Cap Blanc-Nez and Cap Gris-Nez

The two capes stand about fifteen kilometres apart on the Opal Coast and are geologically different: Blanc-Nez is white chalk, the same formation as the Dover cliffs opposite, rising to about a hundred and thirty metres, while Gris-Nez is grey sandstone and clay, lower but projecting further, marking the narrowest point of the Channel at around thirty-four kilometres from England. On clear days the English cliffs are plainly visible. Gris-Nez carries a lighthouse and a maritime traffic control station watching one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world. The GR120 footpath runs the coast between them past dunes and wartime bunkers.

What you actually see

• The chalk cliff at Blanc-Nez - white cliffs matching Dover's across the water.
• The Gris-Nez point - the narrowest crossing of the Channel.
• The England view - the English coast visible on clear days.
• The coastal path - the GR120 between the capes past bunkers and dunes.

When to go

April to October; clear days after rain give the best chance of seeing England. Wind on the headlands is constant and strong. Winter storms make the cliffs dangerous.

Honest expectations

Cliff edges are unfenced and eroding, and falls have occurred. The view of England depends entirely on visibility and often fails. Public transport between the capes is limited.

Nearby

Calais lies northeast; Boulogne is southwest.