Plage de Deauville (The Beach)

The beach at Deauville is the setting that made the resort famous: a broad, flat sweep of sand on the Normandy coast, backed by the wooden boardwalk and lined with rows of coloured parasols. It lies in the Pays d'Auge, in the Calvados department, at the mouth of the Touques river, with the neighbouring resort of Trouville on the opposite bank. The sand is fine and the tide goes out far, leaving a wide stretch for walking, and in the evening the light over the sea gives good sunsets.

Deauville itself is a planned resort. It was developed in the 1860s on drained marshland, with the backing of the Duke of Morny, half-brother of Napoleon III, and the doctor Joseph Olliffe, and it attracted wealthy Parisians once the railway arrived. Its mix of half-timbered villas in the Anglo-Norman style and wide boulevards reflects the fashionable seaside architecture of the Second Empire and the Belle Époque, and the Casino Barrière de Deauville remains a landmark. The fashion designer Coco Chanel opened one of her first boutiques here in the early twentieth century, helping to shape the resort's chic reputation.

The focus of the beach is Les Planches, the boardwalk that runs along the sand. Its wooden slats are lined with beach cabins, each carrying the name of a film star or director, a nod to the Deauville American Film Festival, which has been held every September since 1975. Walkers stroll the boardwalk, with the parasols and the changing rooms in front of them, and many return in the evening for the atmosphere. The beach is public and free, although some areas have clubs and rentals for loungers and parasols.

The resort offers more than sunbathing. The Hippodrome de Deauville hosts horse racing in summer, and the town is known for its polo, golf and yacht marinas, as well as its luxury hotels and shops. In the colder months the beach is a place for brisk walks, kite-flying and horse riding at low tide, and the resort is quieter, with a different mood. The weather in Normandy is changeable, so bring layers even in summer, and note that bathing depends on the tide and the sea conditions.

The beach suits couples, families, film enthusiasts, and weekend visitors from Paris. Allow one to three hours for the beach and boardwalk, longer if you plan to eat or visit the casino. The Église Notre-Dame and the Parc du Thuit are within a short distance.