The "Deux Caps" : exploring the coast

They’re the real stars of the Opal coast. And it’s obvious why… Caps Blanc-Nez and Gris-Nez reveal some absolutely staggering scenery. A unique journey where nature is all that counts. To the south of Calais, Cap Blanc-Nez culminates at a height of 134 metres, it’s the taller of the two. From the top, you’ll be able to touch lightly on the English coast with your fingertips, so close the white cliffs of Albion seem to be!

All around you, nature rules. The lawns are maintained by the flocks of Boulogne sheep, whereas the birds wrangle over the cavities in the chalky wall. A veritable ecological corridor, thousands of migratory birds fly over Cap Blanc-Nez every year. Peering through your field glasses, enjoy the ceaseless ballet of seagulls and black-headed gulls! Up there, nature radiates an incredible force. It makes you feel quite tiny…

A little bit to the south, Cap Gris-Nez also plunges you into a wild world. There too, at the top you’ll be lost in wonder at the sight of the view offering itself up to you. At the lighthouse, you are at the closest point to England. Furthermore, it’s here that the officers of the CROSS (Centre régional opérationnel de surveillance et de sauvetage; Regional Operational Surveillance and Life-Saving Centre) watch out over the busiest straits in the world. More than 10 million passengers cross here each year. An interpretive trail takes you around the site, revealing its secrets to you. You’ll find out all about its history (from the customs officers to the Second World War) and learn so much about nature’s elements that shaped it (wind, marine currents, etc.).

From the summit of Cap Gris-Nez, the former custom’s patrol path takes you from creek to creek. The shoreline fishermen are having a tremendous time. The cliff also shelters animal fossils 150 million years old! Between the Deux Caps, Wissant beach stretches out over more than twelve kilometres. With the slightest gust of wind, it fills up with sand yachts, and windsurfers coming to enjoy their favourite sport at one of the most popular spots on the Opal Coast.