Le Touquet: a blend of Parisian elegance, British flavor, nature and seaside

Le Touquet, a French seaside resort on the Channel sea, is a well-know name for French and British travelers. This discreet and elegant station should however now conquest the rest of the world as the perfect destination as it blends harmoniously culture, nature and beach activities. All of these, just 2h20 minutes away by train from Paris or 2h25 minutes by car from Ghent in Belgium.

More understated than its Normandy counterpart Deauville, the seaside resort of Le Touquet on the Opal Coast offers an ideal setting for visitors looking for an elegant, discreet but lively seaside resort in France. It is with good reasons that the small city of 4,500 inhabitants is labeled “The Pearl of the Opal Coast“.

Its enchanting urban atmosphere, diverse sport facilities, its casinos, its superb MICE structures and the region’s only five-star hotel—Le Westminster, the Barrière group’s flagship—make it a compelling destination.

A fascinating history

The resort’s story began in 1837, when Alphonse Daloz purchased large tracts of coastal dunes and transformed them by planting an 800-hectare forest of maritime pines, poplars, and alders.

This natural landscape inspired his friend Hippolyte de Villemessant, to imagine a seaside retreat for Parisians—thus creating the marketing name of “Paris Plage.” with its shimmering, ever-changing light. By 1912, the resort adopted the name that visitors know today, “Le Touquet-Paris-Plage”.

Fine sandy beaches swept by the Channel, opulent villas dispersed between forest and shoreline, and prestigious hotels all contribute to the destination’s enduring appeal for travelers.

At the beginning of the 20th century, the dunes had turned into an elegant resort city featuring grand villas, luxury hotels, two casinos, an equestrian center, tennis courts, a golf course, and even a tramway!

Art Deco gem

Le Touquet grand urban style, at crossroads between Paris, England, and Belgium, its mild coastal climate attracted affluent Parisian and British visitors. The latter gave also the resort its other nickname of the most British town in France.

After World War I, regulars included Agatha Christie, Noël Coward, H.G. Wells, and the Duke and Duchess of Windsor. Le Touquet airport is today the only in the world to pay homage to the late Queen Elizabeth II in its name!

These prestigious guests stood behind the “Golden Age of Le Touquet” in the 1920s and 1930s, when the resort set the standard for high-society seaside living. During the Roaring Twenties, the town embraced Art Deco with ambition, erecting a spectacular town hall crowned with a massive belfry, a unique villa-style post office, the grandstands of the Hippodrome and a crescent-shaped covered market.

An airfield, new hotels, and a bustling commercial district reinforced its cosmopolitan character. Tours are indeed provided to discover the numerous villas and 21 buildings protected as Historical Monuments.

The seaside resort had 7 large grand luxurious palaces that were in operation before World War II: The Atlantic Hotel, the Grand-Hotel, the Hôtel-Hermitage, the Hôtel des Anglais, the Golf-Hotel, the Royal Picardy, and the Hotel Le Westminster. The latter is the only survivor among these grand palaces.

At the heart of town stands Hôtel Barrière Le Westminster, the elegant emblem of Franco-British art de vivre and the crown jewel among the area’s 1,200 hotel rooms. With its imposing Art Deco façade, the five-star hotel continues to radiate timeless prestige. The hotel, renovated for nine months, reopened in 2020 with rooms and public spaces being more Art Deco than ever!

The hotel is rich in anecdotes as well: room 007 honors Ian Fleming, who stayed frequently and found inspiration for Casino Royale during his visits. “It’s a real draw for VIP guests, especially during conferences,” tells Beatrice Hoisne, Director of Sales Hôtel Barrière Le Westminster.

Top venues for MICE

As the only five-star property on the Opal Coast, Le Westminster is a must-visit. It has 104 rooms, a spa, a fitness center, two restaurants—including the Michelin-starred Le Pavillon—and a bar with its own mixologist.

The hotel functions also as an essential venue for prestige MICE events with a dedicated area including 10 fully renovated, modular meeting and banquet rooms from 20 to 350 m², accommodating up to 250 guests.

For MICE, the prestigious venue is complimented by the historic Congress Center, home to both conference facilities and the Barrière casino. Renovated and expanded between 2018 and 2020, the venue has 4,400 m² of space, 16 modular rooms, and capacity for up to 2,600 attendees—including an auditorium seating 1,156—it is equipped for events of all sizes.

To complete its MICE offering, Le Touquet recently unveiled L’Orangerie de la Baie, a fully flexible 400 m² space near the equestrian center. with its terrace providing sweeping views over the beautiful Baie de Canche.

Event planners can rely on Le Touquet Résa, a dedicated professional team offering an extensive network of partners for key events’ support.

Sports paradise

Le Touquet is also well-known for its large offer of sports. Beside swimming along the pristine beaches, the resort has a 65-hectares Equestrian park with an equestrian center, a race course and jumping courts.

The Nautical Centers of the Canche Bay are dedicated to sailing while Manche « Bertrand Lambert » center is specialized for sand yachting.

The Tennis Center Pierre de Coubertin dates back to 1904 and has 21 clay courts and 5 covered heated courts. And finally “The Golf”, located in an exceptional natural environment between dunes and forest. It offers the preserved heritage of these three exceptional courses. Le Touquet is indeed considered the flagship destination for golfers on the Opal coast.

Practical Information

• Access: 2h20 by train from Paris, 1h30 from Lille, and roughly two hours by car from Paris or Belgium.
• Tourism information: Office de tourisme du Touquet-Paris-Plage, Congress center, Avenue de l’Hermitage. Contact at [email protected] or +33 (0)3 21 06 72 00.
• Event planning support: Le Touquet Résa is available at +33 (0)3 21 06 48 62 or at [email protected].

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