France – Berck (En)
Berck is a must-visit town on the Opal Coast, thanks to its sea lions. We headed there to see these impressive wild animals, and also because the motorhome area—located right next to the beach where the sea lions are found—is set to close next year. Beyond the year-round presence of sea lions, Berck is a lively tourist town that hosts major events throughout the year.
Where to stay
We stayed at the paid motorhome area at Chemin aux Raisins (coordinates: 50.3973, 1.56467), right next to the Seal Bay. It costs 12 euros per day, payable to the local police who come by in the evenings to collect the money. The site has a potable water station and facilities for emptying grey and black water. It has trash bins at the exit. At the entrance, there is a food stall selling French fries, hamburgers, mussels, etc.; it is very affordable, and the portions are huge. I recommend visiting this year, as the site is set to close next year. It’s worth it.
What to see
The first thing we did upon arrival was ask when the best time to see the seals was, and we were told it was two hours before low tide. It happened to be exactly two hours before low tide when we arrived, so we went to see the seals—which turned out to be sea lions. We took lots of photos and videos. Here are a few of them.
The next morning, we went back to the beach to see our friends, the sea lions. This time the weather was beautiful, so we took photos in the sunshine and walked along the beach.
We walked along the promenade toward the town centre. Along the way, we saw several monuments and the old maritime hospital.
When you arrive at the centre, you come across a square with food stalls and a Ferris wheel, the town’s name, and numerous restaurants along the seafront promenade.
We walked through the downtown streets, flanked by really cool houses, and arrived at a fantastic street market.
We decided to return via a different route to see the lighthouse, and along the way, we came across a donkey and children on horseback.
We decided to have lunch at the local food stand and ordered a serving of fries and sausages typical of the area. The line was huge. They gave you a letter and called it out when your order was ready. It was hilarious because Ben kept thinking the letter they called was ours. We got enough fries to last three days and paid 9 euros.
The next day, we headed to Saint-Valery-sur-Somme—a historic medieval port town located on the southern bank of the Somme River estuary—which you can see in the next blog post.
