Dip into Dunkirk - Try Longe-côte, the ultimate revitaliser

At times of mental fatigue and at the receiving end of the demands of daily life, heading to the coast seems to be a natural human instinct, a breath of fresh sea-air packing more punch than most other forms of relaxation. Reaching this particular stretch - on a cross-channel ferry to Dunkirk or nearby Calais - couldn’t be easier.

 

Grab a coffee, admire the town’s period villas and head to the beach, the epicentre and beating heart of the town. Impossibly big skies and an eye-poppingly purist neverending sandscape are the perfect antidote to the crowdedness of daily life, giving an immediate sense of calm and wellbeing. On seasidey beach Malo-les-Bains or wilder and natural Leffrinckoucke or Zuydcoote, reap the real health benefits of walking and savour the romance of making sandy footprints together. You’ll be surprised at how quickly you feel the emotional shift, from the harassed to the uplifted and reconnected.

 

 

 

 

 

There’s added frisson for anyone who has seen the dramatic events of 1940 unfurling in Christopher Nolan’s 2017 epic film ‘Dunkirk’.   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There’s only one thing better than being by the sea and that’s being in the sea. And here’s a unique brand of outdoor activity that gives a whole new meaning to coastal walking: ‘longe-côte’. Wetsuited and chest-deep, longe-côters wade through the sea – sometimes with oars or arm paddles - in snake formation, reaping not only the physical health benefits of seawater (boosting the skin, immunity and the cardio-respiratory system) but the mentally therapeutic ones too – seawater is the ultimate mood-enhancer.  And here’s your opportunity to chat to a local:  dynamic Thomas Wallyn at ‘Longe’Up’ in Zuydcoote – who originally came up with the concept of Longe-Côte - will gladly show you the ropes (in English!).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Skin still tingling, nothing justifies a refuelling feast more than all this energising. For fish and French favourites plus a contemporary decor, Comme Vous Voulez exudes the French touch or try mussel-specialist Roi de la Moule for seafood savoir-faire. Sea-foodies should also seek out a menu with super-fresh, refreshingly inexpensive, locally-caught lobster: eking the delicate and flavoursome meat from the claws is an adventure in itself. Round off your weekend at restaurant-with-rooms Aux Waterzooï or treat yourselves to the 4*Hotel-Borel for your celebration of togetherness. There’s nothing like sea air for a good night’s sleep.