Active Pursuits

Beaches

Expect to spend time on Deauville's boardwalk, Les Planches, a promenade running parallel to the beach. Beaux Arts and half-timbered Norman-inspired buildings line its edges. In summer, especially August, parasols dot the beach and oiled bodies cover seemingly every inch of sand. The resort's only beach is Plage de Deauville, a strip that's part of La Côte Fleurie.

If you're looking for a gay and nude beach, you'll have to go to Merville-France-Ville, 39km (24 miles) from Deauville toward Caen. But considering how permissive most Deauville fans are, many gay travelers feel perfectly comfortable here.

Access to every beach in Normandy is free; in Deauville, you'll pay from 2€ ($2.60) per hour for parking in any of the many public lots beside the sea.

The Piscine Olympique, bord de Mer (tel. 02-31-14-02-17), is a large indoor seawater pool. Depending on the season, bathers pay 4€ to 5€ ($5.20-$6.50) per person. Hours are July and August daily 9:30am to 7:30pm, June and September daily 10am to 7pm, and October through May daily 10:30am to 7pm.

Golf

On Mont Canisy, Golf Barrière de Deauville (tel. 02-31-14-24-24) offers a tranquil country setting tinged by the sea's salty tang. The par-71 18-hole course, one of the largest in Europe, rolls through 5,951m (19,519 ft.) of rapid greens and difficult roughs, with sweeping views of the Auge valley and the sea. In addition to the compound's conventional 18-hole course, a 9-hole course is immediately adjacent, set within a woodland setting, with a par of 36 and greens fees half the rates noted below. The course also has an indoor driving range, a putting green, a practice bunker, private instruction, and a clubhouse with a bar, a restaurant, and an exclusive line of gear. A franchise of the Lucien Barrière chain of resorts, hotels, and casinos, the club includes a palatial half-timbered hotel . According to the season, greens fees for hotel guests are 32€ ($42) Saturday and Sunday and 24€ ($31) Monday to Friday. Nonguests pay 40€ ($52) Saturday and Sunday, 30€ ($39) Monday to Friday.

Horse Races/Polo

You can watch horses every day from late June to early October. There's either a race at 2pm or a polo match at 3pm. The venues are the Hippodrome de Deauville La Touques, boulevard Mauger (tel. 02-31-14-20-00), in the heart of town near the Mairie de Deauville (town hall); and the Hippodrome de Deauville Clairefontaine, route de Clairefontaine (tel. 02-31-14-69-00), within the city limits, 2km (1 1/4 miles) west of the center.