10 Reasons Why You Should Visit Le Touquet At Least Once

Le Touquet’s most prominent feature is its eight-mile stretch of wide sandy beach opening up on the opalescent Atlantic. The beach is not just a huge open playground for sand castle-building, sunbathing, and long strolls, but is also the stage for plenty of sports and massively popular events such as the Enduropale motorcycle beach race and the beach polo tournament.

Since the very beginning, Le Touquet has attracted a well-heeled clientele, originally from Paris and eventually, once the well-kept secret was out, discerning visitors came from all over. To cater to this market, a multitude of services and retail facilities have set up here, from the best-known brands to incredibly unique designer shops. It is such a relaxing way to unwind after an active day at the beach, browse the stylish boutiques along Rue de Metz and Rue St Jean, and of course stock up on foodie treats to take back home.

Golfers have a choice of three courses, offering breathtaking scenic spots where the sea meets the links. While elegant and perfectly manicured, Le Touquet Golf Course has a relaxed and welcoming feel and a lovely clubhouse that has been entirely renovated to world-class standards. It also includes a bright and modern restaurant with an expansive view of the fairway.

Le Touquet is paradise for horse lovers. Experts and beginners can enjoy a relaxing ride on the beach, looking out on the wide estuary of La Canche river. The equestrian center offers more than 40km of trails and host regular competitions, and if you’d rather cheer from the sidelines, Le Touquet’s elegant racecourse with its distinctive Art Deco stands holds events through the summer.

There’s an incredible selection of dining spots for a town of its size, from high-cuisine gastronomic extravaganzas to a light-as-air crêpe on the go. Being by the sea, the most unmissable gourmet experience is to splash out on an extravagant plateau des fruits de mer, with all the trimmings. It’s a seafood sculpture of the freshest lobster, shrimp, crab, oysters… the best known address is Perards, although each restaurant has its own speciality, and an invariably excellent wine cellar.

Its Edwardian heyday brought buildings like Le Westminster hotel and witnessed the birth of Le Touquet as a Franco-British playground, but it was in the 1920s and ‘30s that the resort experienced a significant expansion, evident in the flamboyant Art Deco villas and public buildings such as the market, town hall and the post office.

Shopping is so much fun at the covered market, a local institution. It’s open on Thursdays and Saturdays in the morning and from the moment you approach you’ll be immersed in a festival atmosphere. All senses at the ready to enjoy your favourite foodie treats and explore new experiences, including delicious regional fruits of land and sea.

A great thing about Le Touquet is that you don’t really need a car. The hotels, beach, shopping and dining are all within easy walking distance. Even more fun is to exchange your four wheels for two, and rent one of the excellent fat bikes, to profit from the mostly flat and well-marked cycling routes. Next you can roll on a quadricycle, a big hit for families and groups of friends, or glide on a Segway and then go for a thrilling ride on a four-wheel sand yacht on the beach; or a long board, or a skate board, or a dirt-bike, quad-bike, electric bike… Le Touquet is all about having fun in style.

Not least of the reasons to come to Le Touquet right now is our last very convenient item on the list. It is so easy to get here, that it makes it a perfect destination to visit on a whim for a weekend or short break. Arriving by ferry from Calais, the drive is under 50 minutes, and the town is just just hours from Paris, and Lille if you are arriving by Eurostar.