The Somme with a dog: a dog-friendly destination not to be missed!
The Somme: a dog-friendly destination! Discover in this article the activities to do in the Somme with your dog as well as the places to visit by the sea. And our certified accommodation in the Somme.
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The Somme… where to start to tell you about this pretty department of Hauts de France, formerly in Picardy? By the Baie de Somme, Saint Valery-sur-Somme, Le Crotoy, the Marquenterre park and its birds or the famous seals of the bay? By Amiens, its Jules Verne museum, its incredible cathedral and its hortillonnages? By History with a capital H and the dark hours of this territory full of battles and fights of the Great War? Through the Somme Valley and its 30 belvederes, perfect for admiring the view and the landscapes that parade along the 160 km route...
Today the Wouafer's, I take you to discover the Somme. Follow me and let me introduce you to all the activities to do with your dog in the Somme. In this new article, you will also discover a selection of dog-friendly accommodation in the Somme. All labeled QUALIDOG, they will welcome your whole family and your dog with great pleasure, W'ouf course!
Let's go for a vacation or a weekend in the Somme with your dog! Let's start this journey in the Somme by the coast: heading north of the department to Fort-Mahon-Plage, the place where everything started for me in the Somme.
Where to book for your next holiday in the Somme with your dog?
Before showing you all the activities to do with your dog in the Somme, here is a selection of 5 QUALIDOG labeled accommodations that will welcome you with pleasure with your dog and your whole family for your next vacation in the Somme. This is always where holidays with a dog begin: finding dog-friendly accommodation where you are sure to have a great stay with your dog. I chose gites because I know that's what you prefer my dear Wouafer's. And I have chosen to present them to you in the four corners of the Somme.
The cottage of the Mare located in Lincheux-Hallivillers. A pretty gite where dogs are welcomed free of charge. No size, weight or number limit. The owner, who has 2 dogs himself, accepts 3 or more dogs in his gîte. It is therefore ideal for large families and even has an enclosed garden of 400m2!
The cottage The old farm located in Saint-Maxent. A tastefully restored gite which also accommodates several dogs and always at no extra charge! The doggies will benefit this time from an enclosed garden of 5000m2. And attentions await even our 4 legs (bowls, mats, etc.)
The Bihen-Etre gite located in Crotoy. A dog-friendly gite with character that welcomes up to 2 dogs of all sizes. It is close to a beach that accepts dogs all year round! For the doggies, still no supplement and a warm welcome! The owners also have a friendly 4 year old Labrador.
The Busmenard cottage located at the Translay. This gite welcomes 2 dogs of all sizes and even categorized dogs. Its enclosed garden will appeal to doggies who like to frolic and our furry ones are once again welcomed, without any supplement.
To end this selection on a high note, I recommend The Pierre et Vacances Belle-Dune residence located in Fort-Mahon Plage. The setting is really very pretty and very natural and you will find all the conveniences of a holiday village on site: entertainment, services, shops... In addition, it is a few steps from the beach. Be aware that at Fort-Mahon Plage there are beaches that accept dogs, even in the middle of summer!
If you do not find what you are looking for among this selection, I invite you to discover all the accommodations that accept dogs in the Somme here: Going on holiday with your dog in the Somme. Hotels, campsites, lodges, bed and breakfasts… all you have to do is choose the best accommodation for your next trip to the Somme with your dog.
Also find a selection of QUALIDOG-certified accommodation in the Somme!
Discover the Somme with your dog: sea side
The first time I set foot in Picardy, in the Somme more precisely, I was only a first-year student. I discovered Fort-Mahon-Plage and the entire Bay of Somme during my very first internship. As soon as I had a free moment, I went to discover a new corner and I can tell you that I really enjoyed myself.
You have known it since the time you have been reading me, I am a great lover of Brittany but I can tell you that the Picardy coast has conquered my heart too. Why this ? Because the wild landscapes of the Baie de Somme, the Baie d'Authie, the immense virgin beaches of Fort-Mahon-Plage or Quend-Plage or the cliffs of Ault put you in your place! We feel the force of nature. And that I love! Between fine sandy beaches, pebble beaches, chalk cliffs, infinite foreshores that emerge at low tide...: you quickly feel at the end of the world, far from everything, in total disconnection with the tumult of everyday life and in complete connection with wild, authentic and pure nature. The Somme is an ideal destination for your next vacation with your dog.
In the Somme, there are 70 km of coastline. You can discover 7 seaside resorts all different from each other: Fort-mahon-plage, Quend-Plage, Crotoy, Saint-Valery-sur-Somme, Cayeux-sur-mer, Ault Onival, Seas-les-Bains.
Fort-Mahon-Plage is an ideal destination for holidays with your dog. The tourist office is waiting for you and has a surprise in store for you. Your dog will be welcomed with pleasure at the Fort-Mahon-Plage tourist office where a fresh water doggie bar is available all year round! On site, the tourist office team will give you a welcome pack specially designed for you and your dog: Too W'ouf, right? You will find a guide that lists all the activities to do with your dog in Fort-Mahon-Plage as well as some goodies. You can enjoy the beach with your dog since the beach on the north side of the Nautical Base towards Authie Bay and beach on the south side between Fort-Mahon and Quend-Plage tolerate dogs kept on a leash all year round outside supervised bathing areas. Be careful during the nesting period of the plovers the area towards the tip of Routhiauville is prohibited. You can also take advantage of several walks to do with your dog on site: the 2,5 km discovery trail of the Dune de l'Authie, the Fisherman's Trail (access in the bay of Authie) of 4 km and the Royon trail (entrance at the motorhome parking level) 4,5 km loop.
Do you like going to the beach with your dog? There are a few precautions to take to ensure that your trip to the beach with your dog goes well, such as making sure that he always has plenty of fresh, clean water to quench his thirst. The sea is not a bowl! It will also be necessary to rinse it when returning from the beach to avoid skin problems. You also have to be vigilant about what he will find in the sand: remains of a picnic, jellyfish, shells... I advise you to read or reread the article on the subject available in the Mag' to avoid the few pitfalls of the beach : what to know before bringing your dog to the beach !
Let's continue our walk on the Picardy coast, direction Quend-Plage. Between the bay of Somme and the bay of Authie, Quend-Plage also has a beach which accepts dogs: the dog-friendly beach of Quend-Plage. It is a real playground for dogs which are allowed outside the official bathing area.
These beaches are also great for doing some sand yachting. Unfortunately this activity is not dog-friendly because it is too dangerous for your dog if you do not master the machine perfectly. But I've already met dogs on sand yachts 😉 Sand yachting with your dog must be fun; I admit that I would very much like to try with Musher. But I will have to equip it with a dog mask because sandblasting guaranteed! Having already tested solo sand yachting, I can tell you that goggles or even a mask are mandatory!
Let's continue further south to reach the Baie de Somme and discover the two resorts facing each other: Le Crotoy and Saint-Valery-sur-Somme. I will not detail everything there is to do with your dog in the Baie de Somme in this article because I have devoted an entire article to this subject in the Mag', you can find it here: Discover the Baie de Somme with a dog. In this article, you will discover the Pointe du Hourdel, the little train of the Baie de Somme, the boats of the Baie de Somme…. 100% dog-friendly activities! I draw your attention to an important point: the Marquenterre park is not accessible with your dog. It is a protected natural area that your dog will not be allowed to discover to ensure the tranquility of the thousands of birds that have found refuge there.
The next resort is called Cayeux-sur-Mer: here 2km of boards await you for a safe ride along the sea. This coastal resort is famous for its colorful beach huts and its huge pebble beach. Do you want to go for a walk with your pet on the beach? It's possible ! From Allée de la Grève in Le Crotoy to the sign "Nature Reserve of the Bay of Somme" beach of Maye, which represents 2 km of beach.
But beware ! Nature is fragile! For this, the Tourist Office and the town hall provide you with dog waste bags: perfect for leaving no trace of your visit.
From Cayeux-sur-Mer, you can access the Route Blanche. This path follows La Route through the dunes, it connects the hamlet of Hourdel to that of Mollière. A great walk or bike ride with your dog!
You can also discover the rHâble d'Ault bird sanctuary with your dog. It is a protected wetland in which you can discover many birds.
And we end this iodized stroll on the Picardy coast by gaining height. It is in the Somme that the cliffs of Seine-Maritime originate. Dizzying, you can discover the cliffs from the resorts of Ault and Mers-les-Bains by taking the marked coastal path. But be careful, this path is not accessible with your dog because it crosses pastures with animals. To discover the cliffs, I suggest you take the cliff path starting from Mers-les-Bains. It is a 4,5 km marked trail that will allow you to discover a superb panorama of the chalk cliffs. And I also recommend La Motte circuit from Ault to discover the cliffs of the Côte d'Albâtre. On the program for this dog-friendly hike: the Bois de Cise in the middle of the cliffs, the Ault lighthouse perched on the cliff and a superb panorama!
Discover the Somme with your dog differently
Yes, in the Somme, it's not just the coast that is worth the detour! Far from there ! Let's go inland and discover all the riches of this more reserved destination.
Discovering the Somme without discovering Amiens would be like going to Paris without seeing the Eiffel Tower, but when you have a dog, the discovery is often limited and faster than expected because many places are forbidden to him: museums, monuments and even parks. are often off limits so exploring the city with your dog is often done very quickly and Amiens do not escape this trend! Despite everything, you can still discover some highlights of the city with your dog and thus visit the hortillonnages which you can also visit by boat with your dog (Visit of the hortillonnages of Amiens by boat), admire the new 'Chroma' cathedral show in summer and December, have a drink on the Quai Bélu terrace or Place du Don, in the Saint-Leu district or descend 30 meters underground and discover the underground city of Naours.
The Somme is also a great land of history. She witnessed great battles during the First World War, also known as the Great War. Thus, if you are a history buff, you can discover many memorial sites such as the Historial de la Grande Guerre in Péronne, a reference museum on the theme of the Great War. There is even to Pozières a memorial dedicated to animals who died during World War I. In particular, you will see a bronze dog's head in memory of dogs during the war. As always, our doggies were by our side during these tragic times! We owed them a memorial just for them! Dogs are obviously pets for soldiers at the front, but they also have “jobs” as liaison officers, transporters, paramedics looking for the wounded, search dogs to detect dangers…. Some dogs have even been decorated for their feats of arms. This is the case of Stubby raised to the rank of sergeant for helping to capture German spies. At the memorial you will also find many photos of deceased dogs left by visitors on pilgrimage.
Please note, I must warn you that not all the memorial sites to be discovered in the Somme are accessible to dogs. Usually, in the EmmèneTonChien.com Mag', I only tell you about the sites authorized for dogs, but how can you tell you about the Somme without introducing you to these emblematic memorial sites? Your dog will not be able to accompany you during these visits but you can completely entrust him to a pet-sitter or find a canine pension to occupy these few hours of absence.
In terms of history, you can also descend 10 meters underground into the bowels of the city ofAlbert to understand the life of the soldiers in the trenches at the Somme 1916 Museum, observe the huge La Boisselle blast hole, a memory of the outbreak of the Battle of the Somme at 7:28 a.m. on July 1, or collect your thoughts at Thiepval, at the foot of this huge arch where the names of 72 missing soldiers are engraved….
And to end this exploration of the Somme with your dog in style, I invite you to discover the Somme valley which winds along the Somme River. What if you got on your bike to take the time and enjoy the rhythm of your pedal strokes with your family? From Ham, the 160km Vallée de Somme cycle route runs along the Somme river and ends in the Baie de Somme (we always come back to it! 😉 ). It passes through Poppy Country. The route is dotted with superb natural sites such as the belvedere at Eclusier-Vaux. The cycle route is flat: it's ideal for a few kilometers on a bike with your dog without forcing it. The Cappy Nautical Base offers bike rentals with dog-friendly trailers. If you don't have your own equipment to cycle with your dog, this is ideal.
To discover all the activities to do with your dog in the Somme, I recommend the article: What to do in the Somme with my dog. Cycling with your dog, canoeing with your dog, the most beautiful hikes to do with your dog in the Somme, the places to visit accessible to your dog... and even cani-scooting with your dog in the Somme! I detail all this in this article 100% sporty and 100% dog in the Somme!