Quend Beach, Fort-Mahon, Belle-dune

The Baie de Somme is magnificent. If you want to see seals, go sand yachting or horse riding on the sand, and you love the sea, dunes and footpaths, then this hike is for you.

Details

1358009
Creation:
Last update:
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 9.42 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 2h 40 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Easy

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 5 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 5 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 15 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 8 m

Photos

Description of the walk

Departure from the north car park of Quend-Plage Avenue Émery/Rue d'Abbeville.

(S/E) Immediately turn left onto Sentier du Royon, which is enclosed by wooden barriers. At the Y, continue left. When you arrive at Fort-Mahon, exit the motorhome area via the main entrance/exit and cross over to Place du Maréchal Leclerc.

(1) Turn left onto Avenue de la Plage and continue to the end. Pass along the left-hand side of the helipad (wait at the edge if there is helicopter traffic) to reach the esplanade. After 350 m, at the exit (after the blockhouse), turn right onto Boulevard Maritime Sud. Turn left onto Rue de La Rafale to reach Boulevard Intérieur.

(2) Cross Rue de Balzac, then continue and turn right onto Rue de Paris. Go around the campsite on Rue Bistouille. Turn left onto Rue La Fontaine and then right onto Avenue de la Plage. Continue for 700 metres until you reach the roundabout. Turn right onto the D332. Ignore Rue du Général de Gaulle on your right.

(3) Take Promenade du Marquenterre opposite for 400 metres. At the hamlet residence on the right, continue straight ahead (you can enter the residence, the houses are pleasant, but make sure you know where you are so you can find your way back to Promenade du Marquenterre).

(4) Pass between the roundabout and the entrance to the golf course and continue straight ahead for 130 m. Turn right to cross the Les Eaux Vives residence. Pass under two covered walkways. Avoid the path on the right that leads to the bridge.

(5) At the crossroads, turn right and then immediately right again to see Lac de Belle-Dune. Return via the footbridge and exit on the right. After 40 metres, turn right and walk through the Grand Lac residential area for 200 metres.

(6) At the crossroads, turn right for 50 metres and exit the residential area on the left to join the path that runs alongside the road and turn right. After 600 metres, at the first houses, leave the path on the left and go around the Les Maisons de la Plage residential area.

(7) Pass by the edge of the woods. Leave the median on your left to reach Rue Ringois. Cross Avenue Adéodat Vasseur to reach Avenue Foch. Turn right and continue to Place du 11 Novembre (circular pavement), then turn left onto Avenue de la Mer.

(8) At the crossroads in the bend, leave Avenue de la Mer and continue straight ahead into the Orée des Pins residential area for 60 metres. Turn right onto the sandy path. Then turn right onto Rue Capet.

(9) Turn left onto Avenue de l'Amiral Courbet to reach the esplanade, which you should follow to the end (going up the other side, halfway...). Exit and take Rue Émery opposite to return to the car park where you started (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 13 m - Car park on Rue Émery/Route d'Abbeville - Baie de la Somme
  2. 1 : km 2.08 - alt. 13 m - Motorhome parking
  3. 2 : km 3.44 - alt. 10 m - Intersection of Boulevard Intérieur and Rue Balzac
  4. 3 : km 4.98 - alt. 10 m - Carrefour D332/rue du Général de Gaulle
  5. 4 : km 5.56 - alt. 10 m - Passage between the roundabout and the golf course entrance
  6. 5 : km 6.05 - alt. 10 m - Carrefour de Belle-Dune
  7. 6 : km 6.45 - alt. 11 m - At the crossroads, turn right
  8. 7 : km 7.63 - alt. 9 m - Central reservation, exit at the edge of the road
  9. 8 : km 8.29 - alt. 8 m - Completely on the right in the bend
  10. 9 : km 8.78 - alt. 11 m - Crossroads of Rue Capet and Avenue Courbet
  11. S/E : km 9.42 - alt. 13 m - Car park on Rue Émery/Route d'Abbeville

Notes

No special equipment required. There are numerous toilet cubicles where you can find water.

Worth a visit

The seals of Authie Bay.

Marquenterre Park: Forest reserve with dunes, marshes, migratory bird watching, nature trails and café.

Authie Bay: A perfect place to go horse riding. You can gallop or trot along the beach. Club.

Aquaclub de Belle-Dune: Aquagym, aquabike, aquatraining, sauna, hammam, indoor rafting.

Sand yachting: club, school.

Belle-Dune Golf Course.

Nausicaa in Boulogne-sur-Mer (50 mins): Aquarium with touch pool, sharks, sea lions and penguins, as well as a tropical lagoon with colourful corals. It is a national marine centre and a marine environment discovery centre.

Reviews and comments

4.4 / 5
Based on 24 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.5 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.6 / 5
Route interest
4 / 5
User 27555830

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 30, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A lovely stroll through the town of Quend, which soon leads into the pine forest and continues through the golf village with its colourful houses... absolutely charming.
We decided to follow the beach at the end of the route, as at low tide, this avoids having to go back through the town centre to the car park.

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JOELJOJO
JOELJOJO

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 21, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

Discover the dunes

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S.ALMY
S.ALMY

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 26, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful route alternating between dunes, seaside, city streets and eco-villages. At the end of January, there were very few people, which was ideal, because in high season this route would not be as pleasant with the crowds and bicycle traffic.

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La Maison des Randonnées
La Maison des Randonnées
• Edited:

A route through housing estates, streets, a holiday village... you have to like that sort of thing. A very short stretch of countryside (too short). Frustrating.

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grossemy
grossemy

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 11, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★☆☆☆☆ Very disappointing
Very busy route : Yes

Disappointing walk, lots of tarmac. Crossing Fort Mahon and its seafront are charmless. Crossing the dunes is done through hedges and without a view of the sea

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Fosca
Fosca

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 29, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

The first part of the hike in the dunes is very pleasant, less so afterwards in the eco village.

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barravin27
barravin27

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 18, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Passing through a deserted holiday village at this time of year was a wonderful and unexpected surprise on this journey.

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Stf_Coursier
Stf_Coursier

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 25, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A very pleasant route that is accessible to all. Shady forest, beach, with just enough town to meet up for a drink

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dalapin
dalapin

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 22, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A varied route, with the unmissable dune trail, two seaside villages deserted in September, and a trip through the Pierre et Vacances holiday village, crossing from the golf course back to the dunes.

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pupuce80
pupuce80

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 31, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

some difficulty following the route in built-up areas

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wegner
wegner

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : May 25, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A pleasant hike with no particular difficulties, allowing you to explore the local coastline at a leisurely pace.
For the coastal section between Fort Mahon and Quend beach, we opted to walk along the beach at low tide rather than through the dunes.

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michelprz
michelprz

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 28, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Error on the route when we pass near the golf course. The route does not allow us to complete the loop because it enters the golf course. A return trip is necessary. Not very disruptive, but something to bear in mind.
Thank you.

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gomez.bassette
gomez.bassette

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Dec 23, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Hike completed under clear skies and cool weather.
The Quend Plage/Fort Mahon section is the most interesting.

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gam59
gam59

Overall rating : 3.3 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 18, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : Yes

While the first part of the dunes and sea wall is very nice, the rest is uninteresting. However, we did this route out of season, so there was little traffic, but it is noisy as it runs alongside a main road.

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pasqjo
pasqjo

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 07, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

crossing the dunes in the blazing sun is quite difficult

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