The history of the elegant resort
Le Touquet began in the 1830s when two French businessmen bought a large tract of wilderness south of the Canche River estuary. It was meant to be an agricultural project, but when that failed, the area was planted with pipes, elms, alders, and poplars that attracted sportsmen after hunting, shooting, and fishing. One of the wealthy visitors, the owner of the newspaper Le Figaro , renamed the small town Paris-Plage in honor of the Parisians who made it their seaside vacation home. In 1882 the first two country houses were built and the city was in operation.
Then pictured are two Englishmen, John Whitley and Allen Stoneham, who saw the vast potential the resort had for British holidays. In the early 20th century, the city was growing rapidly with architect-designed villas looming out of the woods and in the city center. On March 28, 1912, the complex was incorporated as a separate city and Le Touquet Paris-Plage became official.
In the 1920s, royalty and movie stars, businessmen and politicians flocked to the now-fashionable resort. They came to stay in their villas or in the elegant and grand Westminster Hotel. Noel Coward and PG Wodehouse, Winston Churchill and of course the Prince of Wales and Mrs Simpson came here on vacation. The facilities were second to none: tennis, polo, horse racing and sailing for the day, and gambling in the casino for the evenings.
Today the facilities are just as excellent, with year-round entertainment making Le Touquet Paris-Plage a popular destination.
Some acts
Tourist Office
Le Palais de l’Europe Tel.: 00 33 (0) 3 21 06 72 00
Website
How to get there
By car
Take the ferry from the UK. From Calais or Boulogne, take the A16 to Etaples. Signs will take you to Le Touquet (45 minutes by car from Calais and 30 minutes from Boulogne).
Ferry information
By train
Trains from Calais, Boulogne and Paris go to Etaples station. From here, take a bus or taxi for the 3.2-kilometer (2-mile) journey
By air
From April to October, Lyddair operates scheduled weekend and weekday flights from Lydd Airport in South East Kent. In July and August there are additional flights. Flight time is 20 minutes.
Move
Where to stay
Alternatively, look for something more modest like the Windsor in the center of town.
Le Touquet Hotel Guide
Book a hotel in Le Touquet
Where to eat
5 Ave. du Verger
Tel.: 00 33 (0) 3 21 05 48 48
Website
Despite his very English sounding name, William Elliott is French and a chef who should be on his way to a second star. Le Pavillon is a comfortable, hotel restaurant with traditional furnishings, though a couple of paintings by Polish painter Tamara de Lempicka add a bit of a welcome. The restaurant opens onto a garden where you can eat in good weather. But the kitchen is full of surprises like seafood in a vervein juice served on an onion, pasta with crayfish and almonds, or turbot with flavors of wasabi and rhubarb. The a la carte is predictably expensive and the menus are from 55 euros to 130 euros, but this is the place for a real gastronomic pleasure.
The hotel’s second restaurant, Les Cimaises , has a 1930s style and serves a more informal and less expensive menu.
1 Ave. du Verger
Tel.: 00 33 (0) 3 21 05 10 22
Website
Flavio is something of an institution in Le Touquet, with two restaurants, Le Restaurant and Le Bistro, and two bed and breakfasts. Eat at Le Restaurant for great fish, from spiced crawfish to sea bass. Le Bistro has good simple dishes, from rabbit terrine or cured herring to the traditional veal and pigeon blanket with caramelized turnips.
187 Bd Docteur Jules-Poujet
Tel.: 00 33 (0) 3 21 05 41 24
Website
Looking out to sea, the Cote Sud is a firm favorite with the locals. With starters such as homemade duck foie gras with licorice fruit chutney and crispy Dublin Bay prawns with sundried tomatoes and truffled balsamic dressing followed by entrees that may include fillet of beef with morels, it’s easy to see why this is packed. . The menus range from a plate at 11.80 euros to a tasting menu at 54 euros, and there is also a good option for children.
Pl.de l’Hermitage
Tel.: 00 33 (0) 3 21 05 16 34
Website
In the middle of Le Touquet, overlooking a beautiful garden where you can linger for a summer lunch, this traditionally decorated restaurant is particularly strong on fish dishes. A good selection of menus from 20 euros to 50 euros and children’s menus with local ingredients.
49 rue de Paris
Tel.: 00 33 (0) 3 21 06 41
Website
Bright and welcoming, this family restaurant combines Asian influences in the cuisine. There is a delicatessen next to the restaurant, where menus range from a 3-course lunchtime option at 12 euros or a Thai-influenced menu at 17 euros to evening options at 28 euros. Seasonally and market-led, the cuisine is always fresh and interesting.
67 rue de Metz
Tel.: 00 33 (0) 3 21 34 44 72
Restaurant and shop, Perard is famous for its fish soup, crab and lobster. The place opened in 1963 and the family never looked back. You can try the famous soup at the Oyster Bar for 7.50 to 8.50 euros, or order it from the menus (23 to 34 euros).
Attractions and activities in Le Touquet
There is a lot to do in the city, although most of the activities are related to sports. The cultural mindset must do for the Le Touquet Museum and its collection of paintings from the Etaples group of artists.
More information
Tourist office
Le Palais de l’Europe
Tel.: 00 33 (0) 3 21 06 72 00
Website
See information about Attractions and Sports in Le Touquet
