the Picardy coast

Hello, I’m Isabelle, an equestrian tour guide and nature guide. I’ll take you on horseback with my pack mules for a completely self-guided adventure through my region, my department,the Hauts-de-France region—a place steeped in history with its war sites, castles, wildlife, and diverse landscapes, just an hour from Paris and Lille.

I’ll share my passion for traveling on horseback with you.

We prepare the horses and mules, as well as all the necessary equipment. Each rider carries their personal belongings on their horse: a sleeping bag, a change of clothes, sneakers, and a toiletries kit.

We set off for 7 days of complete self-sufficiency with the pack mules; halfway through, someone will come to our rest day to restock supplies and help you change out the riders’ personal belongings.

Day 1: Departure from the village of Naours, which was once overrun by locusts and where the villagers dug underground tunnels to hide from the “mouches” (locusts) in Picardy.

We’ll head to Domart-en-Ponthieu, where we’ll climb the steps to the 17th-century church. After our lunch stop, we’ll head toward St. Ricquier, where we’ll explore the abbey. As we ride through the valley and countryside, I’ll show you various plants useful for healing.

We’ll arrive at our overnight stop—either a guesthouse or a campsite, depending on availability.

Day 2: We’ll head to Abbeville. After a hearty breakfast—it’s around 9 a.m.—with the horses and mules loaded, we’ll cross the Ponthieu via the old railway line.

We’ll walk through Abbeville to head toward the Somme Canal, where other plants and wildlife thrive along the riverbank. Lunch stop at a snack bar,

then we continue straight along the canal at the horses’ pace, watching the landscape grow flatter as we approach the sea. We walk through the marshes and arrive at our campsite for the night.

We unload the mules, then let the horses graze; we set up the tent, take a nice shower, have a meal on the stove, and turn in for the night.

Day 3 A short day, 18 km to Le Crotoy, which we cross on foot, then we check everyone’s gear as we arrive at the beach; the horses are warming up gently. We gaze into the distance—the sea lies in the background—the Bay of Somme is silting up at Le Lion; we can make out the sea cliffs , the bathing spots of migratory birds flying overhead. If the tide is low, we’ll take the Smugglers’ Trail to the lodge; otherwise, we’ll take the road.

We arrive at the lodge around noon; the horses are put out to pasture for two days. We settle in, prepare our meal, everyone chooses their room, and everyone has free time.

In the evening at dinner, we’ll discuss the start of our trip; we’ll share our various experiences before going to bed.

Day 4: We don’t get up early—except for me, who’s leaving with someone else by car to go shopping; everyone makes their own breakfast.

At noon, we prepare lunch and pack away the groceries for the rest of the trip,

and in the afternoon, we prepare our horses—without saddlebags or packs—for a ride on the beach with the mules running free.

We arrive along the Bird Sanctuary, where birds fly overhead; I try to identify them and explain everything we see—the cliffs, Pointe du Hoyrdel, Berck, etc.

We cross the Lilette Bridge, a small marsh in the heart of the bay where certain birds that have come from Africa hide and nest.

• French