Between dunes and forest in Écault

A mix of surprising landscapes: a faux medieval castle, a forest of deciduous and coniferous trees, then you come out at the top of a dune overlooking the beach. Most of the walk is in the shade and there is a beach for picnics.

Details

13392619
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 10.05 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 3h 10 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: No
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 105 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 99 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 80 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 5 m
  • ⚐ Country: France
  • ⚐
  • ⚐ District: Condette (62360)
  • ⚑
    Start: N 50.646357° / E 1.613381°
  • ⚑
    End: N 50.647132° / E 1.612458°
  • ❏
    IGN map(s): Ref. 2104ET
  • Hour-by-hour weather

Photos

Description of the walk

Park in the car park in the courtyard of Hardelot Castle (as shown on the map) or on Rue de la Bergerie.

(S/E) From the castle car park, take the small road on the left called Rue de la Source.

(1) Find the entrance to the path on the right and go through the gate to enter the Écault forest. Leave two paths on your right.

(2) At the third, continue straight ahead on the concrete path.

(3) At the crossroads, go straight ahead and pass the Chemin des Juifs stele on your right.

(4) At the fork at the entrance to the Écault dunes, keep left. Follow the path through the dunes to the sea.

(5) Once on the beach, follow the coastline to the right for 1.3 km until you reach the mouth of the Warenne.

(6) Turn right and find the small path that runs alongside the river. Cross the bridge and continue to a set of steps. On the right, rejoin theGR®® 121, which returns to the heart of the dune massif.

(7) Keep to the right and continue to the viewpoint.

(8) Begin a slight descent and, at the intersection of several paths not far from point 4, take the one on the left, then turn right about 50 metres further on. Wind your way through the forest, continue straight ahead and, at the crossroads, take the Sentier de la Bécasse on the left.

(9) At the fork in the forest, take the path on the right which leads back to the clearing where you started.

(2) Leave the site almost opposite on the left.

(1) Turn left onto Rue de la Bergerie and head for the car park at the start in the castle courtyard (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S : km 0 - alt. 26 m - Car park - Château d'Hardelot
  2. 1 : km 0.4 - alt. 25 m - On the right, Ecault Forest
  3. 2 : km 0.76 - alt. 32 m - Clearing, junction of the loop
  4. 3 : km 1.82 - alt. 28 m - Crossroads, opposite
  5. 4 : km 2.54 - alt. 34 m - Fork, left
  6. 5 : km 3.35 - alt. 7 m - Beach
  7. 6 : km 4.69 - alt. 5 m - Mouth of the Warenne
  8. 7 : km 5.73 - alt. 61 m - Fork in the road, right
  9. 8 : km 6.91 - alt. 58 m - View of the dunes
  10. 9 : km 8.55 - alt. 56 m - Fork to the right
  11. E : km 10.05 - alt. 29 m - Hardelot Castle, car park - Lac des Miroirs

Worth a visit

Always be cautious and plan ahead when you're outdoors. Visorando and the author of this route cannot be held responsible for any accidents occurring on this route.

The GR® and PR® markings are the intellectual property of the Fédération Française de Randonnée Pédestre.

Reviews and comments

4.7 / 5
Based on 25 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.7 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.7 / 5
Route interest
4.8 / 5
Markus
Markus
• Edited:

The hike is very pleasant and varied, taking in dunes, forest and seaside. At the start, you will discover the Franco-British style Château d'Hardelot.
The return route, after crossing the beach, can be a little tricky to find.
After turning right towards the dunes when leaving the beach, you need to pass the small car park and, 200 metres further on, turn right into the forest, crossing a small wooden bridge.

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JEJEFLO
JEJEFLO

A beautiful hike through forests with sea views
Easy to follow
Thank you

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User 22197427

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 13, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful hike made even more attractive by the diversity of the landscapes.
At point 6, the route has been slightly modified. A sign indicates that the bridge is no longer accessible, but you just need to continue a little further to be able to cross.
I did this hike in mid-November and didn't meet anyone... only birds...
To finish off in style, I strolled through the castle gardens... so beautiful.

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Markus
Markus

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 26, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A very pleasant walk in the dunes of Ecault between the forest, vegetated dunes and the seafront.

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User 23749646

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 28, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Walk between Neufchâtel and Hardelot
This walk offers a pleasant and varied route between Neufchâtel-Hardelot and Hardelot-Plage. The route alternates between forest, dunes and the seaside, offering a wide variety of landscapes in a peaceful and unspoilt environment.

The route is not particularly difficult, but it is not suitable for wheelchairs or pushchairs. Some sections of soft sand may also be tiring for young children.

The views of the sea, dunes and forest are remarkable throughout the walk.

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JEJEFLO
JEJEFLO

I can confirm that I made this beautiful walk in April 2024

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Uchimata
Uchimata

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : May 09, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Very nice walk between the forest, the dunes and the beach, top of the range!!!!
This walk was exactly what we were looking for

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CMINA
CMINA

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 10, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful walk that alternates between dunes, beach and forest. Walking through the dunes to get to the beach requires a certain amount of energy, which is rewarded when you reach the beach. After point 6, the signs warning that the usual path is closed for safety reasons are puzzling. But all you have to do is follow the path that runs alongside the road.
This was a completely peaceful walk away from the castle.
A must-do if you want to enjoy the coolness of the forest in midsummer.

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JEJEFLO
JEJEFLO

yes, very nice walk
with a view of the sea

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Zedoc
Zedoc

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Dec 17, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Very nice walk that ends on the beach ... and that we were able to do with our dogs 🤪

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JEJEFLO
JEJEFLO

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 23, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

very nice walk with easy-to-spot signposting

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Sarah99
Sarah99

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 17, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A very pleasant and varied walk between sea, forest and dunes.
Easy access for young and old alike.
We walked with our dogs on a lead as we passed through the forest.
I highly recommend this walk.

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F. Bouhon
F. Bouhon

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 22, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Superb walk through dunes and forest. Great variety of landscapes and views.

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JEJEFLO
JEJEFLO

Overall rating : 3.3 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 20, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Problem after leaving the GR.
Lost in the forest
Complicated explanation
But nice walk

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Bazlac
Bazlac

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 29, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

day a week in April with a lot of wind and very cold... We only came across one walker.
Great walk, very varied (woods, dunes, sand)
Perfect signposting

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