
©Timothé Lovergne 
©Nohcab Funds Trail
Starting from the Peuplingues town hall, this yellow-marked trail covers 11,5 kilometers, running alongside the infrastructure of the Channel Tunnel at the height of the Beussingue farmThe route, now a veritable gateway to the tunnel, intersects the Chemin de Leulène, the oldest trace left by humans in the area: created by the Celts and later improved by the Romans, it is recognized as a sensitive archaeological zone. This is also the area to focus on to understand the concept developed by the Transmanche Geopark, which unites the French and English coastlines, and whose soils, composed of a particular layer of blue Cenomanian chalk, enabled the construction of the Channel Tunnel. This route should be avoided in rainy weather.
The Funds Trail
©Timothé Lovergne The Opal Coast
The Sangatte Dykes
Starting from the Place de la République in Blériot-Plage, this yellow-marked trail covers 10,5 kilometers following the Digue Mouron, built to drain the land between the dunes of Fort Mahon and those of Shacks, then the Royal Dike. An old railway line once connected these dikes to the Sangatte cement works.
The route passes in front of the Fort-Nieulay, the Salines redoubt and part of the Fort Rabbit, of which a powder magazine still remains. Knowledge of tide times is useful for this route.
Sangatte Dikes Trail
©Nohcab 
©Nohcab The Beach, the Dune, Mr. Louis Blériot
From the Place de la République in Blériot-Plage, this yellow-marked trail covers 8 kilometers between the beach of the shacks et the dunes of Fort MahonThe hamlet, previously called Les Baraques in reference to the shelters built to isolate soldiers from the Calais garrison who were suffering from the plague, was named after Louis Blériot after his death.
the aviator had taken off nearby in July 1909 to reach England, as part of the first crossing of the English Channel by airplane. His aircraft, the Blériot XI, was sheltered in a nearby farmhouse.
Hike 'The beach, the dune, Mr. Louis Blériot'
©Nohcab 
©Nohcab Between Cap Blanc-Nez and Cap Gris-Nez: the GR120, Coastal Path
The route between Cap Blanc-Nez and Cap Gris-Nez, along the coastal path (GR 120), is one of the site's must-sees. You can walk along the beach at low tide or along the top of the cliffs: the variety of colors and landscapes, between beaches, dunes, and cliffs, offers a change of scenery all year round.
For Nordic walking, the Maison du Site des Deux-Caps offers introductory and group practice sessions every Friday from April to November, as well as a dedicated 5,2 km loop starting from the Maison. The association “The Nordic of Sangatte" also organizes outings throughout the year for its members.
©Nohcab The Via Francigena
From the Notre-Dame church in Calais, the continental starting point of this thousand-year-old pilgrimage route linking Canterbury to Rome, this first 20,3-kilometer stage follows the Opal Coast via Blériot-Plage and Sangatte, before climbing to the summit of Cap Blanc-Nez and descending towards Wissant. The route also crosses the Calais countryside: at Pihen-lès-Guînes, the Sentier des Crêtes (Ridge Trail) follows a section of Roman road that was already an integral part of the route, well before reaching Wissant.
The Via Francigena
©Nohcab Opt for public transport to get to Cap Blanc-Nez
If you share our desire to preserve the beauty of this place and help minimize the impact of tourism, please use public transport whenever possible. To reach Cap Blanc-Nez, the 'Div'in' line of the urban transport network takes you from Calais city center to the Cap, via Sangatte-Blériot-Plage. For hikes starting at the foot of the Cap, the Hubert Latham car park at the edge of Sangatte is highly recommended.
Accessing the cape without a car
Large open spaces and drainage ditches
West of Calais, one is already on the coastal plain that heralds Flanders and its drainage canals, the watergangs or wateringues, which crisscross the landscape. Huchette beach The area around Les Hemmes de Marck is unique in several respects: the foreshore is so vast that at low tide the sea is barely visible. Local legend attributes to these channels the presence of a witch, Marie-Grouette, who would snatch children who got too close to the water.
Beaches of Calais and the Opal Coast
©Nohcab The Great Outdoors and Nature Trail
The "Great Outdoors and Nature" trail (8,5 km, unmarked), starting from the Saint-Joseph church in Les Hemmes de Marck, crosses theFort Vert Natural Area and runs alongside the Royal Dike and then the Taff dike as far as the Walde LighthouseUnique in France for its metal structure, and now defunct. Binoculars are recommended for observing the seal colony and seabirds at its base.
Wide Open Spaces and Nature Circuit
©Nohcab 
©Nohcab The Marie Grouette of Bandyck
Starting from the Aigrettes farm in Marck, the town's Nature and Environment Center, this yellow-marked trail covers 12 kilometers along the Marck canal, the main axis of the drainage network, before going around Calais-Marck Airport.
Local legend attributes to these canals the presence of a witch, Marie-Grouette, who would snatch children who got too close to the water. The return to the Aigrettes farm skirts around a former World War II bunker, overlooking the Fort-Vert Dune to the north and into the depths of the maritime Flanders landscapes to the east.
The Marie Grouette of Bandyck
©Nohcab In the countryside, storming the Boulonnais hills
Just a few kilometers from the coast, the landscape changes dramatically: the straight canals of the drainage ditches give way to the first hills of the Boulonnais region. The villages that surround them—Hames-Boucres, Saint-Tricat, Bonningues-lès-Calais, Pihen-lès-Guînes—are crossed by the Chemin de Leulène, the oldest trace left by man in the region, recognized as a sensitive archaeological zone and a section of the Via Francigena, a pilgrimage route linking Canterbury to Rome.
Leulingue Trail
Starting from the Hames-Boucres village hall, this yellow-marked trail covers 7,5 kilometers, sharing the first few hundred meters with the Planche Tournoire circuit. The route passes in front of the Château de Hames, a former 18th-century country house, then in front of theSt. Martin's Church from Boucres, and crosses the Fontinettes area.
The Leulingue Trail
©Nohcab The Tournenoire Board
Starting from the Hames-Boucres village hall, this yellow-marked trail covers 16,5 kilometers: the longest circuit in the area. The route passes through the Sainte-Victoire chapel then follows the Pierrettes canal to the Carrée lock, a structure in the drainage network that allows the Rivière Neuve to pass under the Guînes canal. The route then reaches Guînes, a town marked by the famous Field of the Cloth of Gold meeting between Francis I and Henry VIII of England, whose silhouette is visible at the edge of town. The Clock Tower, near the town hall square, retraces the history of the town.
La Planche Tournoire Circuit
©Nohcab 
©Nohcab Path of Madness
Starting from the Espace Futurum walkway in Bonningues-lès-Calais, near the media library The Rose des VentsThis yellow-marked trail covers 10 kilometers. The route joins the hamlet of Lot and then the so-called Sainte-Marguerite trail, before running alongside the Bois de la Folie, which gave its name to the route.
The return journey, along a hilly road, passes by the church of Saint-Pierre in Bonningues-lès-Calaisof which only the choir of the original medieval building remains, the whole having been rebuilt in Flemish style. Its stained glass windows depict episodes from the lives of saints and kings of France.
The Path of Madness Trail
©Nohcab 
©Nohcab The Marsh Loop
Starting from the town hall of Saint-Tricat, this loop marked in yellow covers 10,5 kilometers. The route crosses the Haute Leulingue, a place called the Chemin de Leulène, the oldest road in the area, before reaching the marshes and watergangs that shape this polder territory.
The route passes by the town hall of Nielles-lès-Calais, a former boarding school for girls, and by the Sainte-Victoire chapelerected to replace the old church of Hames.
The Marsh Loop
©Nohcab 
©Nohcab Ridge Trail
The village of Pihen-lès-Guînes is crossed from east to west by an ancient road considered to be Roman, a branch derived from the Leulène which connected Guînes to Wissant, a port of embarkation for England in the Middle Ages: this route constitutes a portion of the Via FrancigenaStarting from the town hall, this trail marked in yellow covers 8,5 kilometers.
The route passes in front of the Notre-Dame de l'Annonciation church and the old Pihen mill, of which only the ruined tower remains today.
The Crest Trail
©NohCab-Calais XXL