Beaches in Lille

In Northern France, there is beautiful city known as Lille which lies close to Belgium's border. When traveling here, you unfortunately will not be able to experience the ocean or Lille Beaches, but you will find a vast riverfront to explore as the city is directly situated along it. If during your travel to Lille, you would much rather visit the ocean and coastline, you will have to travel to either the most Northern points of France or Belgium to find the nearest beaches.

The Deûle River

Lille is said to have the temperate climate of an oceanside town and is the third largest river port in all of France next to Strasbourg and Paris. It is an immense waterway that spans over 400 miles and has several branches that filter into individual streams as well. The upper part of the Deûle is still a free-flowing waterway called the Souchez. The Deûle also flows into the Lys of Deûlémont and through the areas known as Nord and Pas-de-Calais, plus the towns of Wingles, Loos, Lens, Quesnoy-sur-Deûle and Wambrechies.

Normandy and D-Day Beaches

The northern coastline of France is home to the historic Normandy beaches also known as the D-day beaches. This coastline spans 360 miles and is a perfect location for surfing, swimming and sunbathing. It consists of a variety of beaches made famous during World War II and each has a different code name given by the United States infantry. They are Utah Beach, Omaha Beach, Sword Beach, Juno Beach and Gold Beach. All beach areas of Normandy are great for family vacations, have clean ocean water, beautiful beaches and many activities available to partake in including fun water sports. Surf enthusiasts will especially love the Normandy beaches as there are fourteen total in this area alone that provide exceptional waves.

Northern Belgium Beaches

De Panne is a western coastal town in the Northern part of Belgium. De Panne has some of the widest beaches in the entire Belgium coast, each one being a quarter of a mile in width at their lowest tide. The gentle sloping sands in this area are nearly white and are soft to the touch. There are a variety of activities geared toward families as well - both water and beach - including sailing, volleyball, yachting, sunbathing, surfing, swimming and more. Visitors will also enjoy the beach front walkway which is full of restaurants, shops, bars and cafes.