Beach, water sports, boat trips, culture and good addresses: plenty to fill your stay, just a few minutes' walk from the apartment.
In the heart of Malo-les-Bains, between the beach and the dunes, the Licorne centre is home to the Dunes de Flandre sailing school as well as several nautical clubs (DYC, Les Albatros, DFC Kiteboarding, Opale Longe-côte, Mer et Rencontres, ASTNL 59...). Activities include sailing, land yachting, longe-côte (shallow-water walking, suitable for all levels), paddleboarding, kitesurfing, windsurfing, catamaran sailing and kayaking. The centre is a certified French Sailing School, and offers adapted equipment (VéloPouss, Tiralo) for people with disabilities.
A new way to discover the port and coastline of Dunkirk: hop aboard the Plucket, a 145-seat boat (indoor and outdoor areas, onboard bar), for a guided sea excursion, from April to September. Three formats to choose from, each bookable directly online on solkaper-dunkerque.fr.
In case of rain, the tour still goes ahead (sheltered boat). In case of a severe storm, a rescheduling is offered as priority, with at least 24 hours' notice. Online booking is possible up to the last minute, subject to availability.
Dunkirk is a port city with a strong maritime and historical identity, well within walking distance from Malo-les-Bains. In the harbour, La Duchesse Anne, a three-masted ship from 1901 listed as a historic monument, is the largest sailing ship open to visitors in France (9 quai de la Citadelle).
The DK Bus network is 100% free, handy for getting around Dunkirk without a car. Street parking is also free, subject to availability (watch out for the Tuesday morning market, see below, which takes up spaces on Place Turenne). Belgium is less than 20 minutes away by car, a great way to extend your stay towards La Panne, Coxyde or Bruges.
Two markets not to be missed, just minutes apart:
The coastline around Malo-les-Bains offers beautiful stretches of preserved dunes, ideal for a walk or a picnic away from the bustle of the seafront.
A true green and leisure haven in Loon-Plage, just minutes from Dunkirk. At the heart of the park, Aqua'Lamé offers 1000 m² of freshwater swimming, with no chemicals at all: the water is naturally filtered by reeds and plants, with an inflatable structure for children. The rest of the site is worth the detour: the Maison de la Nature (educational workshops year-round), the Museum of Traditional Games, an animal park with a mini-farm and pony rides, a tree-climbing course, laserwood, a mini-golf and a fishing pond, with an on-site restaurant. Summer events in July-August. More info on parcgalame.org.
Swim shorts are not allowed (fitted swimwear only).
The closest to Malo, and probably the most spectacular. This military fort, built between 1906 and 1908 to defend Dunkirk, was transformed in 2019 into a 10-hectare leisure park run by the City of Dunkirk. On offer: 124 stations spread over 2800 metres of trails, six tree-climbing courses of increasing difficulty (including two green ones for beginners), a huge area of suspended nets and treehouses, a self-belay climbing wall, the Quick-Jump (a 12-metre free fall with harness) and the Tubby-Jump (giant slide followed by a dive into an XXL airbag). Children under 11 must be accompanied. Depending on the season, the site also hosts a life-size escape game ("Fort Aeternum"), a vintage campsite, a makers' market or open-air cinema nights. Info and prices on fort-aventures-dunkerque.fr.
Three leisure spots, all in the Malo-les-Bains neighbourhood, within walking distance of Loucé and Adélise.