Water sports and leisure activities Nord-Pas-de-Calais

A swimming pool that is universally accessible. You will find a 1,90 m pool, another 1,40 m with a bench seat and massaging jets, as well as a fun pool for the smaller ones. Whirlpool, sauna, steam bath, allow you to relax… The swimming Pool is also 25 sun loungers to enjoy the sun, two master swimmers constantly in charge for the monitoring of the basins and a collection of workshops and animation for babies, pregnant women, adult and senior gym, internship to overcome her aquaphobie and school of swimming.

A genuine new-generation leisure center covering more than 6,000^m2. Within its walls, 4 pools, a waterslide, a wellness area and a gym are just some of the facilities on offer. And let's not forget the star of the show: a 20 m-deep semi-underground diving pit, visible from the outside through a huge picture window. The on-site team works hard every day to liven up the space with themed evenings and activities.

The Opal coast and its pearl are 35 km away. Sailing tank, lawn hockey, kitesurf for the les
sports, walking, shopping, thalasso… Thousand ideas on www.letouquet.com. Once the necropolis of the Dukes
from Bourbon.

The Montreuil club is a breeding ground for champions, but not only! Without expecting to win a medal, tourists are welcome if they wish to discover the joys of canoeing. For the initiated, the club's speciality is white water slalom, but it is also the ideal opportunity to discover the region with the oars of a boat which will sail on the waters of the Canche. There are several formulas, from an hour's initiation to a one-day trip.

This is a particularity of the beaches of Dunkerque and of the art of living in Dunkerque. The coastline has 180 beach huts for rent, which are in great demand in summer. They can be booked the rest of the season, at the tourist office of Dunkerque Plage, place du Centenaire, by the week. There are 11 types of them, with different shapes, colors and illustrations. It's not just a shed where you store your parasol, balloons or windbreakers. We meet there to have a drink, admire the sunset... Not to be missed!

The capital of Flanders is a pleasant place to discover from the Deûle! Marin d'eau douce offers electric boats for hire without a license. You'll be able to enjoy unparalleled views and discover the city's architecture in a whole new way. You'll also have the opportunity to observe a wealth of wildlife, including herons, ducks and moorhens. For those who'd like to enrich the experience, it's also possible to book an aperitif basket. A cruise with friends or family that promises to be a most enjoyable experience!

Gravelines is the third largest marina on the Opal Coast. A former fishing and trading port, it has 450 berths divided into three distinct sites. Firstly, the Bassin Vauban, the largest site, with 220 berths, of which around 40 are reserved for visitors. Then the Quai des Islandais, with 152 moorings lined up on floating pontoons. The third, Anse des Espagnols, close to the Petit-Fort-Philippe lighthouse, has 78 moorings.

The 27 ^th International Kites Meeting will undoubtedly be one of the flagship events on the Opal Coast in 2013. This year's theme will be "20 000 links in the air". So free to cerfs of imagination and invention to offer the audience new dreamlike creatures. The sky will cover all of the same colourful sails as the rest of the world, for an air and sea tour in 9 days. Shells, marine animals, crustaceans, turtles and giant octopus reinventing the sky as a giant aquarium.

On this occasion, several booths and numerous animations will be offered. Among other things, the Wind Garden, the Manufacturing Workshop, the School of Pilotage, the Wind School or the Children's Village. Don't miss this fantastic and singular rendezvous.

Programme 2013

Saturday, 13 April to Sunday, 21 April

From 10 a. m.: free flight, reception of delegations
14 a. m. -18 p. m.: megateam, demonstration of delegations, garden of wind, production workshops and school of pilotage, animations, village of children, village of tourism, quiz

Sunday 14 April

: great musical parade of kite flying across the city

Thursday, 18 April

: concert by Patricia Kaas at the Palais des Sports (rue Emile Lavezzari)

Saturday 20 April

20 a. m. 30-22 p. m.: concert at Espace Rose des Vents
: night flight and fireworks

The Longe-côte exists since 2005. Thomas Wallyn, a trainer at a rowing club in Dunkirk, is the inventor. Initially confidential, the discipline is more widely distributed by the association Opale Longe-côte. But what is it? It's a walking and water sport. The sportsman evolves upright in the water, immersed up to the waist. The efforts made are therefore substantial. The club also offers the practice of canoeing and kayaking in the river, as well as kayaking at sea. It is also possible, with an instructor, to learn to paddle.

For those who do not know the Longe-Côte, it is a promenade in the sea with a paddle. A rather sporting discipline, very well-known to the general public but which allows to combine physical exercise and discovery. The club of Bray-Dunes offers this kind of walks throughout the year, enough to explore the landscapes of the coast. A different way to visit this part of the region, leaving you beautiful souvenirs and perhaps some aches also!

The Centre Nautique de la Baie de Canche is a sailing club that also offers long-distance sailing and water-walking. The club's address is 32 allée des argousiers.

The nautical base offers the initiation and the practice of water sports. In addition to water sports, you can also try your hand at mountain biking, archery, blowpipe shooting, rock climbing, orienteering and even disc golf! Ultra popular in the USA, the goal is to throw a disc with the force of the arm in the direction of the holes to reach. It is also possible to take advantage of special packages to combine activities or organize events. Adventures and thrills guaranteed in this leisure center adapted to all!

20 km of beach are spread out for your pleasure. Water sports enthusiasts will be in paradise at the Club Nautique de Merlimont, which has been awarded the French sailing and sand yacht school label. Boating, fishing, sand yachting, jet-skiing, kayaking, stand-up paddle... They also offer boat and jet-ski descents. Training courses in sand yachting and other water sports are organized throughout the year. With speed peaks of up to 60 km/h: guaranteed thrills!

The Val du Riot leisure park is a polymorphous place. You come here to escape, recharge your batteries, breathe deeply and create a little bubble where you can quench your thirst. Created with both fun and education in mind, you can discover the flora and fauna, play in the playgrounds, at the small funfair, on the inflatable games, ride a pony, and discover the exceptional dovecote. The two ponds are ideal for carp and trout fishing.

Sail through the water thanks to this sport activity that is both peaceful and dynamic. This is an opportunity to discover this outstanding sport and to visit Montreuil as you have never seen them. Whether it's a discovery in calm water or slaloms in deep water, Montreuil's canoe club offers you to surf the Canche. Whether you are an expert or a beginner, it is always a real pleasure to practice this summer activity. For an initiation, a small walk, half-day or even a day, you can discover the canoeing at your pace.

The association Mer et Rencontres is a sand yacht school affiliated to the French Sailing Federation. It offers all year long sessions of sand yachting in the form of a 2-hour initiation (from 12 years old) or weekly courses (from 8 years old and during school vacations). The sessions are supervised by state-qualified instructors. They welcome all types of people (individuals, schools, associations, groups...). A good idea to do sports in the open air and enjoy the great beaches of the North!

Coming from an old gravel pit, the Sauvagine pond was dug on 11 hectares in the village of the three steeples. The varieties of fish are numerous: carp, pike, tench, roach, eel, bream. Attention: to fish, you will have to provide you with an annual or daily card. It is also possible to walk around the pond, in the calm that characterizes the city. The visitors' parking lot has about 50 marked out spaces, from where it is easy to access the pond by taking small paths lined with flowery fallow land.

All the pleasure of sailing on the round basin, a place suitable for windsurfing, canoeing, Optimist... Of course, the whole team manages the training and the animation of the different clubs, as well as the preparation of the boat licence. The groups have not been neglected since formulas adapted to leisure activities allow to spend a day in the open air while taking advantage of the numerous other activities of the base: mountain biking, rollerblading, archery, etc.

The centre is a complex dedicated to sport, leisure and wellness: sports swimming, swimming "pleasure", or simple moments of leisure with family or friends… It is also a form of cardio training and training platform, as well as all the standards of fitness courses. Finally, and what is perhaps the most pleasant, a spa that offers you throughout the year of body and facial treatments.

The Georges Daullé swimming pool and its pyramid roofs are an unusual part of the neighbourhood. It houses two basins and welcomes on Wednesday morning, from 10 a. m. to 11 p. m., the water garden for 3-6 years.

Indoor pool with two basins: a large for seasoned swimmers and a lesser for children or less seasoned dabbling.

This nautical base is located at the edge of Arras. Kayak, canoe, rafting or paddle? At Riverside Park, you can go from walking to paddling without asking any questions. The white water stadium, located in the city center, was built in the heart of the natural area of the Scarpe Valley. All year round, you can do activities such as archery, mountain biking or orienteering. A new base is under construction, a few hundred meters away for more modernity!

The base of Prés Prés extends in total over 120 ha. It comprises a lake of 44 hectares of land, suitable for all water amusement, river port and many facilities. Lovers of walks especially appreciate the network of roads, one of which is entirely surrounding the lake - a 40 minute walk! In passing, a visit to the ornithological park where 200 migratory or resident bird species coexist with the possibility of interfering in their privacy from observatories. A beach for tanning and a multitude of activities planned for the day to pass without realising: mini-golf, educational farm and children's village, pedal boats, boat walks with a guide, a tour of smugglers - a game with a gift at the end, a walk and a go train. Fishing, on the other hand, is strictly prohibited, but it is very rare to get bored on the edge of the largest inland water centre in France.

The nautical base, located in the countryside in a bucolic setting, is managed by the Community of Communes Flanders Lys. It offers visitors the possibility of renting several boats with 4 to 11 seats, from one hour to one day. One of the boats is even equipped with a central barbecue for lunches along the water. Among the activities: canoeing, pedal boats, stand up paddle. Available for rent: electric bikes and mountain bikes with maps of the routes. A great address.

With the establishment of the Loisirs Éole program, Dunkirk is a city resolutely focused on families and leisure tourism. Unique in the department, this program offers numerous activities in the form of "discovery" sessions or training courses led and supervised by qualified professionals. Three age categories: Kids (3 to 7 years old), Children (8 to 14 years old) and Activities 15 years old and more. Sports and water sports initiation, "nature" discoveries, cultural activities, fitness and wellness sessions... what a great way to spend your vacations!