If you loved the Baie de la Somme, then you're going to love the Baie d'Authie, its ‘little sister' located between Fort-Mahon-Plage and Berck-sur-Mer in the Hauts-de-France region. Although it is said to be more discreet, or even wilder according to some, it attracts almost 500,000 visitors every year.
An unspoilt environment for nature-sized holidays!
Located 35 km from our camping **** in Saint-Valery, between the Somme and the Pas-de-Calais, the Baie d'Authie is the perfect place to recharge your batteries in one of the most beautiful natural sites in Picardy. One of the estuaries that bathe the maritime plain of Picardy, the Baie d'Authie offers a veritable cornucopia of colours and landscapes, lights and scenery that change with the tides and the seasons.
Everything here exudes calm and serenity. Many impressionist and naturalist painters have stayed here: Tattegrain, Chambon, Lepic, Daubigny, Trigoulet... Today, it's the randonneurs who have a field day on the marked paths that criss-cross the 2,000 hectares of Authie Bay.
Between the mollières that succeed the foreshore, the dune cordon that borders the salt meadows and the pine, sea buckthorn and oyat plantations, the fauna and flora of the Authie Bay remain as fragile as they are remarkable. In order to preserve these ever-changing natural environments and an ever-changing biodiversity, the Bay of Authie is partly integrated into the ‘Natura 2000' network.
The seals of the Authie bay
Bird-loving campers will, with a bit of luck (and patience), be able to spot the white storks that nest around the Dune de l'Authie, in Fort-Mahon-Plage. However, it is more common to spot a little egret, an elegant avocet or even a peregrine falcon.
Between the dunes to the north of the Bay and the Authie channel, the marine calf seals also have their little habits. They are particularly fond of the sandbanks at low tide. If you're equipped with binoculars and boots, you'll be able to observe them discreetly, particularly from Spur 17 in Berck.
For lovers of botany, the Baie d'Authie is also full of treasures. There is a flora typical of salt meadows such as evening primrose, mugwort, obione and sea lilac. Nature guides will teach you how to recognise them and reveal their secrets during an accompanied outing.
