Driving holiday to Hauts-de-France: Saint Valery-sur-Somme and Le Crotoy
If you want an easy driving holiday from the UK, Hauts-de-France has lots to offer families. Hauts-de-France is France’s northernmost region, and where you exit Eurotunnel! It was renamed in 2014 when the government combined Nord-Pas-de-Calais and Picardy.
I explored the region with my teen-age daughter. We spent a few days touring though medieval Saint Valery Sur Somme, chic Le Touquet-Paris-Plage and the seaport of Boulogne-Sur-Mer.
The French have perfected the art-de-vivre, the “art of living” and Hauts-de France is full of great restaurants, range of hotels for all price points and lots of activities available for families from horseback riding to sand yachting to cycling. We were impressed with the amount of sustainable options! If you like wide sandy beaches, Pine Forests, estuaries, wildlife, and seafood, you need to check out Hauts-de-France.
I’ve put together some ideas for a driving holiday in Hauts-de-France, featuring Saint Valery-sur-Somme and Le Crotoy.
Saint Valery-sur-Somme
Our first stop was the pretty town of Saint Valery-sur- Somme. It’s just 115km from Calais and 30km south of Le Touquet Paris Plage. The quaint town is full of medieval buildings, pastel-coloured fisherman’s cottages and views over the Somme Bay.
Joan of Arc was held captive here before being taken to Rouen to be burned at the stake! Victor Hugo, Edgar Degas, and Georges Seurat also spent time in Saint Valery Sur Somme.
Make sure to visit the Medieval Quarter, Fishermen’s Quarter, and the Sailor’s Chapel. The Somme Bay is home to a large seal colony, and when the tide goes out you can walk across the Bay with a guide!
Le Crotoy
Across the Bay is Le Crotoy, a small fishing village with a large South-facing sandy beach (the only south-facing beach in Northern France!). The Somme Bay famously catches the light, and many artists and painters have come here over the years to capture the colours (especially at sundown).
Where to stay and eat: Les Tourelles Hotel Restaurant in Le Crotoy
We stayed in Le Crotoy at Les Tourelles, which has fantastic views of the Baie de Somme. Earning the European Eco label for its eco-sensitive approach, the 35-room 3* Les Tourelles Hotel Restaurant is a real find. Set on the only south-facing beach in Northern France, the Baie de Somme is at your doorstep. The eco-mindset is apparent everywhere: discreet reminders ask guests if they’d like to help conserve water by re-using towels or use less energy by turning off lights when they leave. And the restaurant serves food from local producers; we enjoyed a terrine made with “vegetables of the sun” with a pesto d’herbes de la baie from a producer in La Crotoy! But best is the stunning sea view! The quaint terrace overlooks the ever-changing Baie de Somme, where you can watch the light dance and sparkle across the water. Catch it at sunset and it’s simply magical.
What to do: Ride a historic stream train
We rode around the Bay on the iconic steam train, the Chemin de fer de la Baie de Somme. This persevered railway runs March – December between Le Crotoy and Saint-Valery-Sur-Somme. It’s a nice way to see the surrounding areas, and a good way to get to Le Crotoy which is where many of the walking tours across the bay start.
What to do: Walk across the Baie de Somme
At low tide we did a 3 and 1/2 hour guided walk across the Baie de Somme!! Our guide Maxim Marzi guided us through streams and sand and clay while sharing his love of nature and the Baie. We learned how to enjoy nature whilst leaving it virtually untouched. Maxim is a naturalist and ecologically minded, stopping every few minutes to show us another miracle of nature, such as soft-shell clams which can filter out pollution and herbs from Bay that can be used in cooking. It’s quite an adventure. Kids would love it – it’s an adventure. It’s essential to go with a guide so you time it with the tides and you don’t run into any danger. But that’s part of the fun.
Want to visit Hauts-de France?
Read my other articles about the area!
Visiting Hauts-de-France: Le Touquet-Paris-Plage and Boulogne-sur-Mer
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