Think of the northernmost coast of France and Calais usually springs to mind. But you’re not thinking hard enough. Tilt a tiny bit to the south-west of the much-maligned port and you reach a string of seaside towns with lovely long stretches of sandy beach. There’s a reason why they call this the Opal Coast — its sandy cliffs really do shimmer in the light.
Follow the shore road from the Eurotunnel terminal as it meanders through a gently rolling landscape of farmland and meadows. After about 25 minutes you’ll come to Wimereux, a classic 19th-century example of what happens when you take a handful of French industrialists with a bit of cash to flash, add the growing vogue for sea-bathing and top it with a new railway line.
But Wimereux is more than just a seaside resort: somewhere along the line, those Belle Époque architects went a little wild and came up with some truly whimsical creations. Towers and turrets, gables and balconies, a rainbow of colours, more decorative detail than you could ever need (but still really want): they all make a walk through Wimereux’s narrow streets a joy. Look up, they say, and across, and down, and through garden gates smothered in greenery. The devilish delight is in the detail.
Just as compelling is Wimereux’s long beach, where more 19th-century villas grace the wide seafront promenade. Yes, you’ll find a few architectural blots thanks to some hasty post-war developments. But they’re mostly masked by rows of blue-and-white beach huts, plus a few ice-cream and waffle stalls thrown in for extra colour.
There’s plenty of room on that broad promenade to accommodate lazy amblers, joggers, dogs of all sizes (with or without their own buggies), cyclists and kids on scooters, all of them creating a perpetually jolly atmosphere. When the tide goes out, the sands seem to go on forever. As the tide makes its way back in, it slowly covers the slanted sea wall that’s studded with concrete platforms (and sunbathers trying to avoid the rising water).
In a prime waterfront spot is the Hotel Atlantic, whose laid-back air belies its Michelin-star status. Dinner at the gourmet restaurant comes with not only an excellent cheeseboard and exquisitely cooked fish, but spectacular sunsets from its picture windows. When it’s clear you can see England’s chalky shoreline across the Channel. In the town centre, a stroll along the high street, Rue Carnot, reveals independent shops outnumber chains by about 20 to one.
Just before the street peters out at the Wimereux river you’ll see a little square around the town hall which hosts the Friday morning food market. It’s a small affair and not especially pretty, but it’s hard not to be seduced by the quality of the local cheeses, butter, fruit, meat and fish. For a breakfast of champions, stop by the oyster stall for half a dozen oysters and a glass of wine for €9. That should keep you going until lunchtime, when you can dive into a bowl of mussels and chips on a seafront café terrace.
A few historical details leap out as you explore the town. On the southern outskirts near Boulogne is the Colonne de la Grande Armée, the column marking where Napoleon handed out the first Légion d’Honneur to his troops in 1804. It was from here that the little Corsican would have lanched his planned but never executed invasion of England. For €3.50 you can climb the column’s 269 steps and take in sweeping views of the coast. The free museum at its base displays the shell-ridden statue of Napoleon that topped the column until it was damaged in the Second World War.
There’s another wartime reminder at the Commonwealth War Graves cemetery in the north of the town. Among its flat gravestones — the soil is too sandy for upright ones — is one marking the grave of Colonel John McCrae, the Canadian physician who wrote the poem In Flanders Fields in 1915.
If you have a day or two to spare, hire an electric bike and get to know the nooks and crannies of the coast. Boulogne, to the south, has a vast new addition to its Nausicaá sea centre, making it the largest aquarium in Europe. Head north to reach the neighbouring seaside villages of Ambleteuse and Audresselles, and follow the hiking trails that lead to windswept Cap Gris-Nez. Combine beer and beach with a tasting at the Brasserie Artisanale des 2 Caps family-run brewery in Tardinghen, handily located near the path to the wild Châtelet sandy beach. Just beyond is kite-surf-crazy Wissant, whose architecture is almost as eccentric as Wimereux’s.
You won’t find the glamour of the Mediterranean — but you also won’t find the silly prices or the crowds. It’s an enticing flavour of France that’s right under our noses.
Wimereux
Eurotunnel has crossings from Folkestone to Calais from £140 return (eurotunnel.com). Stay at Hotel Atlantic (atlantic-delpierre.com), which has doubles from €147, room only. pas-de-calais-tourisme.com
