Bathing water quality in Hauts-de-France, France
Hauts-de-France has 51 official bathing waters in the EEA dataset for the 2025 season (39 coastal and 12 lake). 37.3% were classified Excellent — 37.1 points below the 74.4% across France — and 2 were Poor. By department, the Excellent share is highest in Somme (66.7% of 6) and lowest in Pas-de-Calais (16% of 25). 6 sites have been Excellent in every season from 2015 to 2025.
Qualité des eaux de baignade : Hauts-de-France
Sur 51 sites de baignade officiels de l’UE (Hauts-de-France), 37,3 % étaient « excellente » en 2025 ; sites classés « insuffisante » : 2.
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official bathing waters
Excellent in 2025
Poor in 2025
Map of official bathing waters in Hauts-de-France
Hauts-de-France by department
Sites are placed in the Eurostat NUTS 3 departments that contain their reported coordinates.
| Department | Sites | Excellent | Good | Sufficient | Poor | Not classified |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pas-de-Calais | 25 | 4 (16%) | 13 | 7 | 1 | 0 |
| Nord | 13 | 6 (46.2%) | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Somme | 6 | 4 (66.7%) | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Aisne | 4 | 3 (75%) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Oise | 3 | 2 (66.7%) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Sea, lakes and rivers in Hauts-de-France
| Water type | Sites | Excellent | Good | Sufficient | Poor | Not classified |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coastal | 39 | 11 (28.2%) | 21 | 6 | 1 | 0 |
| Lake | 12 | 8 (66.7%) | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
Coastal waters are assessed against stricter bacterial limits than lakes and rivers but are diluted far more; see how the classes are calculated.
Most consistent Excellent sites
6 sites were Excellent in all eleven seasons. Ordered by the length of the unbroken Excellent run ending in 2025.
- CENTER PARCS CHAMOUILLE 11 seasons · Aisne
- ETANG DES MOINES 11 seasons · Nord
- LA FRETTE 11 seasons · Aisne
- LES ARGALES 11 seasons · Nord
- PLAGE DE LA VILLE DE CAYEUX SUR MER 11 seasons · Somme
- PLAGE SURVEILLEE DE WOIGNARUE 11 seasons · Somme
- BEAUVAIS-PLAN D'EAU DU CANADA 7 seasons · Oise
- POSTE DE SECOURS DE PETIT-FORT-PHILIPPE 7 seasons · Nord
- POSTE DE SECOURS DE ZUYDCOOTE 5 seasons · Nord
- BASSIN DE MONAMPTEUIL 4 seasons · Aisne
- ETANG DU PONT ROUGE 4 seasons · Nord
- ONIVAL 4 seasons · Somme
- PLAGE SURVEILLEE DE MERS LES BAINS 4 seasons · Somme
- BASE NAUTIQUE LONGUEIL 1 season · Oise
- CUCQ STELLA- PLAGE 1 season · Pas-de-Calais
- GRAND-FORT-PHILIPPE 1 season · Nord
- MERLIMONT CENTRE PLAGE 1 season · Pas-de-Calais
- TARDINGHEN LE CHATELET 1 season · Pas-de-Calais
- WIMEREUX CENTRE PLAGE 1 season · Pas-de-Calais
Rated Poor in 2025
For a Poor site the Bathing Water Directive requires management measures, including a bathing prohibition or advice against bathing, so check the authority before visiting.
- BOULOGNE CENTRE PLAGE Poor in 6 of 10 classified seasons · Pas-de-Calais
- ETANG D'ISLE Poor in 5 of 10 classified seasons · Aisne
Changes from 2024 to 2025
Improved (16)
- GRAND-FORT-PHILIPPE Sufficient → Excellent
- AUDINGHEN CENTRE PLAGE Sufficient → Good
- BASE NAUTIQUE LONGUEIL Good → Excellent
- CAMIERS SAINT GABRIEL Poor → Sufficient
- CAMIERS SAINTE CECILE Sufficient → Good
- CUCQ STELLA- PLAGE Good → Excellent
- ESCALLES CENTRE PLAGE Poor → Sufficient
- LE PORTEL CENTRE PLAGE Poor → Sufficient
Declined (2)
- AVION LAC AUX 3 ILETS Good → Sufficient
- ETANG D'ISLE Sufficient → Poor
How Hauts-de-France rated since 2015
Counts for the sites in today’s 2025 inventory; the Excellent share is calculated over classified sites only.
| Season | Classified | Excellent | Excellent share | Poor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 51 | 19 | 37.3% | 2 |
| 2024 | 49 | 13 | 26.5% | 4 |
| 2023 | 50 | 16 | 32% | 2 |
| 2022 | 50 | 23 | 46% | 1 |
| 2021 | 50 | 18 | 36% | 1 |
| 2020 | 49 | 21 | 42.9% | 1 |
| 2019 | 50 | 25 | 50% | 1 |
| 2018 | 49 | 17 | 34.7% | 2 |
| 2017 | 50 | 21 | 42% | 4 |
| 2016 | 49 | 18 | 36.7% | 3 |
| 2015 | 50 | 20 | 40% | 4 |
Places with the most bathing waters in Hauts-de-France
Each site is matched to its nearest named place (GeoNames, within 8 km in a straight line), so beaches of one resort or lake shore can be compared together. Select a place to show only its sites in the full list.
| Place | Department | Sites | Excellent | Poor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grand-Fort-Philippe | Pas-de-Calais | 3 | 2 (66.7%) | 0 |
| Wissant | Pas-de-Calais | 3 | 1 (33.3%) | 0 |
| Équihen-Plage | Pas-de-Calais | 3 | 0 (0%) | 0 |
| Ault | Somme | 2 | 2 (100%) | 0 |
| Ambleteuse | Pas-de-Calais | 2 | 0 (0%) | 0 |
| Bray-Dunes | Nord | 2 | 0 (0%) | 0 |
| Calais | Pas-de-Calais | 2 | 0 (0%) | 0 |
| Camiers | Pas-de-Calais | 2 | 0 (0%) | 0 |
| Dunkirk | Nord | 2 | 0 (0%) | 0 |
| Fort-Mahon-Plage | Somme | 2 | 0 (0%) | 0 |
| Leffrinckoucke | Nord | 2 | 0 (0%) | 0 |
| Sangatte | Pas-de-Calais | 2 | 0 (0%) | 0 |
All 51 official bathing waters in Hauts-de-France
Grouped by department, alphabetical within each group. Open a site for its 2015–2025 history, nearby alternatives, weather forecast and the national profile link.
Download all 51 sites as CSV (classes 2015–2025, coordinates, nearest place; EEA data, CC BY 4.0)
Pas-de-Calais 25 sites · 16% Excellent · 1 Poor
- AMBLETEUSE CENTRE PLAGE Good
- AUDINGHEN CENTRE PLAGE · Wissant Good Sufficient → Good since 2024
- AUDRESSELLES CENTRE PLAGE · Ambleteuse Good
- AVION LAC AUX 3 ILETS Sufficient Good → Sufficient since 2024
- BERCK CENTRE PLAGE · Berck-Plage Good
- BOULOGNE CENTRE PLAGE · Boulogne-sur-Mer Poor Poor in 6 of 10 classified seasons
- CALAIS CENTRE PLAGE Good
- CAMIERS SAINT GABRIEL Sufficient Poor → Sufficient since 2024
- CAMIERS SAINTE CECILE Good Sufficient → Good since 2024
- CUCQ STELLA- PLAGE Excellent Good → Excellent since 2024
- EQUIHEN CENTRE PLAGE · Équihen-Plage Good
- ESCALLES CENTRE PLAGE · Sangatte Sufficient Poor → Sufficient since 2024
- LE PORTEL CENTRE PLAGE Sufficient Poor → Sufficient since 2024
- LE TOUQUET CENTRE PLAGE · Le Touquet-Paris-Plage Good Sufficient → Good since 2024
- MARCK LA HUCHETTE Sufficient
- MERLIMONT CENTRE PLAGE Excellent Good → Excellent since 2024
- NEUFCHATEL-HARDELOT PLAGE · Équihen-Plage Good Sufficient → Good since 2024
- OYE-PLAGE LES DUNES · Grand-Fort-Philippe Good
- OYE-PLAGE LES HEMMES Sufficient
- SAINT ETIENNE AU MONT PLAGE NORD · Équihen-Plage Good Sufficient → Good since 2024
- SANGATTE BLERIOT PLAGE · Calais Good
- SANGATTE CENTRE PLAGE Sufficient
- TARDINGHEN LE CHATELET · Wissant Excellent Good → Excellent since 2024
- WIMEREUX CENTRE PLAGE Excellent Good → Excellent since 2024
- WISSANT CENTRE PLAGE Good Sufficient → Good since 2024
Nord 13 sites · 46.2% Excellent
- BASE DES PRES DU HEM - BAIGNADE · Armentières Sufficient
- ETANG DES MOINES · Fourmies Excellent Excellent 11 seasons in a row
- ETANG DU PONT ROUGE · Le Quesnoy Excellent Excellent 4 seasons in a row
- GRAND-FORT-PHILIPPE Excellent Sufficient → Excellent since 2024
- LE PERROQUET - BRAY-DUNES Good
- LES ARGALES · Rieulay Excellent Excellent 11 seasons in a row
- POSTE DE SECOURS - DIGUE DES ALLIES · Dunkirk Good
- POSTE DE SECOURS - MALO TERMINUS · Leffrinckoucke Good
- POSTE DE SECOURS CENTRAL DE BRAY-DUNES Good Sufficient → Good since 2024
- POSTE DE SECOURS DE PETIT-FORT-PHILIPPE · Grand-Fort-Philippe Excellent Excellent 7 seasons in a row
- POSTE DE SECOURS DE ZUYDCOOTE Excellent Excellent 5 seasons in a row
- POSTE DE SECOURS PRINCIPAL - MALO CENTRE · Dunkirk Good
- POSTE DE SURVEILLANCE DE LEFFRINCKOUCKE Good
Somme 6 sites · 66.7% Excellent
- ONIVAL · Ault Excellent Excellent 4 seasons in a row
- PLAGE DE LA VILLE DE CAYEUX SUR MER Excellent Excellent 11 seasons in a row
- PLAGE SURVEILLEE DE FORT-MAHON · Fort-Mahon-Plage Good
- PLAGE SURVEILLEE DE MERS LES BAINS Excellent Excellent 4 seasons in a row
- PLAGE SURVEILLEE DE QUEND · Fort-Mahon-Plage Good
- PLAGE SURVEILLEE DE WOIGNARUE · Ault Excellent Excellent 11 seasons in a row
Aisne 4 sites · 75% Excellent · 1 Poor
- BASSIN DE MONAMPTEUIL · Vailly-sur-Aisne Excellent Excellent 4 seasons in a row
- CENTER PARCS CHAMOUILLE · Bruyères-et-Montbérault Excellent Excellent 11 seasons in a row
- ETANG D'ISLE · Harly Poor Poor in 5 of 10 classified seasons
- LA FRETTE · Tergnier Excellent Excellent 11 seasons in a row
Oise 3 sites · 66.7% Excellent
- BASE NAUTIQUE DE SAINT LEU D'ESSERENT · Villers-sous-Saint-Leu Good
- BASE NAUTIQUE LONGUEIL · Longueil-Sainte-Marie Excellent Good → Excellent since 2024
- BEAUVAIS-PLAN D'EAU DU CANADA · Troissereux Excellent Excellent 7 seasons in a row
Compared with other regions in France
| # | Region | Sites | Excellent | Poor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nouvelle-Aquitaine | 419 | 82.1% | 8 |
| 2 | Pays de la Loire | 200 | 81% | 3 |
| 3 | Grand Est | 89 | 80.9% | 2 |
| 4 | Brittany | 601 | 77.5% | 10 |
| 5 | Bourgogne-Franche-Comté | 77 | 76.6% | 2 |
| 6 | Occitanie | 454 | 76.2% | 13 |
| 7 | Corsica | 223 | 75.8% | 20 |
| 8 | Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes | 284 | 75.4% | 15 |
| 9 | Centre-Val de Loire | 43 | 74.4% | 2 |
| 10 | Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur | 501 | 74.1% | 12 |
| 11 | Normandy | 161 | 66.5% | 5 |
| 12 | La Réunion | 26 | 65.4% | 1 |
| 13 | Guadeloupe | 103 | 64.1% | 3 |
| 14 | Île-de-France | 23 | 47.8% | 7 |
| 15 | Martinique | 62 | 46.8% | 1 |
| 16 | Hauts-de-France | 51 | 37.3% | 2 |
| 17 | Mayotte | 21 | 28.6% | 0 |
Regions with at least 15 official bathing waters. Size, water type and how densely sites are designated differ, so the table is context rather than a verdict.
Quick answers
- How many bathing waters in Hauts-de-France were rated Excellent in 2025?
- 19 of 51 (37.3%) in the official EEA 2025 classification; 22 were Good, 8 Sufficient and 2 Poor. That ranks Hauts-de-France 16 of 17 France regions by Excellent share.
- Which department of Hauts-de-France has the highest share of Excellent sites?
- Somme: 66.7% of its 6 sites were Excellent in 2025. Nord follows with 46.2%. Only departments with at least five sites are compared; see the full table.
- Which beaches in Hauts-de-France have the best long-term record?
- 6 sites were Excellent in every season from 2015 to 2025, for example CENTER PARCS CHAMOUILLE, ETANG DES MOINES, LA FRETTE. See the ranking.
- Which places in Hauts-de-France have the most official bathing waters?
- Grand-Fort-Philippe (3, 66.7% Excellent), Wissant (3, 33.3% Excellent), Équihen-Plage (3, 0% Excellent). See the place table; places are the nearest named settlement to each site.
- Were any bathing waters in Hauts-de-France rated Poor?
- Yes, 2: BOULOGNE CENTRE PLAGE, ETANG D'ISLE.
- Where do I check whether swimming is allowed today?
- On baignades.sante.gouv.fr (Ministry of Health and the Regional Health Agencies (ARS)). Temporary bans, pollution alerts and closures are published there and on signs at the water, not in the annual EEA class.
France overview · All regions of France · Bathing waters near Paris · Bathing season dates
Sources and method
Bathing-water records: European Environment Agency (EEA), data and coordinates reported by France, licensed CC BY 4.0. Region and department boundaries: Eurostat NUTS 2024 (© EuroGeographics for the administrative boundaries). Place names: GeoNames (CC BY 4.0). A site belongs to the area that contains its reported coordinates; a site up to 10 km off the generalised coastline is placed in the nearest area of France. Counts, shares and rankings are calculated by BathingWaterFinder from the official records.