This Coast, which runs along the Channel right up to the North Sea, interrupted by long beaches, striking cliffs and grandiose rocky outcrops, is located between the Caps of Blanc-Nez and Griz-Nez. Its craggy landscape with its ever-changing, almost mysterious hues, and its twists and turns gives an impression of infinity and has been the inspiration, much like a muse from ancient times, to artists and walkers alike. Edouard Lévèque was so enchanted with it that he dubbed it “The Opal Coast”.

While it is hard to know where exactly this area begins and ends, indeed its precise area is hotly disputed, The Opal Coast has no lack of villages of character, important sea ports and renowned seaside resorts such as Le Crotoy, Le Touquet, Boulogne-sur-Mer, Berck-Plage, Equihen-Plage, Calais, or even, further to the North, Gravelines, Dunkerque and even Zuydcoote which came to prominence in the novel by Robert Merle.