Why Le Touquet Is A Major Destination For Seaside Lovers

If you love wide-open beaches, rolling surf, wind in your sails, chic boutiques and top-notch seafood, Le Touquet is the place for you. And what if we told you that there’s also world-class golfing?

There wasn’t much here when Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Daloz, a notary, bought 800 hectares of wild, sandy brush in 1837. He tried to farm it, but it was useless – so he gave up and planted pines and other hardy trees instead. The owner of the newspaper Le Figaro said to Daloz that Parisians might take to these shores to indulge in this newfangled concept of ‘leisure.’ And so Le Touquet was christened ‘Paris-Plage’ and the first seaside resort in the North of France was born.

The untamed dunes and wide sands of Le Touquet

Being so close to Calais – an easy 50-minute drive these days – made it a perfect destination for visitors from across the Channel and, in 1902, two enterprising English investors bought up all the available plots of land from the descendants of Daloz and built two casinos and a large number of sports facilities to make the town into a ‘sportsman’s paradise.’ Boy, did they succeed!

Lucky for us, we can enjoy all this hard work and the combination of excellent infrastructure, natural beauty and the touch of style that makes Le Touquet the major destination it is today. There really is something for everyone here, from the sun worshiper to the adrenaline junkie. The variety of activities on offer is outstanding. You’ll find the sports you love, plus those you never knew existed, like the salubrious longe-côte aquatic hiking. There’s everything from cycling and horse riding through every manner of water sport, and superb golfing consistently ranked among the best in France. Golf du Touquet was entirely overhauled in late 2016 and now offers a swish club-house restaurant with a panoramic view of the stunning links amid the forested dunes.

One of the great attractions is the seafood, of course, as being on the Atlantic means that the catch of the day leaps fresh every morning from boat to plate. For a special treat, perch casually on the black granite counter at Perard‘s, for the freshest, briniest oysters and seafood platter, washed down with a glass of Muscadet, and watch the well-heeled Touquetois world go by.

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.