Beneath the surface
Everything is neatly organised at Cap Blanc-Nez. Without searching, you drive up the slope to the large car park. And without thinking, you then walk to the obelisk that marks the top. It is a monument to the Dover Patrol, which patrolled the waters during the First World War. From the cape, I gaze over the activity at sea. Cargo ships passing The Channel, ferries crossing, sailboats heading into the wind. And far in the distance, the chalk cliffs of England are visible as a white haze. It reminds me that Cap Blanc-Nez itself is an outstanding chalk cliff. But here at the top, it is literally hidden beneath the surface. To see Cap Blanc-Nez, I have to get off the cape.
Over the southern slope, I follow the footpath downhill. The northern French landscape sways like the waves of the sea. It is as if the village of Escalles is almost to be going under. After the descent, the hiking trail continues on a tractor path, which follows the abruptly torn down coastline above the white cliffs undisturbed. Behind me, the rock face of Cap Blanc-Nez becomes more visible with every step.
Waiting for the shade to pass
After a few kilometres, the chalk cliffs stop and the path ends with steps down to the beach. This is the point to walk back via the beach, along the foot of the cliffs. But there is no sun shining on the chalk cliffs yet. With their location towards the northwest, that only happens later on the day. To buy time, I walk on to the seaside resort of Wissant. Waiting for the shade to pass.
Wissant is a friendly little town. It undeniably thrives on tourism, the streets are mainly populated by holidaymakers. But the shops, restaurants and apartments are pleasantly small-scale. At the local Spar I buy cold bottles of soda and a chausson aux pommes, an apple turnover made of puff pastry. A little further on, I find the perfect spot for this lunch: a bench in the shade, on the small square next to the church..
From the boulevard of Wissant, Cap Blanc-Nez can be seen in the distance. The stalling of time has worked, the sunlight gently grazes the white flanks of the cape. The walk there is magnificent. Almost five kilometres over the immensely wide beach, the sun at my back. The closer I get to Cap Blanc-Nez, the more the white cliffs sparkle in the sunlight. The film of water that lies over the beach twinkles happily along. This is the cape in all its glory.
Hiking map
- Take the tide into account when planning your hike. At high tide, the water can be so high that the walk over the beach is not possible.
- Due to its location towards the northwest, the chalk cliffs only get sun in the afternoon. In August, this is from around one o’clock.
- There is no marked hiking route, but that is not a problem. Directions are super easy: you can either walk along the top of the cliffs or along the bottom over the beach. Note that there are only a few places where you can get on and off the beach.
- The hiking route can be shortened to your liking. Without a trip to Wissant, the walk is 7.8 km long. It can be shortened with another kilometre by omitting the loop to the monument on Cap Blanc-Nez.
- There is a large and free car park on Cap Blanc-Nez where you can start the hike. It does have a height restriction of maximum 2.1 metres. Another option is to start at the car park west of Escalles.
