Single in the Calvados? From the boardwalks to the D-Day beaches

The boardwalks of Deauville

Since 1923, the Deauville boardwalks have borne the names of stars who have come for the American Film Festival. You walk here facing the Channel, with wind in your hair and multicoloured parasols in the background. A step away, Trouville, a former fishing village turned seaside resort, offers a fish market, a vast beach and a more family-friendly feel. Two twin towns, one estuary: the Touques.

Honfleur, a port of painters

On the other side of the Normandy Bridge, Honfleur enchants with its Vieux Bassin, lined with tall, colourful houses. The entirely wooden Sainte-Catherine Church is one of the most unusual in France. Cobbled lanes, artists’ studios and waterside terraces make for an almost too-romantic date. A coffee, a cider crepe, and the day flows on its own.

D-Day beaches and Cabourg

To the north, Arromanches and Omaha Beach recall 6 June 1944; the remains of the Mulberry harbour still emerge at low tide. To the east, Cabourg keeps its Belle Époque flavour and the Grand Hôtel dear to Proust. On Lyad, people from the Calvados share their favourite beaches; a chance to find someone to walk barefoot on the sand with.