The Bay of the Somme (Somme, France)
Photos – Info – Weather – Tips – Geo Info – Starry sky [- Tides]
General information about The Bay of Somme
The Bay of Somme is one of the "Grand Sites de France," say a protected area of more than 7,200 hectares of national importance. An area with a similar status, for example, is the "Grand Site des Deux Caps," say the Cap Gris-Nez and the Cap Blanc-nez. They first received the label in 2011. It is renewed every six years.
It is a vast stretch of land, the mouth of the Somme, which is flooded at high tide and dry at low tide. It is home to numerous unique plants and animals. Various sub-areas have been demarcated within the "Bay of the Somme." For example, there is the "Parc du Marquenterre,"known to birdwatchers and hikers (163,500 visitors in 2018), and the samphire concessions. There is a village on both sides of the bay: the smaller, austere Le Crotoy on one side and the larger, medieval Saint-Valery-sur-Somme on the other. Cayeux-sur-Mer is partly located on the bay. Le Hourdel, officially located in Cayeux-sur-Mer, is a special viewpoint, best known as a place where seals can be spotted. It is also the area where samphire grows (better known by its French name, "salicorne"). On the shores of the bay, you can also see a shepherdess herding several hundred sheep with her dog.
In many ways, the area is reminiscent of the Zwin (Belgium) and Mont Saint-Michel (Normandy, France), but without the island with its famous cathedral, of course: the play of ebb and flow, the plains, the sheep, the many hikers and nature lovers.
Visitor tips The Bay of Somme
General tips:
1) if you are looking for other nearby attractions, consult our Tourist map of Top.Vlaanderen.
2) You can consult our overview lists: by category ( e.g. timeline, size, ...) or by region
3) You can also always consult tourist services: see our overview of tourist services
Tip 1: Be sure not to forget your binoculars and/or camera with strong telephoto lens! Sturdy hiking boots and rain vest are also helpful.
Tip 2:If you want to stay close to the bay, don't wait too long to book. The number of hotels is limited anyway, and it can get quite busy. We stayed one night atthe"Hôtel de la Baie de Somme"in Le Crotoy. Although it is only a two-star hotel, everything was perfect. Simple and small room (only €85/night and €2 x 11 for a delicious breakfast). In Saint-Valery-sur-Somme, we recommend the three-starHôtel Échappée en Baie: we have stayed there several times. Very good value for money with free parking (and charging stations that can be reserved).
We made several pages of different attractions in this area:
- Cayeux-sur-Mer - Beach - beach cabins & lighthouse, Maison de la Baie de la Somme
- Cayeux-sur-Mer - Le Hourdel - watch tower lifeguards, viewpoint over the bay, seals, glasswort
- The Bay Steam Train
- The medieval town of Saint-Valery-sur-Somme
Geographical information
Address: Rue du Phare, Le Crotoy, Hauts-de-France, France
Geographical coordinates:
- Google Maps: Latitude = 50.2237898 - Longitude = 1.5640385
- Open Street Maps: Latitude = 50.214463 - Longitude = 1.623018
- Altitude h = 4 m
Indication of The Bay of Somme on:
Tourist map of Top.Vlaanderen - Google Maps - OpenStreetMap.
Route to The Bay of Somme: Route via Google Maps
Meteo
7°C
| Day | Condition | Temperature | Precipitation | Rain Chance | Wind | Humidity | Pressure |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Today
22:00
|
cloudy
|
7° | 10°°C | 0 mm | 0% | 12 Km/h | 98 % | 1019 mb |
|
Tomorrow
22:00
|
 cloudy
|
4° | 9°°C | 0 mm | 0% | 12 Km/h | 91 % | 1019 mb |
|
Mon Jan 26
10:00 p.m.
|
partly cloudy
|
3° | 9°°C | 0 mm | 0% | 11 Km/h | 92 % | 1019 mb |
|
Tue Jan 26
10:00 p.m.
|
 slightly cloudy
|
5° | 10°°C | 0 mm | 0% | 11 Km/h | 92 % | 1020 mb |
|
Wed Jan 26
10:00 p.m.
|
 cloudless
|
3° | 8°°C | 0 mm | 0% | 22 Km/h | 93 % | 1014 mb |
| Hour | Condition | Temperature | Precipitation | Rain Chance | Wind | Humidity | Pressure |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Today
10:00
|
cloudy
|
7° | 7°°C | 0 mm | 0% | 8 Km/h | 98 % | 1015 mb |
|
Today
13:00
|
cloudy
|
9° | 10°°C | 0 mm | 0% | 9 Km/h | 88 % | 1016 mb |
|
Today
16:00
|
cloudy
|
10° | 10°°C | 0 mm | 0% | 9 Km/h | 91 % | 1017 mb |
|
Today
19:00
|
cloudy
|
8° | 8°°C | 0 mm | 0% | 10 Km/h | 94 % | 1018 mb |
|
Today
22:00
|
cloudy
|
9° | 9°°C | 0 mm | 0% | 12 Km/h | 89 % | 1019 mb |
|
Tomorrow
01:00
|
cloudy
|
8° | 8°°C | 0 mm | 0% | 12 Km/h | 87 % | 1019 mb |
|
Tomorrow
04:00
|
partly cloudy
|
6° | 6°°C | 0 mm | 0% | 10 Km/h | 90 % | 1019 mb |
|
Tomorrow
07:00
|
cloudy
|
6° | 6°°C | 0 mm | 0% | 9 Km/h | 91 % | 1019 mb |
Starry skies over The Bay of the Somme
Tide predictions
Want to see the tides for another date?
Internet information from and about The Bay of Somme
Visitor numbers: nearly 10 million tourists per year.
General website of Bay of Somme: Dutch, French, English
Web portal about the Bay of the Somme.
Information about the Bay of the Somme as a Grand Site de France
Information about samphire in Wikipedia (Dutch-speaking, French-speaking: glasswort, English-speaking)
Tourism Office Saint-Valery-sur-Somme:
Website - Facebook (municipality) – Instagram (municipality)
Tourism Office “The Bay of Somme”:
Website - Facebook - Instagram - 
YouTube
Tourist InformationSomme Tourism” / “Go Somme":
Website - Facebook - Instagram - X - Pinterest - YouTube
Our photos about The Bay of Somme
Onze foto’s, video’s, … zijn allen (c) 2004-2026, Top.Vlaanderen, België. Ze mogen niet “zomaar” worden overgenomen of gebruikt. Ze zijn evenwel licentieerbaar. Wil U uw eigen toeristische attractie, B&B, vakantiewoning… laten fotograferen door ons, dat kan ook. Neem hiervoor contact met ons op via ons Contactformulier .
Photos on the bay taken at "Le Cap Hornu" in Saint-Valery-sur-Somme (June 5/6, 2025):
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Photos on the bay taken at "Le Cap Hornu," Saint-Valery-sur-Somme (June 15-16, 2024):
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Other photos:
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