Nature reserve

Classified as a nature reserve since 1987, the Platier d’Oye offers a unique protected area between dunes, marshes, foreshore, and wetlands, ideal for birdwatching.

A refuge for biodiversity :

Created in 1987, the Platier d’Oye nature reserve is a privileged stopover area for many migratory birds. It shelters a wide diversity of natural environments: from the foreshore on the sea side to wet meadows and ponds on the land side, passing through white dunes, grey dunes, and mudflats.

A natural… and historical heritag

The site also preserves historical remains: German defenses erected in 1942 as part of the Atlantic Wall.

Practical Info for Your Visit

Tourist Information Point:
During the summer, the OTCI welcomes you at the Maison du Platier d’Oye (1005 route des Dunes, Oye-Plage).
The site remains fragile:
Trampling can damage vegetation and accelerate wind erosion. Please stay on marked paths.

Learn more about The Maison du Platier d'Oye

A living dune in perpetual evolution

The dune, shaped by wind and sea currents, is constantly evolving. When sand accumulates, it makes the coast advance towards the sea. But at the Les Écardines site, storms nibble away at the dune, threatening to have the sea breach the cordon. To reinforce this fragile environment, piles have been installed and marram grass (oyats) grasses that fix the sand have been planted.

A rich and changing landscape

Behind the white dunes, the grey dune offers a carpet of flowering mosses in spring. It gradually transforms into a dense and impenetrable space, colonized by shrubs like sea buckthorn, black elderberry, or wild privet, which shelter a fauna rich in passerines. Further on, one discovers an herbaceous moor dotted with ponds and mudflats, between fresh water and salt water: a true sanctuary for birds.