What activities are available for school trips to the French Opal Coast?

The French Opal Coast is first and foremost an exceptional destination for discovery. Between the sheer diversity of its wild, unspoilt landscapes and its wealth of historical heritage, this coastal region has so much to offer.

It is one of the most beautiful natural sites in France and offers a refreshing change of scenery for pupils staying on the coast for a school trip to the coast packed with discoveries and memories.

Just 3 hours from Paris, this coastline stretches along 120 km, from Dunkirk to Berck-sur-Mer.

Its main attraction is the Grand Site des 2 Caps nature reserve, with Cap Blanc-Nez and Cap Gris-Nez.

With its diverse landscapes of beaches, dunes, marshes, estuaries and cliffs, as well as major ports such as Boulogne-sur-Mer, the Côte d’Opale is the ideal place for school groups to take a trip to the seaside.

The sheer diversity of Nausicaá’s exhibits, which showcase the variety of marine ecosystems, means that it is the ideal location for an activity such as a school trip to the coast.
Recognised as a “Centre of Excellence” by UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission, Nausicaá is truly one of its kind!

Located in Boulogne-sur-Mer, its exhibitions, events and educational workshops are designed to raise awareness among young and old of the importance of preserving the ocean and marine biodiversity.

Through its partnership with the French Ministry of Education, Nausicaá provides teachers and their pupils with an educational package tailored to each academic level.  Its workshops and educational activities transport the marine world into your classroom, through immersive experiences.
Take your group into the depths of the ocean with 3 personalised themes, COURSES:

• Dynamic Ocean Course covering the water cycle, climate, energy, pollution, currents, etc.
• Ocean Culture Course, which focuses on managing marine resources, responsible consumption, sustainable development, citizenship, professions, etc.
• Living Ocean Course, which focuses on biodiversity, the concept of living things, classification, reproduction, adaptation, food webs, etc.

Specially designed by our teachers and scientific mediators appointed by the Rectorat de l’Académie de Lille, the workshops are adapted to the level of your pupils, from nursery school to high school.
A journey that will not only encourage you to love nature and the ocean, but also help you understand how you can take action to preserve it.

Check out the Blue Academy

This educational event will take place in a venue specially designed for young people, experimentation and scientific discovery: the Blue Academy.

A collection of different areas, suitable for children aged 3 to over 18, covering an area of 800 m², offers a chance to discover the world of the ocean through edutainment workshops: storytelling, experiments, observation and creation. The ocean is explored through a fun and exciting approach.

The French Opal Coast is set in the midst of a vast and diverse natural environment. Here are some of the must-see places for a successful school trip to the coast.

Learn all about the life of fishermen at Maréis in Etaples-sur-Mer

Housed in a former net-making factory in Étaples-sur-Mer, Maréis, the sea-fishing discovery centre, is an original museum and aquarium concept! The educational workshops explore the lives of fishermen in the English Channel and the North Sea, as well as all aspects of fishing. From departure from the port to the sale of the fish.

Try out sand yachting at Boulogne-sur-Mer

A sand yachting lesson is a fun way for pupils to learn more about the sea, the wind and the weather. Sand yachting is a water sports activity that takes place on the beach at Boulogne-sur-Mer, just a hundred or so metres from Nausicaá.