Oye-Plage: Beach, Nature and History

Oye-Plage brings together several distinct themes for planning a trip: the long stretch of beach at Plage des Escardines, water sports at Plage des Hemmes d’Oye, a 5 km hiking trail, the Réserve Naturelle du Platier d’Oye and the Saint Médard church.

Beach scenery and access

Plage des Escardines stretches for approximately 11 km. It has remained in its natural state, without buildings or infrastructure. Its length and condition describe two different aspects of the same beach: the first gives an idea of its extent, while the second describes its undeveloped character. If a natural stretch of coastline is important to you, both features are relevant when choosing your destination.

Access is also straightforward: from the Plage des Escardines car park, a wooden staircase over the dune leads to the beach.

Water sports, hiking trail and nature reserve

Water sports are available at Plage des Hemmes d’Oye. The Sentier du Platier d’Oye is a 5 km-long hiking trail. These offer two different ways to plan your stay: water sports focus on the type of activity, while the hiking trail has a specific distance. When deciding what to prioritize during your stay, you can therefore choose between a focus on activities and a hike with a stated distance.

The Réserve Naturelle du Platier d’Oye was designated a nature reserve in 1987. The year provides a historical context for the nature theme and differs from the distances given for the beach and hiking trail. The designation is therefore a different point of reference from an activity or route.

Saint Médard church and its history

Saint Médard church is the oldest testament to Oye-Plage’s history. Two dates are important for understanding its history, and they refer to different things. The church’s corner tower was built in 1553 during the reign of the Catholic Queen Mary Tudor; the present-day church building dates from 1863. The two dates are 310 years apart. They refer to different things: 1553 to the corner tower, and 1863 to the present-day church building. This makes it possible to consider the building’s history in greater chronological detail.

Choosing what to focus on in Oye-Plage

The different measurements can help you choose what to focus on during your trip: approximately 11 km describes the extent of a stretch of beach, while 5 km is the length of a hiking route; the year 1987 dates the nature reserve’s designation. These details do not answer the same question. If you are mainly looking for coastline, you can make the beach’s natural character your priority; if you are planning to be active, you can focus on the hiking trail or water sports; for local history, Saint Médard and its two construction dates take center stage. This helps you decide what to focus on in Oye-Plage before looking for hotels there.

Discover more destinations

Lumbres, Audrehem, Hesmond, Warlincourt-Lès-Pas, Marœuil, Vieil-Moutier, Condette, La Couture

For the broader travel overview: Pas-De-Calais.