Water sports and leisure activities Calvados

A setting made of water and greenery, on the site of a former clay quarry. In this outdoor leisure park, Éole promises sensational activities: water ski lift, body jump (10 to 26 m long ramps!), paintball (on reservation), 13 zip lines, acrobatic course in the forest, without forgetting the aquapark and its inflatable water games. Extra! You can recover from your emotions along the pleasant footpaths, along the quarry faces, or at the table, facing the lake, in the new brasserie open at noon all year long.

It's so nice to be able to swim in the open air, summer and winter, in this beautiful and almost brand new Olympic pool! The same goes for the diving pit. For those who are not so keen, the 25-meter indoor pool with its eight lanes and the activity hall with educational pools are ideal for both athletes and swimmers. There is a choice of aquagym, swimming with flippers, baby swimming and lessons against aquaphobia. Solarium and bubble bath are also available!

A charming port of call, Honfleur's seaport is divided into three basins, including the Vieux Bassin reserved for pleasure boats. The port also welcomes old riggings. With a capacity of 50 berths, including more than 30 visitor berths, the Vieux Bassin is accessible via a lock for boats less than 14 metres long. One of the particularities of this port is that it is both maritime and fluvial, given its location in the Seine estuary, between the river and the sea.

Bright and dapper - it was completely renovated 4 years ago - the Chemin Vert municipal swimming pool is located in a quiet neighbourhood. Schoolchildren come here on weekdays, but there are a few slots for the public, early in the morning, usually at lunchtime and in the late afternoon. Private and group swimming lessons for children and adults are organised, as well as a wide range of activities: baby swimming, aquagym, prenatal swimming, aquajogging, aquaphobia courses, swimming with flippers, aquabike... At weekends, it's the place to be for families in a very friendly atmosphere.

Open since 2012, Aquanacre remains an architectural, ecological and innovative success. In terms of equipment, this 4,000 m² complex is very complete. The aquatic area delights the youngest with its paddling pool, its play pool (with geysers and swimming against the current!), its huge four-lane slide and its new 70-metre tubular slide. For experienced swimmers, the sports pool awaits you. Then, the outdoor pool, heated to 30°C all year round (in Normandy, it's better!), makes its little effect.

8 km from Vire, a 43 ha lake (swimming prohibited) for fishing and water sports activities. These are offered from March to November by the leisure centre: windsurfing, catamaran, rowing, kayaking, pedal boats and paddleboard... Ask for information at the MJC of Vire. Also on site, several hiking trails, including a 6 km trail that allows you to walk around the lake, as well as a 10 ha bird sanctuary that allows you to observe no less than 86 species of animals (ducks, coots, snipes, grebes...). Let's go green!

Sailing in the city is possible! To do so, head for the Caen Yacht Club sailing school. Once the administrative formalities are over, 6 sailboats (J80) are at your disposal and you can go for two hours on the Caen waterways. With family, friends or colleagues, whether for pleasure, improvement, maneuvers or even a regatta (!), accompanied by 3 crew members and an experienced skipper, sailing will have no more secrets for you! And you can complete your practice by theoretical courses, top!

Located on Caen Harbour in the city centre, Canoe Club Caen offers canoe and kayak classes of different types.

Ready to take to the water? Base Nautique Beau Rivage offers canoeing and kayaking trips for all ages (from 8 upwards), with personalised advice. Depending on the circuit you choose, ranging from 7 to 28 kilometres in length, and lasting from two hours to a full day, you'll cross the magnificent landscapes of the Orne Valley and some famous dams with the strength of your arms. It's refreshing, sporty and wonderfully invigorating. You can also enjoy bucolic cruises by electric boat, pedal-boat or rowing boat.

This majestic ensemble, designed in 1923 by the architect Charles Ada, surprises with its string of fountains, basins and atriums richly decorated in a clearly Roman style. The most famous parasols in France can be rented. They can be borrowed by the day or over a longer period of time at Cabin 101 and Place Claude-Lelouch. The beach is punctuated by four "sectors" of parasols, identifiable by their colours: orange, red, blue, green and yellow.

We still love this aquatic center, which has been awarded the "tourisme et handicap" label and is nestled in a green setting. Of course, it's got everything you need to splash around in good spirits: a sports pool, a fun pool, a paddling pool, a whirlpool, a sauna and a steam room. The outdoor area features two inflatables and a green beach with deckchairs and parasols free of charge. Some come to Aqua-Sud for lessons, others for birthday parties, and still others for ice cream and seasonal entertainment.

The Lagoon Aquatic Center is among the most popular leisure centres in the city. Large and small, there are all the pleasures of water to enjoy: the play basin and its 50-metre toboggan slide, massaging seats, bubbling craters, and a 25-metre sports pool. A well-being area with a steam bath and sauna allows adults to relax while the children have fun. You can also enjoy the cardio-training space where, again, nothing is missing. Bicycles, rowers, abridgers, and steppers can help you keep fit. Many activities are proposed according to ages and desires: swimming lessons for children and expectant mothers, aquaphobia sessions, aquabike, aquaboxing, diving… Handisport swimming is also among the most practiced disciplines. In summer, an outdoor beach allows you to enjoy the sun's rays… So, do you want to take a dip?

This nautical base allows you to taste the joys of nautical activities. It offers you to embark for a refreshing and sportive moment. All you have to do is choose your boat! Pedal boat, canoe, electric boat or paddle! Once you leave the pontoon, you will be quickly charmed by the beauty of the natural environment! Alone, as a couple, with friends or with the family, you can choose one of the different water sports routes offered. Young and old, beginners or experienced, will surely appreciate the soothing experience.

If taking a dip in La Manche isn't enough, you know where to go! The whole family can enjoy this green setting and its 60-hectare lake, with its many land and water-based activities. If you're a thrill-seeker, you'll love it! Pedalos, towed buoys, jet skis, canoes, paddleboats... For the less adventurous, there's a lovely park with miniature golf, a promenade, a great restaurant, and a beach or fishing area. It's all up to you!

Affiliated to the French Sailing Federation, the OCEAN association was born from the grouping of the Ouistreham sailing and sand yacht school (SRCO) and the Colleville-Montgomery sailing school (Wind 14). It offers various activities on the sea, the canal or on the sand in Ouistreham-Riva-Bella, Colleville-sur-Mer and Lion-sur-Mer. Finally, the Nautical Activity Centre (CANO), created in 2020, aims to make the sailing school the first in Normandy.

Moored at the edge of the Orne, Drakkar Drakkar, built hands clever hands of Jean-Pierre himself. For years, he assembled, piece by piece, this boat of another time. An excellent idea to organise an original reception (a selection of caterers can be proposed) or stroll through the water by discovering the beauty of the landscape and the starry sky, which is made of optical fibres - for more realism - by our self-taught worker.

Founded in 2002 by Damien Burnel, this kitesurf, stand-up paddle, and wingfoil school is a benchmark in Normandy. It offers a unique structure with a store, changing rooms, hot showers, storage lockers... All grouped together in a single space on the beach at Merville-Franceville, a kitesurfing spot renowned even beyond Normandy's borders. After the thrills, riders and curious passers-by meet up at the recently opened Aloha bar, on the south-facing terrace, for a beer, cocktail, or homemade iced tea... Aren't we good?

If you were asked what most symbolises the Normandy coast, you'd probably answer: a pretty parasol planted in the sand with the sea as a backdrop! Well, it's this sunny cliché that the Etablissement des Bains de Mer perpetuates. Umbrella and deckchair hire, beach cabins - the kind that characterise the coast. Children will be delighted by the Mickey Club, whose success has spanned generations.

Created in 2015 by Yoann Deschemaeker, the Trouville kayak school is attracting more and more clients of all ages in search of adrenaline and beautiful sensations. You will be able to initiate or perfect your canoeing skills during a one and a half hour trip or a two and a half hour hike, such as the one to discover the cliffs of the Roches Noires. These visits on the water are done in complete confidence, in the best conditions of safety, accompanied by state-qualified professionals. To see Trouville and its surroundings from the sea!