Le Touquet

Places to visit | Local area map | *
bus link with Etaples station

Le Touquet

Le Touquet’s vast sandy beach

AQUALUD - a modern water-based activity centre on the beach.

Le Touquet has a reputation as the most elegant holiday resort of northern France - the playground of rich Parisians, with many luxury hotels.

The resort was created in 1876 by the owner of the Paris newspaper, 'Le Figaro'. Then this was an area of wild sand dunes and forest - part of a hunting estate. It became known as "Paris by the sea", and strict building regulations encouraged the most talented architects to create imaginative and innovative developments.

Le Touquet and rich Brits
In 1903, a British syndicate bought the land, and set out to sell properties to the rich from across the Channel. In the 1920's Noel Coward and the “smart set” from England spent weekends here, and commissioned more outstanding villa designs echoing traditional and ultra-modern domestic styles. Today the town tourist office offers organised trails to see outstanding examples of 19th and 20th century domestic architecture, which are now preserved and protected.

Inland from the beach, the hotels, casino, and expensive villas are spaced out amid acres of woodland, offering every sport imaginable, particularly golf.

Relaxed shopping in a holiday town

1. Iso Ral: "Bal à Etaples" capturing the elegance of seaside night-life around the turn of the century.
2. Railway advertisement 3. present-day ad for the casino echoes ’twenties style and glamour

Motorbikes race the sands
Every year, a spectacular motorbike race called "Enduro" brings thousands of spectators to watch crowds of bikers racing along the beach and through the dunes, doing spectacular "wheelies" to gain a few seconds.

Weblinks and tourist information

Town tourist information website: http://www.letouquet.com

Places to visit:
AQUALUD - water-based activity centre
Sandyachting on the beaches
Sailing - on the Cote d'Opale
Thallassa - up-market health & seawater spa by the beach at Le Touquet
MAREIS - interactive exhibition about working fishermen, Etaples
Bagatelle - amusement park, Berck
Les Chocolats de Beussant
Traditional boulangerie - near Hardelot
Nausicaa - sea-world centre in Boulogne
Coastal footpath - long-distance path around the coast to Berck via Dunkerque - Calais- Boulogne

Local area map:
map
Click on places for more information

Download & print out:
Town map with parking
Brief description
Places to visit
List of restaurants
List of hotels

Click for TOWN GUIDE
at www.pas-de-calais.com

Background Information
Golf - courses to visit
Painters of the Côte d'Opale
Seaside holidays

Why not try this feature?

QUICK TOUR round the Côte d'Opale, starting with Nausicaa...

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Places to visit \| Local area map \| * bus link with Etaples station
*Le Touquet*

Le Touquet’s vast sandy beach	AQUALUD - a modern water-based activity centre on the beach. Le Touquet has a reputation as the most elegant holiday resort of northern France - the playground of rich Parisians, with many luxury hotels. The resort was created in 1876 by the owner of the Paris newspaper, 'Le Figaro'. Then this was an area of wild sand dunes and forest - part of a hunting estate. It became known as "Paris by the sea", and strict building regulations encouraged the most talented architects to create imaginative and innovative developments. Le Touquet and rich Brits In 1903, a British syndicate bought the land, and set out to sell properties to the rich from across the Channel. In the 1920's Noel Coward and the “smart set” from England spent weekends here, and commissioned more outstanding villa designs echoing traditional and ultra-modern domestic styles. Today the town tourist office offers organised trails to see outstanding examples of 19th and 20th century domestic architecture, which are now preserved and protected. Inland from the beach, the hotels, casino, and expensive villas are spaced out amid acres of woodland, offering every sport imaginable, particularly golf.
Relaxed shopping in a holiday town
1. Iso Ral: "Bal à Etaples" capturing the elegance of seaside night-life around the turn of the century. 2. Railway advertisement 3. present-day ad for the casino echoes ’twenties style and glamour
Motorbikes race the sands Every year, a spectacular motorbike race called "Enduro" brings thousands of spectators to watch crowds of bikers racing along the beach and through the dunes, doing spectacular "wheelies" to gain a few seconds.