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The local Tourism Office is at your disposal to inform you and promote our beautiful region. Meet at Quai Lejoille, at the old Salt Warehouse.
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Both medieval, with its ramparts and cobbled streets, rich in its maritime past, Saint-Valery-sur-Somme will seduce you with its charm, its surrounding nature of course, its restaurants, its culture, its new activities. Located on a promontory, it naturally offers an amazing view of the Bay. You have to take a little height in the upper town to discover it...
Stroll along the quays and the shopping street of La Ferté, venture into the sailors' district called "Courtgain" with its houses embedded in the colors of boats, gain height in the abbey district, above all, contemplate the spectacle of the Baie de Somme, changing with the tides, the winds, the light.
Our 5 "Favorite" places to observe the comings and goings of the tide: the Calvary of the sailors, the area of Cap Hornu, the Chapel of Saint-Valery, the Lighthouse at the end of the dike, the "William" towers.
Here is a first selection of visits and activities in Saint-Valery. For even more information, visit the site Somme Bay Tourism. We can also advise you on ideas for hikes, bike rental, etc.
Visit, markets and festivities of Saint Valery
Saint-Valery-sur-Somme's Market and Local Festivals
Sunday Market: from 8:00 AM to 1:00 PM
Located on the Place des Pilotes and along the quay.
Wednesday Market
Quai de l'Amiral Courbet
Find around ten vendors. Food market from 8:00 AM to 2:00 PM.
Quai Markets
The market takes place every Friday from June 2nd to September 1st, 2023, from 3:00 PM to 8:00 PM, in the heart of the city center, on the Quai de l'Amiral Courbet. An idyllic setting with a view of the bay, focusing on local produce and craftsmanship.
100% producers and artisans.
Guillaume le Conquérant Festival: early July
Sea Festival: early August
Lamb Festival: September
Sunday Market: from 8:00 AM to 1:00 PM
Located on the Place des Pilotes and along the quay.
Wednesday Market
Quai de l'Amiral Courbet
Find around ten vendors. Food market from 8:00 AM to 2:00 PM.
Quai Markets
The market takes place every Friday from June 2nd to September 1st, 2023, from 3:00 PM to 8:00 PM, in the heart of the city center, on the Quai de l'Amiral Courbet. An idyllic setting with a view of the bay, focusing on local produce and craftsmanship.
100% producers and artisans.
Guillaume le Conquérant Festival: early July
Sea Festival: early August
Lamb Festival: September
24 hours in Saint-Valery
With its colorful facades, marina, and citadel, this Picardy village knows how to charm visitors and cultivate a relaxed way of life. Located between the sky, sand, and sea, it welcomes history enthusiasts who can delve into its medieval past, as well as nature lovers who can observe migratory birds, salt meadow lambs, and seals in the Bay's beautiful light.
Explore the medieval city: the Porte Basse de Nevers, Guillaume Towers, Saint Martin's Church, and the Mariner's Chapel.
Discover the charming houses in the Quartier des Pêcheurs, known as Le Courtgain.
Climb up to the Calvaire des Marins (Mariners' Calvary).
Take a stroll along the quays and cross the lock until the end of the North Breakwater.
Visit the Sunday morning market.
Take a ride on the Baie de Somme small train.
Explore the Picarvie Museum.
Enjoy an aperitif by the Bay.
Visit L'Herbarium.
See the seals at Le Hourdel or with Les P'tits Charcots.
Explore the medieval city: the Porte Basse de Nevers, Guillaume Towers, Saint Martin's Church, and the Mariner's Chapel.
Discover the charming houses in the Quartier des Pêcheurs, known as Le Courtgain.
Climb up to the Calvaire des Marins (Mariners' Calvary).
Take a stroll along the quays and cross the lock until the end of the North Breakwater.
Visit the Sunday morning market.
Take a ride on the Baie de Somme small train.
Explore the Picarvie Museum.
Enjoy an aperitif by the Bay.
Visit L'Herbarium.
See the seals at Le Hourdel or with Les P'tits Charcots.
Where to see seals?
Option 1: Pointe du Hourdel, at low tide, bring binoculars or a telescope and consider arranging a meeting with a guide. Guides are usually available every day at low tide. You can also visit the north of Crotoy, starting from the La Maye beach parking lot.
Option 2: To see common seals and grey seals in the Bay of Authie, head to the end of Chemin aux Raisins in Berck-sur-Mer, facing the Sternes nautical base. This is where you can best observe the colony, which can reach over a hundred specimens at certain times of the year.
Option 3: With a bit of luck, you can spot seals in Saint-Valery along the channel.
A golden rule: keep a minimum distance of 300 meters!
Opt for guided tours in the bay to observe them up close and explore the entire bay.
Seals along our coast:
Hunted until 1972, seals had almost completely disappeared from our coasts in the English Channel and the North Sea, where they seem to have been present for thousands of years. The ban on hunting, abundant food sources, and the presence of several estuaries in Hauts de France where the species peacefully thrives have led to their gradual reappearance since the 1990s. They are now present along the entire coastline, although they are easier to observe in the three bays (Baie de Somme, Baie d'Authie, and Baie de Canche). Keen observers may have the chance to spot them anywhere along the seashore.
Competitors of fishermen,
Stars for tourists,
For a long time, seals were seen by coastal communities as formidable competitors to fishermen. During the German occupation, the priest of Audinghen (Cap Gris Nez) arranged for a colony of around fifty seals to be machine-gunned in order to ensure sufficient fish for the locals' sustenance. As gourmets, seals particularly enjoy flatfish such as sole, dab, and plaice. Their appetite, of course, varies according to their size, gender, and age, but they can easily consume between 2 and 6 kilograms of fish per day—animals that escape the fishermen's nets. In our seas, seals have no predators except humans. In the past, their meat was used as bait in crustacean traps.
Since their natural return to our shores, visitors have flocked to try and observe them, which has become a boon for tourism professionals, some of whom have even specialized in excursions to meet the seals. Nature guides take tourists to see and even listen to the seals, whose calls resemble the snoring of a human! It's an opportunity to raise public awareness about good practices to avoid alarming the mothers in particular, as they may flee into the water, abandoning their young.
Grey seals and common seals,
Two species coexist in our region: the grey seal, which prefers rocky coasts, and the common seal, which thrives in sandy estuaries. Grey seals live in harems controlled by dominant males. In the water, they can be recognized by their elongated heads and straight snouts, giving them the appearance of a rugby ball. Common seals have a rounder head and a small V-shaped indentation between their forehead and nostrils.
In general, both species remain in the water at high tide, dispersed as they hunt, explore, or "bottle" sleep in sheltered areas. At low tide, they gather on sandbanks (resting places) near a channel, allowing them to escape in case of danger. They stay there to soak up as much sun as possible until the rising tide forces them back into the sea. Seals have better hearing and vision underwater than in the air. They are nearsighted on land but have excellent vision when submerged. Their sense of smell is also highly developed, allowing them to find food or recognize their young.
On land, they give the impression of crawling awkwardly in small undulations, but once in the water, they are agile and remarkably fast swimmers who are not afraid of humans. Their curiosity leads them to approach objects to better identify them—boats, drifting objects, or even swimmers! While the latter case may scare some bathers, actual bites, although theoretically possible, are extremely rare, if not nonexistent.
It is common, however, to see an isolated individual traveling up a river for several tens of kilometers, without being lost or sick. Bones discovered at archaeological sites hundreds of kilometers inland provide evidence of this.
Antoine Louis, Certified Guide specializing in Hauts de France.
Option 2: To see common seals and grey seals in the Bay of Authie, head to the end of Chemin aux Raisins in Berck-sur-Mer, facing the Sternes nautical base. This is where you can best observe the colony, which can reach over a hundred specimens at certain times of the year.
Option 3: With a bit of luck, you can spot seals in Saint-Valery along the channel.
A golden rule: keep a minimum distance of 300 meters!
Opt for guided tours in the bay to observe them up close and explore the entire bay.
Seals along our coast:
Hunted until 1972, seals had almost completely disappeared from our coasts in the English Channel and the North Sea, where they seem to have been present for thousands of years. The ban on hunting, abundant food sources, and the presence of several estuaries in Hauts de France where the species peacefully thrives have led to their gradual reappearance since the 1990s. They are now present along the entire coastline, although they are easier to observe in the three bays (Baie de Somme, Baie d'Authie, and Baie de Canche). Keen observers may have the chance to spot them anywhere along the seashore.
Competitors of fishermen,
Stars for tourists,
For a long time, seals were seen by coastal communities as formidable competitors to fishermen. During the German occupation, the priest of Audinghen (Cap Gris Nez) arranged for a colony of around fifty seals to be machine-gunned in order to ensure sufficient fish for the locals' sustenance. As gourmets, seals particularly enjoy flatfish such as sole, dab, and plaice. Their appetite, of course, varies according to their size, gender, and age, but they can easily consume between 2 and 6 kilograms of fish per day—animals that escape the fishermen's nets. In our seas, seals have no predators except humans. In the past, their meat was used as bait in crustacean traps.
Since their natural return to our shores, visitors have flocked to try and observe them, which has become a boon for tourism professionals, some of whom have even specialized in excursions to meet the seals. Nature guides take tourists to see and even listen to the seals, whose calls resemble the snoring of a human! It's an opportunity to raise public awareness about good practices to avoid alarming the mothers in particular, as they may flee into the water, abandoning their young.
Grey seals and common seals,
Two species coexist in our region: the grey seal, which prefers rocky coasts, and the common seal, which thrives in sandy estuaries. Grey seals live in harems controlled by dominant males. In the water, they can be recognized by their elongated heads and straight snouts, giving them the appearance of a rugby ball. Common seals have a rounder head and a small V-shaped indentation between their forehead and nostrils.
In general, both species remain in the water at high tide, dispersed as they hunt, explore, or "bottle" sleep in sheltered areas. At low tide, they gather on sandbanks (resting places) near a channel, allowing them to escape in case of danger. They stay there to soak up as much sun as possible until the rising tide forces them back into the sea. Seals have better hearing and vision underwater than in the air. They are nearsighted on land but have excellent vision when submerged. Their sense of smell is also highly developed, allowing them to find food or recognize their young.
On land, they give the impression of crawling awkwardly in small undulations, but once in the water, they are agile and remarkably fast swimmers who are not afraid of humans. Their curiosity leads them to approach objects to better identify them—boats, drifting objects, or even swimmers! While the latter case may scare some bathers, actual bites, although theoretically possible, are extremely rare, if not nonexistent.
It is common, however, to see an isolated individual traveling up a river for several tens of kilometers, without being lost or sick. Bones discovered at archaeological sites hundreds of kilometers inland provide evidence of this.
Antoine Louis, Certified Guide specializing in Hauts de France.
Le Hourdel
Le Hourdel, gateway to the Bay of Somme...
At the northern end of the seaside promenade of Cayeux-sur-Mer, the tip of Hourdel emerges. This estuary serves as the entrance for boats wishing to reach the estuary of the Bay of Somme.
The tip of Hourdel constitutes the southernmost point of the Bay of Somme and extends further south, mainly due to the accumulation of pebbles brought by the swell. Due to the silting of the port, fishing boats can only access it for a short period of time or during high tides with a high coefficient.
The return of the "sauterelliers," the famous plump fishing boats specially equipped for catching grey shrimp, is usually a highly anticipated moment for visitors seeking seafood products.
At low tide, the sea retreats more than 14 km from the bottom of the Bay of Somme (Noyelles-sur-Mer), revealing 7,200 hectares of intertidal zone. Hourdel thus offers an exceptional panorama of one of the most beautiful bays in the world. The captivating beauty of the site, often appreciated by painters and photographers, will charm and dazzle you.
Two species of seals have made their home on the sandbanks offshore of Hourdel for several centuries. There are about 300 common seals and 50 grey seals that spend their summers in the Bay of Somme. At low tide, the seals gather on the exposed sandbanks, an ideal habitat where they can find tranquility and food.
Hourdel is the starting point for numerous walking or cycling excursions, whether towards Cayeux-sur-Mer via the White Road or Saint-Valery-sur-Somme via the cycle path.
At the northern end of the seaside promenade of Cayeux-sur-Mer, the tip of Hourdel emerges. This estuary serves as the entrance for boats wishing to reach the estuary of the Bay of Somme.
The tip of Hourdel constitutes the southernmost point of the Bay of Somme and extends further south, mainly due to the accumulation of pebbles brought by the swell. Due to the silting of the port, fishing boats can only access it for a short period of time or during high tides with a high coefficient.
The return of the "sauterelliers," the famous plump fishing boats specially equipped for catching grey shrimp, is usually a highly anticipated moment for visitors seeking seafood products.
At low tide, the sea retreats more than 14 km from the bottom of the Bay of Somme (Noyelles-sur-Mer), revealing 7,200 hectares of intertidal zone. Hourdel thus offers an exceptional panorama of one of the most beautiful bays in the world. The captivating beauty of the site, often appreciated by painters and photographers, will charm and dazzle you.
Two species of seals have made their home on the sandbanks offshore of Hourdel for several centuries. There are about 300 common seals and 50 grey seals that spend their summers in the Bay of Somme. At low tide, the seals gather on the exposed sandbanks, an ideal habitat where they can find tranquility and food.
Hourdel is the starting point for numerous walking or cycling excursions, whether towards Cayeux-sur-Mer via the White Road or Saint-Valery-sur-Somme via the cycle path.
Bike rentals - "The Royal Whale"
La Baleine royale: a bike rental service located at the Canal parking lot, no reservation required.
5, Quai Jules Verne
06 79 65 44 78
Other rental options available:
Les Biclounes du Mini Golf
Rent "Beach Cruiser" bikes for adults and children's bikes for rides on the cycling paths, starting from Saint-Valery-sur-Somme. On-site dining available.
22 bis, Quai du Romerel
03 22 60 80 43
Garage Saint Val
Bike rental for adults, juniors, trailers, tag-along bikes, baskets, child seats, electric bikes, and fat bikes. Helmet, lock, and lighting kit provided. Free breakdown/assistance. Close to the entrance parking lot of the town.
208, route d'Abbeville
03 22 60 85 83
Noshoes Saint-Valery
Beach cruiser rental.
17 Rue de la Ferté
03 22 30 57 29
5, Quai Jules Verne
06 79 65 44 78
Other rental options available:
Les Biclounes du Mini Golf
Rent "Beach Cruiser" bikes for adults and children's bikes for rides on the cycling paths, starting from Saint-Valery-sur-Somme. On-site dining available.
22 bis, Quai du Romerel
03 22 60 80 43
Garage Saint Val
Bike rental for adults, juniors, trailers, tag-along bikes, baskets, child seats, electric bikes, and fat bikes. Helmet, lock, and lighting kit provided. Free breakdown/assistance. Close to the entrance parking lot of the town.
208, route d'Abbeville
03 22 60 85 83
Noshoes Saint-Valery
Beach cruiser rental.
17 Rue de la Ferté
03 22 30 57 29
The electric scooters of the Baie de Somme
As a family, with friends, as a couple, enjoy the landscapes of Saint-Valery in a different way in a fun way, while preserving the environment.
06 20 64 11 84
06 20 64 11 84
Guided tour of Saint-Valery
With Véronique Lamidel: an original discovery of 2h30 through the different districts of the village.
06 24 96 10 54
06 24 96 10 54
Somme Bay Railway
Authentic Belle Epoque carriages pulled by valiant steam locomotives circulate on the old sea bathing network, recognized since 1887. Take advantage of the charm of the journeys of yesteryear.
03 22 26 96 96
03 22 26 96 96
Tuk Tuk ride
Do you want to discover St Valery differently?
Make yourself comfortable aboard the TUK TOUR VALERICAIN.
Visit the city in a 100% electric 6-seater tuk tuk. A fun and unusual means of transport for young and old.
06 61 85 28 64
Make yourself comfortable aboard the TUK TOUR VALERICAIN.
Visit the city in a 100% electric 6-seater tuk tuk. A fun and unusual means of transport for young and old.
06 61 85 28 64
Olivier Guide in the Bay of Somme
Nature Guide Baie de Somme, Le Hourdel and the Seals, Bay Hiking, Bird Watching and Migration.
06 23 15 45 91
06 23 15 45 91
Nature hike in the Somme
Take part in the discovery of the Baie de Somme, the colony of seals & migratory birds. Follow the guide !
03 22 26 92 30
03 22 26 92 30
Maxim guides in the Bay
Your guide for nature outings and guided tours in the Bay of Somme: see the seals, crossing the bay, with the family, tailor-made, follow the guide.
06 13 22 00 02
06 13 22 00 02
Passion baie de somme
Your guides Gwenaël and Estelle offer you all year long guided nature walks to discover the treasures of the Baie de Somme.
Nature animators since 2002, approved and graduates of states, attached to their childhood land and passionate about nature since very young, they will be keen to share their passion for this fabulous territory with you.
06 33 87 76 92
Nature animators since 2002, approved and graduates of states, attached to their childhood land and passionate about nature since very young, they will be keen to share their passion for this fabulous territory with you.
06 33 87 76 92
Hiking on the Coastal Trail
Open from Mers-les-Bains to Le Crotoy, the Coastal Trail provides privileged access to the stunning landscapes of the coast. From dunes, cliffs, meadows, pebble beaches, salt marshes, and wetlands, hikers journey through ever-changing environments. Along the way, they may also encounter locals, shore fishermen, and other fascinating encounters that exemplify the authenticity of the area.
Herbarium of the ramparts
Reconstruction of the gardens of the nuns of the hospital around ornamental, historical, condiment and medicinal plants.
03 22 26 69 37
03 22 26 69 37
Canoes and Kayaks in the Bay
Embark on a Polynesian canoe, also called va'a, to discover the Baie de Somme, contemplate the fauna and flora in the gentlest and most respectful way for nature.
Association "Bay of Seals"
06 74 37 50 74
www.kayak-somme.com
Va'a in the Bay
06 42 22 17 05
www.vaaenbaie.com
The Canoe
06 71 78 22 37
www.canoekayak-baiedesomme.fr
Association "Bay of Seals"
06 74 37 50 74
www.kayak-somme.com
Va'a in the Bay
06 42 22 17 05
www.vaaenbaie.com
The Canoe
06 71 78 22 37
www.canoekayak-baiedesomme.fr
Aboard the Commandant Charcot
Every day, boats cross the Bay of Somme from Saint-Valery or Le Crotoy and take visitors on a discovery of the local fauna and flora. A trip punctuated with anecdotes on the rich history of the local heritage, with the possibility, for the luckiest, to see the seals in their natural environment.
03 22 60 74 68
03 22 60 74 68
The little Charcots
Embark on a one-hour excursion across the bay and come and observe up close and without disturbing them the largest colony of harbor seals in France!
07 69 81 08 31
07 69 81 08 31
Spa overlooking the Bay
Step inside and enter the world of well-being: a selection of treatments designed to nourish the body and mind, based on a genuine connection with nature.
11 Quai Blavet
09 71 50 75 48
11 Quai Blavet
09 71 50 75 48
Galerie Maznel
A must-visit artistic stop in the Bay of Somme, Galerie Maznel welcomes you during the following hours:
Friday: 2:30 PM to 6:30 PM
Saturday and Sunday: 10:30 AM to 12:30 PM and 2:30 PM to 6:30 PM, including public holidays and long weekends.
Open daily during school holidays from 2:30 PM to 6:30 PM. Closed on Thursdays.
Friday: 2:30 PM to 6:30 PM
Saturday and Sunday: 10:30 AM to 12:30 PM and 2:30 PM to 6:30 PM, including public holidays and long weekends.
Open daily during school holidays from 2:30 PM to 6:30 PM. Closed on Thursdays.
Picarvie Museum
A museum of old Picard trades from the 19th century.
5 Quai du Romerel
03 22 26 94 90
5 Quai du Romerel
03 22 26 94 90
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