The Blueportel blog
Written from our seafront mobile home in Le Portel, our guides help you plan your stay: activities, beaches, Nausicaá, family outings and accommodation.
Guide · 16 min read
From the chalk cliffs of Cap Blanc-Nez to the cobbled lanes of Boulogne-sur-Mer: everything worth seeing and doing on France's Opal Coast, with ready-made itineraries for 2, 4 or 7 days — just 35 minutes from the Eurotunnel.
Guide · 14 min read
Tickets, ideal duration, crowd-free time slots, a room-by-room route and what to do before or after: everything you need to plan your Nausicaá visit, from hosts who have been sending guests there for years.
Beaches · 14 min read
Fine sand, dunes, cliffs and Belle Époque villas: our ranking of the Opal Coast's beaches, with the ideal visitor profile for each, summer parking reality and the tide traps to know about.
Family · 14 min read
Nausicaá, ramparts, beach, sand yachting and a 'welsh' by the port: an hour-by-hour plan for two successful days with children, with the real budget, rain options and all the logistics.
Accommodation · 13 min read
Urban hotels full in season, Airbnbs with hidden fees, gîtes far from the sea: we compared every way to stay around Boulogne-sur-Mer, real prices included, for each traveller profile.
Destination · 11 min read
France's biggest fishing port, Europe's largest aquarium and a walled old town 10 minutes away — and your own terrace facing the Channel when you return. How to stay in Boulogne-sur-Mer from Le Portel.
Destination · 11 min read
Listed 1900s villas, a legendary seafront promenade, shore fishing and superb seafood restaurants: Wimereux 15 minutes away, your own sea-view terrace when you return.
Destination · 11 min read
The coast's ultimate family beach, two legendary golf courses, pine forest and Hardelot castle: all the Anglo-Norman charm of the coast, 20 minutes from your sea-view terrace.
Destination · 11 min read
Aqualud, the covered market, villas in the forest and a vast beach: Le Touquet by day, and in the evening a terrace facing the Channel for 2-3 times less than resort prices.
Destination · 11 min read
The perfect arc of Wissant bay between Cap Blanc-Nez and Cap Gris-Nez, the region's top kitesurfing spot and an unspoilt fishing village — 35 minutes from your seafront terrace.
Destination · 11 min read
France's most northerly chalk cliff, England on the horizon and the Grand Site hiking loop: Cap Blanc-Nez 40 minutes from your seafront terrace.
Destination · 11 min read
The closest point of France to England, wild coves, migrating birds and the Crans coastal path: the coast in its raw state, 25 minutes from your sea-view terrace.
Destination · 11 min read
The Vauban fort standing in the sea, whitewashed fishermen's cottages, crab landed that day and the Slack dunes: the coast's two most endearing villages, 20 minutes from your terrace.
Destination · 11 min read
The famous upturned-boat houses, dunes as high as hills and a wild beach — reachable on foot from our mobile homes along the clifftop path. The coast's best car-free outing.
Destination · 11 min read
The fire-breathing Dragon of Calais, the Lace Museum, the UNESCO belfry and Rodin's Burghers: Calais will surprise you — 35 minutes from your seafront terrace, and the perfect first stop after the tunnel or ferry.
Destination · 11 min read
The seals of Authie bay, April's international kite festival and one of the largest beaches in the north: Berck as a discovery day out from your seafront base.
Destination · 11 min read
Three kilometres of ramparts, a citadel, cobbled lanes that inspired Victor Hugo and the best dining in the Pas-de-Calais: the historic, gourmet interlude of your coastal stay.