Several different interests come together in Oye-Plage: the history of Saint Médard church, a named walking trail, beaches with their own distinct character, and the Réserve Naturelle du Platier d’Oye nature reserve. When planning your trip, it is worth first deciding whether you want to focus on architectural history, a walking route with a specified distance, water sports or a natural coastal landscape. This gives your trip a clear focus without combining all the topics into a single activity.
Saint Médard: two historical dates
Saint Médard church is the oldest testament to the history of Oye-Plage. Two dates are important for understanding its history, and they relate to different parts of the building: the corner tower was built in 1553 during the reign of the Catholic Queen Mary Tudor, while the present-day church building dates from 1863. The gap of just over three centuries makes the church a tangible point of cultural and historical interest, without assigning a single construction date to both the tower and the present-day building. If you like to include a historic site as a theme when choosing your destination, Saint Médard offers a clear chronology.
Plage des Escardines: coast and access
Plage des Escardines offers a different focus. It stretches for about 11 km and has remained in its natural state, without buildings or infrastructure. From the car park, a wooden staircase leads over the dune to the beach. If you prefer a natural stretch of coast, Plage des Escardines is an option for your beach visit.
Beach activities and walking trail
Plage des Hemmes d’Oye is an option for water sports. The Sentier du Platier d’Oye walking trail offers a different way to explore the area: it is 5 km long. This leaves two distinct planning questions to consider: which beach activity interests you, and what trail length you would like to factor into your schedule.
The nature reserve as a distinct natural attraction
The Réserve Naturelle du Platier d’Oye offers another perspective on the natural environment. It was designated in 1987. If you also take protected areas into account when choosing where to visit, this is a destination in its own right.
Putting the distances into context
The two distances refer to different things: the Sentier du Platier d’Oye walking route is 5 km long, while the approximately 11 km refers to the length of Plage des Escardines. So, for planning your walk, the trail length is the relevant distance; the beach’s length indicates the scale of the coastal stretch. How long the walk takes depends on your pace. Keeping this distinction in mind lets you consider your route planning and the scale of the landscape separately.
Discover more travel destinations: Coulogne, Estrée-Wamin, Sailly-Sur-La-Lys, Ergny, Baincthun, Houdain, Sorrus, Saint-Martin-Choquel
For the broader travel overview: Pas-De-Calais.
