Visiting Ambleteuse and Fort Mahon

Escape to this attractive spot on the Côte d’Opale only 20 minutes drive from Calais. Discover why its famous fort was built, and embrace the area’s natural beauty. 

Is Ambleteuse worth visiting?

Yes, you’ll love the pretty coastal village of Ambleteuse, in a picturesque location on the Opal Coast. The 17th-century fort that sits on the beach is the icon of Ambleteuse, an image that appears regularly in travel brochures about the Hauts-de-France region. The fort becomes an island at high tide, adding to its photographic appeal, and the whole village has a frontier feel, exposed to the elements in winter but a relaxing escape in summer. 

Ambleteuse beach and Fort Mahon 

Where is Ambleteuse?

Ambleteuse is just a 20 minute drive from the LeShuttle terminal at Calais – so close that no tolls are charged on this journey! Just take the A16 autoroute from the terminal, and turn off onto the D191, soon becoming the D237 signposted for Ambleteuse and Bazinghen. 

A short history of Ambleteuse

The history of Ambleteuse has always been closely connected to the sea and its proximity to the English coast. It may have been the spot from which Julius Caesar set sail for Britain in 54 BC, and was important enough for Henry VIII to build two forts here in 1546 during an Anglo-French war. Fort Mahon was completed in 1693, and while the port it was supposed to protect was never built, the Slack estuary was remodelled by Napoleon into a harbour in 1805, as the newly crowned Emperor sought to launch an invasion across the Channel. 

In more peaceful times in the later 19th century, the sleepy fishing village was discovered by wealthy Parisians looking for a weekend coastal retreat. The sea wall and promenade were built, and the Belle Époque era villas that line the front also date from this time. The area was heavily fortified with artillery points and bunkers during the Nazi occupation, but Ambleteuse escaped without bombardment or major combat during the D-Day landings. 

Things to do in Ambleteuse

The fort is open to the public at the weekends, but inaccessible at high tide 

Explore Fort Mahon

Known in French as Fort D’Ambleteuse or Fort Vauban, Fort Mahon is the only fortification of its era to survive on the Opal Coast. Built by the military engineer Vauban in the late 17th century, it was refortified by the Nazis in 1940 as part of the Atlantic Wall. Left a ruin after the Second World War, it has been restored and is now a museum, telling the story of its role in defending the English Channel over the centuries. Fort Mahon is open every Sunday from March to November, and open on Saturdays and Sundays in July and August. 

Walk along Ambleteuse beach and coastline

Ambleteuse beach is a thing of wild beauty, as the waves tumble in and crash against the walls of Fort Mahon. Walking along the pebbles and sand, it’s not long before you’re negotiating the undulating terrain of the Slack dunes, above the wide sandy beaches of this unspoilt stretch of coastline. Within about an hour and a quarter you’ll reach the pretty seaside town of Wimereux, usually a haven of activity with its beach sports, shops and restaurants.

Discover Cap Gris-Nez and Cap Blanc-Nez viewpoints

Cap Blanc-Nez, the ‘white cliffs’ of France

Cap Gris-Nez and Cap Blanc-Nez together form Les Deux Caps (‘The Two Capes’). There is a coastal path between the two headlands, and the southern viewpoint, Cap Gris-Nez, is just a few miles from Ambleteuse. Cap Blanc-Nez is about half an hour’s drive away. The limestone cliffs of Cap Blanc-Nez are a breathtaking sight as you approach on the wide footpath, and both capes offer incredible views of the English Channel, especially on a clear day.        

Visit nearby coastal villages and attractions

This part of the Côte d’Opale is dotted with dreamy seaside resorts and fishing villages, all with a traditional feel. 

• Wissant – Wissant means white sand in English, which is perfect for sports like windsurfing and sand yachting. The village has plenty of shops, restaurants and cafés, and lies in the middle of a protected landscape.
• Audresselles – Just a 25 minute walk away from Ambleteuse is the village of Audresselles, where the rocky beach and shallows are perfect spots to fish for mussels, shrimps and crabs, the local delicacies. 
• Wimereux – a small resort fronted by stunning Belle Époque buildings and colourful beach huts. Wimereux’s small beach can get busy at the height of summer, but there’s plenty of other things to do as well, like golf, visiting art galleries and horse riding.

Plan your Ambleteuse day trip from the UK

Take an ‘amble’ on the bracing promenade 

How far is Ambleteuse from Calais by car?

Ambleteuse is just a 20 minute drive from the LeShuttle terminal at Calais. 

What is the best time of year to visit Ambleteuse?

Ambleteuse is at its busiest during July and August, but the village is never overwhelmed with visitors, and retains its atmosphere of peaceful isolation at most times of the year. There are more opportunities to visit Fort Mahon in high summer, and the restaurants and cafés have longer opening hours. But a winter trip may see the seas at their wildest, the winds at their strongest, and the beach at its most photogenic. 

How long do you need to spend in Ambleteuse?

An afternoon is normally enough to walk along the beach, have lunch in the Fort des Caps restaurant, visit the Fort Mahon museum and perhaps the Musée 39-45 museum. 

Is there parking near Ambleteuse beach?

Yes, there are free car parking spaces on Rue du Fort, the road down to the Fort and the beach, and on Rue de la Liberté, on the promenade itself. 

Visit Ambleteuse and Fort Mahon with LeShuttle

This idyllic spot on the Opal Coast is so close to Calais that you could be there in under an hour from Folkestone. After your 35-minute crossing on LeShuttle it’s just a 20-minute drive to the big skies and sweeping views of Ambleteuse.