Things to Do in Le Touquet-Paris-Plage: 20 Ideas for Every Taste

What is there to do in Le Touquet? Start with what defines the resort: a vast beach, a pine forest a stone's throw from the centre and streets made for wandering on foot. Add board and wind sports, 1920s–1930s heritage and protected nature in the Canche bay, and you have enough to fill a week without ever getting back in the car.

Here are twenty ideas grouped by mood, each with what you need to know before you go.

On the beach: seaside classics

Le Touquet beach stretches for more than ten kilometres, from the seafront to the point facing the Canche bay. At low tide, it becomes one of the largest playgrounds on the coast.

1. Swim in summer in the lifeguarded areas, keeping an eye on the flags and the tidal currents.
2. Walk to the Pointe du Touquet to watch the Canche estuary emerge at low tide.
3. Try sand yachting, the resort's signature sport, open to complete beginners with an instructor.
4. Have a go at kitesurfing, paddleboarding or catamaran sailing with the water sports clubs on the seafront.
5. Cycle or stroll along the promenade at sunset, when the low light skims across the sand.

Sand yachting deserves a special mention: the resort is one of its birthplaces, and its wide, flat beaches swept by a steady wind make ideal terrain. A beginner's session usually lasts one to two hours, helmet provided; all you need is clothing that doesn't mind sand or water. To pick your spot on the sand, see our guide to Le Touquet's beaches.

Heritage and town walks

Le Touquet was built in just a few decades, which gives it a remarkably consistent architectural style.

6. Climb the Canche lighthouse: this brick tower of about 57 m, designed by Louis Quételart and completed in the early 1950s, is a listed historic monument. Visits take place at certain times, notably at weekends and during French school holidays.
7. Browse Le Touquet's covered market, built in 1931–1932 with its distinctive arcades and now protected as a historic monument.
8. Admire the town hall and its 38 m belfry, completed in 1931 in a style blending English and regional influences.
9. Spot the villas, Anglo-Norman and Art Deco, in the forest district and the streets near the centre.
10. Walk up rue Saint-Jean, the historic shopping street linking the sea to the heart of town.

A good way to link these places is to start at the covered market, head to the town hall and Sainte-Jeanne-d'Arc church via boulevard Daloz, then finish at the foot of the lighthouse, at the northern entrance to the town. Allow a relaxed morning, breaks included. The tourist office's themed guided tours are another way to discover the story of the grand villas and the famous names who stayed in them.

Nature: forest, dunes and the Canche bay

11. Cycle through the forest: around 800 hectares of pines, planted in the 19th century to stabilise the dunes, surround the residential districts.
12. Watch the seals in the Canche bay: the tourist office runs guided tours to get close without disturbing them, along with the estuary's birdlife.
13. Ride the Vélomaritime (EuroVelo 4) to Stella-Plage, Merlimont or Berck, around fifteen kilometres to the south.
14. Walk in the dunes north of the beach, sticking to the waymarked paths to protect the vegetation.

In the forest, the tracks are wide and flat, ideal for children; several bike and scooter hire shops are based in town.

Sport and leisure

15. Play golf: Le Touquet golf club has three courses, including La Mer, laid out in the dunes in 1931, and La Forêt, under the pines.
16. Go horse riding at the equestrian park, which hosts an international show-jumping competition, or on a beach ride with a riding centre.
17. Play tennis at one of the resort's great historic clubs.

Find all the details in Sporty Le Touquet.

With the family and on rainy days

18. Visit the Musée du Touquet-Paris-Plage, in the 1925 Villa Way Side: painters of the Étaples art colony, photographs from the resort's golden age and modern art.
19. Spend a day at Parc Bagatelle in Merlimont, considered the oldest amusement park in France still in operation; it opens in season, so check the calendar before you go.
20. Enjoy the seasonal events: a festival for little ones in summer, Christmas lights, an ice rink and a Christmas village at the end of the year.

Note that the former Aqualud water park, long a fixture on the seafront, has closed. For more indoor ideas, read our article on rainy-day activities and pack a few board games: a cosy afternoon indoors is part of any holiday on the Channel coast too.

Charles's tip: book supervised activities, such as sand yachting or a seal-watching trip, as soon as you arrive, or even before. Slots depend on the tides and the wind, and the most convenient ones go quickly during school holidays.

Time your stay around an event

The resort runs to a calendar of recurring events all year round. Coming during one of them completely changes the atmosphere: for the better if you enjoy a buzz, less so if you are looking for peace and quiet. The big classics:

• The Enduropale, every February: the famous motorbike and quad race on the sand, created in 1975, draws hundreds of thousands of spectators.
• The Winter Jazz Festival, in February, at the Palais des Congrès.
• The international show-jumping competition, at the equestrian park, in late spring.
• Les Pianos Folies, a classical piano festival, and the Touquet Music Beach Festival, at the end of summer.
• The book fair in November, followed by the Christmas festivities, with lights, an ice rink and a village of chalets, until early January.

Dates change from year to year: check the tourist office's events calendar before booking, and read our article on Le Touquet's highlights.

Plan your days without rushing

The nicest way is to leave the car in the garage. From Villa Mon Étoile, on rue d'Étaples, the beach and rue Saint-Jean are a few minutes' walk away, and the forest a short bike ride. A typical day might look like this:

• Morning: covered market, coffee on a terrace, then the beach or a water sports session depending on the tide.
• Afternoon: cycling in the forest, golf, a visit to the lighthouse or the museum.
• Early evening: a stroll along the promenade and dinner in the centre.

If you are only staying two or three days, our weekend in Le Touquet itinerary will help you pick the essentials.