Sand yachting and water sports in Le Touquet: a guide to the two centres

Le Touquet has two municipal water-sports centres with very different roles: at the south end of the beach, the Centre nautique de la Manche Bertrand Lambert, which specialises in sand yachting, and to the north, the Centre nautique de la baie de Canche, for sailing, kayaking and paddleboarding on more sheltered waters. Between the two lie 7 km of sand which, at low tide, make the resort one of the best sand-yachting venues in France.

Sand yachting, Le Touquet's signature sport

The first "sand sailors" appeared on the beach at Paris-Plage as early as 1911. The sport later found its champion here: Bertrand Lambert, five-time world champion, who set a world speed record of 151.55 km/h on the Opal Coast in April 1991. His daughters Charlotte and Clémence have in turn won world titles, and the resort hosted the world championships in 2006. The water-sports centre at the south end of the beach now bears his name.

Why here? At low tide the beach reveals a vast expanse of firm, flat sand swept by steady winds. Le Touquet's sand yachts are easy to spot: their white sails carry the caddie, the town's emblem.

Going sand yachting: age, what to expect, booking

The Centre nautique de la Manche Bertrand Lambert offers several options:

• Taster session from age 12, lasting about 2 to 2½ hours, supervised by an instructor.
• Children's courses for 8-12-year-olds and for ages 13 and up, Monday to Friday during the school holidays.
• Groups (large families, friends, companies) by reservation.

You get the hang of it quickly: after the safety briefing and learning to handle the sheet, you're gliding along alone in your yacht from the very first session. Time slots follow the tide, since you need an uncovered beach; the centre recommends booking several weeks in advance, especially for the holidays. Prices and useful documents are on the centre's official page.

Charles's tip: book your sand-yachting session at the same time as your rental, especially for the spring and October half-term holidays. Bring wraparound sunglasses and clothes you don't mind getting dirty: the wet sand flies, and you'll come back delighted but covered in specks.

South of the beach: the board-sports village

From April to October, the Bertrand Lambert base becomes a board-sports village shared by several qualified providers:

Sea walking (longe-côte), a hike through waist- or chest-deep water, is a good activity for adults who want a full workout without any special technique; it is only done in supervised groups, with a wetsuit and neoprene shoes. The centre also rents out bikes and runs a few supervised shrimping trips. For surfing and kitesurfing, we have written two detailed guides: surfing on the Opal Coast and kitesurfing on the Opal Coast.

North: sailing, kayaking and paddleboarding in the Canche bay

At the other end of the resort, the Centre nautique de la baie de Canche enjoys the calmer waters of the estuary. This is the centre to choose with young children or if you prefer to sail away from the waves.

Sailing school

The "Moussaillons" (little sailors) club welcomes children from age 6 in summer; from age 8 they sail Optimists, catamarans, dinghies or windsurfers, on three- or five-day courses during the spring, summer and October half-term holidays.

Rentals and guided trips

You can rent kayaks, canoes, paddleboards, giant paddleboards, pedalos, catamarans, dinghies and windsurfers. The most unusual outing is the guided trip "à la rencontre du flot" (riding the flood tide): you paddle down the Canche by kayak towards the sea, then come back up carried by the incoming tide. With a bit of luck you'll spot the seals resting on the bay's sandbanks. Outrigger canoe trips, a 4-hour raid and coastal boating licence courses complete the offer.

To find out more about the estuary's seals and birds, read our article on Canche bay wildlife.

Which activity suits you?

In every case, check the tide times: they determine sand yachting (low tide), kayak trips (flood current) and walks on the foreshore. A wetsuit is essential in the water, even in high summer: the Channel stays cool, and the wind chills you fast once you're wet.

Safety and equipment: what you need to know

Le Touquet beach is vast and the tide comes in fast: the tidal range can exceed several metres during spring tides, and the foreshore is quickly covered. A few simple rules let you enjoy the activities without unpleasant surprises:

• Go through a supervised centre to start with: the equipment is adapted to your size, and the instructor chooses the time slot according to wind and tide.
• Respect the zones: in season, the beach is divided between supervised swimming, water sports and the sand-yachting area; maps are posted at the lifeguard stations.
• Never go out alone on a paddleboard or kayak outside the bay, and check the wind direction: an offshore wind can carry you away from the shore without you noticing.
• Bring a wetsuit, neoprene shoes, sun cream, a windbreaker and a water bottle; the Bertrand Lambert centre has outdoor showers for rinsing equipment.

In bad weather, sessions may be postponed: the schools then offer another date or an alternative activity, such as a guided bike ride. If the weather stays unsettled all day, our article on what to do in Le Touquet when it rains takes over.

Exploring the Opal Coast

Sand yachting is also available at Berck-sur-Mer, about twenty kilometres to the south, whose sand-yachting school opened in 1989 on an equally vast beach; it's a good alternative if Le Touquet's slots are full. Merlimont, Stella-Plage and Hardelot also have their own water-sports clubs, and since 2022 Hardelot has had a board-sports base offering sand yachting, kitesurfing, paddleboarding and outrigger canoeing.

From Villa Mon Étoile, the beach is about a 5-minute walk away, so you can pop back for a shower between sessions. Find all the other sports in our guide to sport in Le Touquet.