Plage de l'Écluse
Framed by candy-striped bathing tents and a string of white villas, Plage de l'Écluse is the postcard heart of Dinard — a crescent of fine sand where the 19th-century resort spirit feels gloriously alive. Swimmers, sunbathers and promenaders share the same stretch of blue-flagged Atlantic water that seduced Picasso and Edward VII before them.
The Beach Itself
Stretching roughly 400 metres between two rocky headlands, l'Écluse faces due north, which means the light here is cool and painterly in the morning and golden-warm by late afternoon — a photographer's dream at either end of the day.
The famous rayé (striped) canvas tents, rented by the day from the beach concession, are not a gimmick: they block the stiff Atlantic breeze perfectly and have been a fixture since the 1880s. Booking one early in summer is genuinely worth it.
Beyond the Sand
The promenade du Clair de Lune borders the eastern edge of the beach and morphs seamlessly into a cliff-top walk lined with hydrangeas and Victorian villas. Evening concerts are staged here in July and August, free and open to all.
At the western end, the Casino Barrière de Dinard anchors the seafront with its art-deco facade — even non-gamblers pop in to admire the interior and catch a film at the attached cinema.
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