Bowling, trampolines, laser game, museums, board games, cinema: 27 ideas for rainy days, with distances from the apartments. Filter by age, who you are with and your budget.
On the coast the weather turns quickly. A shower rarely lasts all day, and a grey morning often gives way to clear skies in the afternoon. The local instinct is less to cancel the day than to shift it.
That said, when the rain really settles in, it helps to have a plan B. Here is what is on offer indoors around the apartments, sorted by distance.
Prices and opening hours are indicative and may change, especially during the school holidays. Always check on the venue's own website before you set off. Many places close one or two days a week.
The map covers both pages: one layer for rainy-day activities, another for fine-weather ones, plus our apartments at 37 rue de la Colline. In the map menu you can show or hide each layer.
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150 metres from the apartments. Bowling and pool, with a bar and food on site. The easiest answer when it really pours.
Sentier de la Vallée, really just down the street, between the casino and the seafront. 12 lanes with light-up screens, bumpers and light balls for children. Bar and snacks on site.
Public skating with skate hire, for families or groups of friends. Public sessions change during the school holidays.
A large indoor complex: trampolines, bouldering (Vertical'Art), padel, five-a-side football and escape games under one roof. Enough to fill several hours in any weather, with sessions for toddlers.
Team games in a maze: run, hide and plan your tactics. Booking is compulsory, with at least 4 players for the standard games.
Karting with a video game twist: you drive on a track that blends augmented reality and challenges. The venue also offers virtual reality, quizzes and karaoke. Check the age and height limits.
Malo's big Olympic-size pool, 50 x 21 m, a short walk from the seafront, with stands. Public sessions vary from day to day.
Place Paul Asseman, just steps from the seafront. Large 50×21m Olympic pool with stands for 600 people, and a 25×21m pool with an adjustable floor (0 to 2m), ideal with children. Hammam, two saunas, two spas, aquagym. Very affordable rates (around €2.70 for adults, €2 for children).
Another municipal pool for swimming or family time. The pools are sometimes reserved for schools and clubs, so look at the public hours.
An indoor climbing club close to Malo. It is a members' club, so ask before you go whether one-off visits are possible. For climbing without membership, see also DK Park.
A board game bar: over 380 games, hosts to explain the rules, and tables you can book. Tavern atmosphere, ideal for a rainy afternoon for two or for a group.
An immersive quiz like on TV: buzzers, voice-over, several rounds and a final ranking. For groups of 4 to 18 people, about 1 to 1.5 hours.
A well-rated escape game: solve puzzles as a team in carefully built sets, with a mission to complete against the clock.
Supervised axe throwing, with darts and tablet games to round off the evening. An original idea with friends or as a couple, with tips for beginners. Check the age rules.
An indoor play park for children, with plenty of room to burn off energy and a snack corner for parents. Mostly open on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays.
An indoor play park for climbing and letting off steam, with areas for the youngest and a café for parents. Closed on some weekdays, so check before setting off.
Free entry: interactive exhibitions, board games to borrow on the spot, chess, a library and family workshops. From age 3. Some workshops need booking.
A modern, welcoming library: comics, manga, children's areas and events. Ideal for a quiet break. Closed on Sundays and Mondays, according to the published hours.
A modern and contemporary art museum set in a sculpture garden, within walking distance of the apartments. To spice up the visit, everyone hunts for the funniest or oddest piece.
Housed in the casemates of bastion 32, the former Allied headquarters. A place steeped in history, fully under cover, within walking distance of the apartments.
Models, tools and first-hand accounts of France's third-largest port. The three-master Duchesse Anne and the boats moored outside complete the visit, but they are not fully under cover and mostly open at weekends.
Contemporary art in a former shipyard, with striking architecture, exhibitions across several floors and a play area for children. Hours vary, often open at weekends, so check before you come.
A planetarium with shows for children and adults alike, plus an exhibition over two floors. Pick your show in advance, as at the cinema. Closed on Sundays.
A former military fort with exhibitions, a visitor trail and occasional events, including escape games for teenagers. The visit includes outdoor areas, so bring a waterproof jacket.
Two cinemas at Pôle Marine: Studio 43 for art-house films and children's screenings, Ociné for the big releases. A restaurant or snack stop right next door.
Malo's big hall: concerts, shows and trade fairs all year, and the carnival balls in winter. Five minutes on foot. Check the current programme.
A municipal theatre in Leffrinckoucke: theatre, music, comedy, circus and stand-up depending on the season. A good idea for a wet evening as a couple, with friends or with the family.
A leisure complex in Gravelines that brings bowling, cinema and dining together in one place. Handy when the day is a write-off. A little further out, about 25 minutes by car.
Slot machines, gaming tables, a restaurant and a bar, right next to the Kursaal. Open every day until late at night. Adults only.
40 Place du Casino, open every day from 9am to 2am (4am on Fridays, Saturdays and the eve of public holidays). 175 slot machines, black-jack, boule and English roulette tables, and Texas Hold'em poker. "La Cascade" restaurant (seafood) and "Kipling's" bar.
Otherwise the simplest answer is a café. The places along the seafront and place Turenne keep their indoor rooms open out of season, and watching the North Sea churn from behind a window with a hot chocolate is part of the experience.
It may sound obvious, but it is often what happens: both apartments have wifi and a TV with Molotov, and the kitchen is equipped for a proper meal rather than a dash out in the downpour. Adélise has a bathtub, which counts on a wet day, and a washing machine for whatever got soaked.
And there are the chips. Friterie Zaza is three minutes away on place Paul Asseman. It is the local answer to more or less any weather question.
Two self-contained apartments at 37 rue de la Colline, a minute from the seafront. Loucé has a private terrace for the bright spells, Adélise a bathtub and a washing machine for the days the sky never lifts.