Dunes de Flandre & Plage de Malo-les-Bains
Stretching east from Dunkirk's town centre, the Malo-les-Bains seafront combines a wide, flat sandy beach backed by genuine marram-grass dunes with a handsome early-20th-century promenade of villas and hotels. It is simultaneously a working beach, a nature reserve and a piece of living architectural history.
The Beach and Promenade
The Digue de Mer promenade runs for nearly 3 km along the seafront and is perfect for cycling — hire bikes from the stand near the casino. At low tide the beach extends almost 400 metres to the water's edge, giving it an enormous, sky-dominated feel that is very different from the crowded coves of the Mediterranean.
Families cluster around the guinguettes (seasonal beach bars) near the main beach entrance in summer, while the eastern end towards Bray-Dunes stays quieter and wilder. Kitesurfers use the consistent westerly winds to put on a free show most afternoons.
The Dunes Nature Reserve
Behind the beach, the Dunes de Flandre form part of a protected coastal ecosystem that extends across the Belgian border. Footpaths wind through the dunes past orchids, sand lizards and nesting skylarks. The Conservatoire du Littoral manages the area and has installed discreet information panels at key points.
The dunes also hold a layer of wartime history: concrete German Atlantic Wall bunkers sit half-buried in the marram grass, slowly being reclaimed by sand and vegetation. They are eerie and fascinating in equal measure, especially at dusk when the light turns golden.
Belle Époque Architecture
The villas lining the Avenue Faidherbe and surrounding streets were built between 1900 and 1930 for wealthy Lille industrialists who came to Malo-les-Bains for the sea air. Look for the ornate brick-and-tile facades, turrets and wrought-iron balconies — many have been lovingly restored and are now holiday rentals or boutique B&Bs.
The Casino de Malo-les-Bains, a grand 1930s building at the centre of the promenade, has been recently renovated and hosts concerts and events alongside its gaming rooms. Its terrace café is the best place on the seafront for a coffee with a sea view.
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