The best attractions in Deauville on the Normandy coast

Here are the best things to do and see in the elegant seaside resort of Deauville in Normandy. The perfect coastal destination for a short break, there is always something to see or do, both in winter and summer.

Rent an umbrella and deck chair on Deauville beach

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+33 2 31 14 40 00

Deauville Beach is a 2 km (1.5 mile) stretch of soft golden sand and a gently sloping shoreline. It’s covered in brightly colored umbrellas set with military precision in the freshly swept and clean sand. Rent an umbrella, deck chair, or mattress for a day, a week, or a month and you’ll be ready with an assistant who will accompany you to untie your umbrella and help you prepare all your gear.

The 634-meter-long boardwalk, made of red ironwood and built in 1923, is lined with beach huts, each named after American actors and directors who have come to the resort’s American Film Festival since 1975. Above the cabanas on the beach side, an annual photographic exhibition displays great historical images of the complex.

You can also hire one of the cabanas within the Art Deco-style bathroom building that is located away from the beach. The concrete and mosaic cabins opened in 1924 and were the most modern creatures of modernity. A series of charming little patios with fountains in the middle, you can hire one of these cabins and shower here. A final great idea is the media library located in a smart log cabin where you can borrow a book for the day for free.

A day at the races

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+33 2 31 14 20 00

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Horse racing in Deauville dates back to 1863 when horses and jockeys hit the beach on a temporary track. A year later, the Deauville-La-Touques racecourse (45 Ave Hocquart de Turtot) was built and opened, as the locals will proudly tell you before the church was built.

One of the most beautiful and outstanding racetracks in France, it attracts international trainers, horses and riders to its summer and winter stations. It’s not for nothing that Deauville is twinned with Lexington, Kentucky. A day at the races here is remarkably cheap in July and August and free for the rest of the races of the year.

The second course at Deauville-Clairefontaine (Clairefontaine Route) is just east of town with runs in June, July, August and October. The race meetings have themes, perhaps ecology or the local region, with many related events to keep the family entertained. And it offers three different types of races: flat, trot, and obstacle course. Like Deauville-La Touques, it only costs a few euros to enter.

Watch fast and furious polo

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+33 6 46 55 58 18

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Deauville has the oldest polo club in France (25 ave de la Republique) and true congratulations in the polo world. Of all the European places, this is the place where Argentine teams (the best in the world) want to win. Polo is a great sport: expensive to play but cheap to watch.

Polo has been played in Deauville since 1892. But it was not until 1950 that the Gold Cup was established, which concludes the world championship. It’s a great sport to watch from the charming little pavilion at the club, which is conveniently a few hundred yards from the main racetrack. So you can enjoy an afternoon race, then hit the polo field for the 5.30pm games.

Toast to the Great Past at one (or both) of two iconic hotels

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+33 2 31 98 66 22

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In 1912 a grand Deauville plan was inaugurated with the opening of three iconic buildings: the Hôtel Normandy and the Hôtel Royal with the Casino strategically located between them. They made a trio of luxury buildings designed to appeal to posh Parisians and the lords of British high society.

The hotels, which are part of the prestigious Barrière group, are grand in the best old-fashioned way possible. Huge entrance rooms, long corridors, high ceilings, and spectacular public rooms are the perfect place for a drink.

Compras in Deauville

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With such a captive audience, it’s no wonder shopping at Deauville is so good. Many of the major French names have shops here with the added bonus of being close by and open on Sundays. Coco Chanel came to Deauville in 1913 to be with her lover, Boy Capel. Inspired by the clothing she saw on racetracks, golf courses, the beach, and yachts, she designed a range of casual and wearable clothing and opened her boutique here in 1913.

If you are a fan of the market, the fish market and covered market are a must. They are surrounded by street stalls and take place daily in high season and regularly throughout the rest of the year on Tuesday, Friday and Saturday mornings. You’ll find it on the Place du Marche, just off the main Place Morny, with its sidewalk cafes and avid people watchers.

Also worth noting is the large antiques and antiques fair that takes place once a year and takes over the Deauville-La Touquet racecourse during a weekend in May. You’ll get some great bargains on this nice event.

Try a cultural event

Since the arrival of Mayor Philippe Augier, Deauville has become a major player in cultural events, turning the cultural scene into a year-round attraction. They happily include the unexpected, like the Planches Photographic Exhibition, which is an intriguing idea that appeals to everyone. On the October night when the clocks return, the elusive spend the elusive extra hour on the streets to photograph Deauville. The evaluation takes place at 1 a.m. and the photographs appear in a local exhibition.

Lots of music is also offered, including summer music on the beach. At Easter, the Festival de Pâques features unknown young classical music virtuosos, and there is another chance to hear young talents in August with concerts in the impressive building that normally hosts auctions for thoroughbred racehorses.