Equihen Plage: Village Of Upside Down Boat Houses
Europe is home of a lot of unique buildings and cultural wonders. However, some of them are out of the ordinary and the village of Equihen Plage is one of them. Located on the coast of northern France, this peaceful place has beautiful beach, nice camping sites and cozy homes.
Residents of the village live in upside down boats. Today, living in such a small space, instead of a modern house seems unnecessary. But, the locals are devoted to preserving their culture and history.
Back at the beginning of the 1900s, Equihen Plage was known, as one of the best spots for fishing. As many boats were left to be destroyed on the shore, local fishermen used them as roofs for their handmade shelters. At the time, the area was called Quartier des Quilles en l’Air: the neighborhood of keels in the air.
Unfortunately, the Second World War ruined almost every boathouse in the village. However, local families were determined to maintain their legacy. So, village residents restored some of the old boathouses and built new ones.
Today, over 3,000 people enjoy living under the boat and some of them are available for tourists.
Additional Information About Equihen-Plage
Where Exactly Is Equihen-Plage?
Equihen-Plage is a small coastal commune located in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Hauts-de-France region. It sits along the scenic Opal Coast, known for its rugged cliffs, sandy dunes, and wide beaches. The commune’s territory is also partly within the protected Parc naturel régional des Caps et Marais d’Opale, which keeps the coastline natural and undeveloped.
Official municipal site: https://ville-equihen-plage.fr
The Origins of the “Quilles en l’Air” Tradition
The upside-down boat houses—known locally as quilles en l’air (keels in the air)—originated when Equihen-Plage was an active fishing hub. Traditional boats such as flobarts and harenguiers would eventually become too damaged for the sea. Instead of discarding them, fishermen salvaged the hulls, turned them upside down, tarred them for waterproofing, and used them as low-cost roofs for family shelters. By the early 20th century, the village had a whole district made of these boat-houses, with nearly twenty structures standing.
Local heritage background: https://sites.google.com/view/equihen-plage/les-quilles-en-lair
WWII Destruction and Later Reconstruction
During World War II, nearly every one of the historic quilles en l’air was destroyed. Only a single boat house survived: the 1929 vessel Sacré-Cœur de Jésus, later used as a summer studio by painter Paul Christol. Inspired by the lost heritage, the commune began restoring and recreating the unique structures in the 1990s. Today, several reconstructed upside-down-boathouse cabins stand proudly on the coastline.
Staying in a Boat House Today
Some of the restored quilles en l’air can be rented by visitors at the local municipal campsite, making Equihen-Plage one of the few places in Europe where tourists can actually sleep inside an upside-down boat. These accommodations are rustic but comfortable, usually offering simple interiors, wooden finishes, and direct access to the dunes and sea. Outside high season, nightly prices can be surprisingly affordable.
Tourist information: https://www.boulonnaisautop.com/en/decouvrir-nos-stations-balneaires-english/seaside-resorts/equihen-plage
A Village With Artistic and Maritime Soul
Equihen-Plage has long attracted artists inspired by its sweeping coastal views and maritime lifestyle. Paintings of the village’s fishing community can be found in the town hall and the local Church of Saint-Pierre. Combined with the revived boat-house tradition, this gives Equihen-Plage a distinctive cultural identity that blends heritage, architecture, and seascape beauty.
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Get way to reutilize old hulls and also respect maritime heritage.
But it would never past muster in the US where real estate codes forbid such innovative thinking.
Yes, let’s hope the blandness imposed by bureaucracy doesn’t engulf us all in the end.
Well if you live out in the rural area you should be able to live in a box! 😂
What a wonderful idea to look after the homeless?
I was in Brittany,France, and I believe that a law prohibits destroying abandonned boats.
That’s great.
I could live here.
very intriquing. would be nice for vacation.
I love the concept. What a great way to recycle! It is a bit like the tiny house movement or people using containers to make homes out of. I wish there were more pics of the insides.
Good repurposing on boats from an era when they were no longer useful for fishing as fishermens’ requirements changed. We have exaxtly the same situation today with surplus to requirements shipping containers, many now often made out of corten steel and built for one trip only. There are now hundreds of containers being used as the basic building blocks for buildings. For me it is the same ethos – take something desined for one use and meld it into a new life.
@Nick Longhurst: “For me it is the same ethos – take something desined for one use and meld it into a new life.” Hear! Hear! Such an important ethos, especially nowadays, with so much thrown out for want of brand new…if we could repurpose more things, hopefully our waste & pollution would decrease.
I love it.
My wife calls the Morgan O/I the “Morgan Outhouse lol
An old factory in my town used old destroyer boats from the ship yards back in the 40’s . When you walked through it you could see the windows and all the beams on the roof look just like a Hull. It leaked like a boat too!!
I am sorry, housing and sailing enthusiasts, but I have sailed on a Morgan and I think the best use for them is to make it into a house/roof! They are sluggish and not elegant boats. I am lucky enough to own a beautiful old 33′ wooden boat which I race against other beautiful 33′ wooden and fiberglass versions of it. No engines. (Wooden is lovelier to sail.)
I have fretted about what will happen to the planet with all these plastic boats for decades (My parents bought a 40′ Block Island 40′ in 1959). This is the best use I can think of. As a passionate proponent of workforce housing on an island in Maine where a $400K house is a teardown, I relish creative concepts. How might a 3D printed 1st story fit with this!? I am an artist and considered a nut by some, but creative solutions to save our planet are required!
Many very innovative people are considered nuts. Until the future proves them prescient. Hang in there!
Well if you live out in the rural area you should be able to live in a box! 😂
And I would rather look at a house built of a retired boat than see it sitting on someone’s property delapidated and full of trash!
Obviously, the comments above are mainly from city people!?
Exactly. I live in the country. There are people with no electricity and a dirt floor out here .
Sounds good, I love that kind of living!