Cycling the Hauts-de-France coastline along the Vélomaritime® route

From Bray-les-Dunes on the Belgian border, our route along the Vélomaritime® begins with a leisurely stage of just over 15 kilometres, easily accessible to beginners and families. You pedal along a greenway through the Dunes de Frandre, a Grand Site de France that reveals a unique palette of colours and atmospheres, before arriving in Dunkirk, France's third-largest port.

Dunkerque has a rich cultural heritage. You can admire the Leughenaer Tower, the statue in Place Jean Bart, the remarkable vaulted ceiling of the Notre-Dame-des-Dunes chapel and the listed belfries.

Visitors will also appreciate a stroll through the town centre to discover all the facets of the town and its maritime heritage, including the Port Museum and the three-masted schooner the Duchesse-Anne. They'll also love the Malo-les-Bains district, a seaside resort renowned for its four-kilometre-long beach and casino.

⭐ Where to stay in Dunkerque?

Leaving Dunkirk behind, the pace picks up a little on the second stage of the route, which reaches Gravelines along just over 25 kilometres of greenway and cycle path. Experienced cyclists should be able to reach the charming town fortified by Vauban in less than two hours. With its blue and white cabins scattered here and there on its family beach, it's a typical little town in the north of France.

Gravelines is best known for its magnificently preserved star-shaped ramparts designed by Vauban, but it also has many other assets. These include its belfry, listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, its town hall and its astonishing lighthouse.

And don't forget to visit the Musée du Dessin et de l'Estampe Originale, the only museum in the country devoted entirely to prints. You can also simply take a stroll around the city to discover the very varied architecture of the dwellings.

⭐ Where to stay in Gravelines?

Day three, and we're still just as motivated as ever! We set off from Gravelines for around 25 kilometres (20 of them on the road!) along the wateringues to Calais. On the way, we cross the Platier d'Oye Nature Reserve, one of Europe's most important bird sanctuaries, home to dozens of species of migratory birds. After almost two hours on the bike, the silhouette of the belfry of Calais town hall can be seen on the horizon.

Calais is easy to visit by bike. You can admire the ferries leaving for the UK in France's leading port for crossings to England before heading into the town centre. Here, don't miss the Calais Citadel and Watchtower, and the statue of the Burghers of Calais in front of the UNESCO-listed Town Hall and Belfry. Finally, if you have time, head to the Cité Internationale de la Dentelle et de la Mode, a must-see in the town!

⭐ Where to stay in Calais?

Today we embark on the longest stage of our itinerary, but perhaps also the prettiest. For around fifty kilometres, the Vélomaritime® follows the Opal Coast, offering breathtaking views of Wissant Bay and Cap Blanc Nez. Take a break at the Maison du Site des Deux-Caps before setting off to discover Cap Gris Nez, the closest point to England.

We then pass through Wimereux, a charming seaside resort with Anglo-Norman-style villas, and cross the Dunes de la Slack sensitive natural area before reaching Boulogne-sur-Mer.

Boulogne-sur-Mer is France's leading fishing port, but it is also a town with a rich historical and artistic heritage. In the fortified town centre you can admire the town' s belfry, which is in fact an ancient keep, visit the Notre-Dame basilica and its famous crypt, and take a tour of the Château-Musée de Boulogne-sur-Mer.

The ramparts of the old town offer beautiful views over Boulogne-sur-Mer and are perfect for a bucolic stroll, as are the seafront. If you have the time, don't miss a visit to Nausicaá, Europe's largest aquarium.

⭐ Where to stay in Boulogne-sur-Mer?

This half-way stage alternates between cycle paths and roads for around 35 kilometres. After crossing the Ecault forest, the first stop is the pretty seaside resort of Hardelot for a quick visit to the Château d'Hardelot. We then skirt the Mont Saint-Frieux nature reserve before rounding the Bay of Canche via Étaples, home to the largest British military cemetery in France. We take the opportunity to visit Maréis, the sea-fishing discovery centre, before finally arriving at Le Touquet-Paris-Plage.

With 21 protected buildings, many in the Anglo-Norman style, Le Touquet-Paris-Plage is France's most famous seaside resort. Add to this a rich natural landscape with a vast forest and a coastline among the most beautiful in France, the numerous events that enliven the town and a sporting tradition where the long beach plays an important role for disciplines such as sand yachting or kitesurfing, and it will really be hard to leave this little corner of paradise.

⭐ Where to stay in Le Touquet-Paris-Plage?

After the efforts of the last few days, today's stage looks rather easy at just 17 kilometres. The route leaves Le Touquet-Paris-Plage and passes through the small seaside resorts of Stella-Plage and Merlimont-Plage, where the bravest can take the plunge into the cold waters of the English Channel. We finally arrive at Berck-sur-Mer, where you can also swap your bike for a sand yacht.

Berck-sur-Mer is a lively seaside resort where most of the activity is concentrated on the long, windswept 12-kilometre beach that attracts water sports enthusiasts. The town also hosts the annual Berck-sur-Mer International Kite Festival.

You can also take advantage of your stay in Berck to discover the unique landscapes of the Bay of Authie, where numerous guided and commented outings are organised to go and meet the sea calf seals that inhabit it.

⭐ Where to stay in Berck-sur-Mer?

A fairly long but not particularly difficult stage awaits us as we leave Berck-sur-Mer in the direction of Le Crotoy. The route skirts the Bay of the Authie and then runs along the largest dune massif in northern Europe between the seaside resorts of Quend Plage and Saint-Quentin-en-Tourmont. The route then passes through the Marquenterre ornithological park, where you should take the time to observe some of the thousands of migratory birds that stop here every year. Finally, you arrive on the shores of the famous Baie de Somme.

Le Crotoy is a small seaside resort with a rich cultural past, much appreciated for its natural surroundings and the beauty of the Baie de Somme. It was from Le Crotoy that William I set out to conquer England. And in 1430, Joan of Arc was imprisoned here before being shipped off to Rouen.

At the end of the 19th century, Le Crotoy became a famous seaside resort where Jules Vernes spent a long time writing his masterpiece Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea. On the beach, you can take the Jules-Noiret panoramic promenade for splendid views over the Bay. Don't miss the church of Saint Pierre either, with its large 13th-century bell tower.

⭐ Where to stay in Le Crotoy?

For the start of this stage, we change modes of transport and take our bikes on the steam train through the marshes and salt meadows of the Baie de Somme to Saint-Valery-sur-Somme, a charming seaside resort that attracts visitors with its fishermen's cottages, lively port and medieval town. From here, you can hop back on your bike and cycle along the Route Blanche, which winds its way between sea and dunes to the Pointe du Hourdel. Look out for a colony of seals in the area!

Lined up on a plank path facing the English Channel, 481 colourful cabins wait patiently for us in Cayeux-sur-mer. Most belong to private owners, the others are rented by the town for the season. Green, red, white and blue, they add colour to the pebble beach at Cayeux-sur-Mer all summer long, before being taken down and put away for the winter. Now it's the turn of water sports enthusiasts to take over the beach.

⭐ Where to stay in Cayeux-sur-Mer?

Our cycling itinerary along the Hauts-de-France coast is already drawing to a close. On this last day, we're leaving Cayeux-sur-Mer to cycle through the Hable d'Ault, an ancient lagoon protected from the tide by a barrier of pebbles that is home to many species of bird. Take a break in Ault, an Art Deco seaside resort, and discover the Bois de Cise, a small green setting at the base of the great Normandy cliffs.

Le Tréport is a pretty village with narrow, colourful houses. It is famous for housing the Kahl-Burg bunker dug by the Germans during the Second World War. But its real highlight is its funicular railway to the upper town. From up there, the panorama is breathtaking: in a magnificent tableau, the dwellings stretch from visitors' feet to the beach below and the cliffs are lost in the horizon.

⭐ Where to stay in Le Tréport?

We've reached the end of our itinerary in the Hauts-de-France region, but the Vélomaritime® continues along the coast as far as Roscoff in Brittany, passing even more fantastic landscapes and picturesque villages to discover. The cliffs ofEtretat, the D-Day landing beaches, Mont-Saint-Michel, the Caps d'Erquy and Fréhel and the Pink Granite Coast are just some of the wonders awaiting cyclists along the route.