Mers-les-Bains Beach, Shingle beach in Normandy, France
Mers-les-Bains Beach is a shingle beach along the Normandy coast in northern France, facing the English Channel. At high tide the shore is mostly pebbles, while low tide reveals a strip of sand that opens up the beach considerably.
Mers-les-Bains grew from a small fishing village into a seaside resort in the late 19th century, when the arrival of the railway brought visitors from Paris and beyond. The grand villas along the seafront date from that era and give the town much of its current character.
The seafront of Mers-les-Bains is lined with rows of small white beach cabins that give the promenade its recognizable look. Painters like Edgar Degas and Eugène Boudin were drawn to this shore in the 19th century, attracted by the light over the water and the chalk cliffs.
The beach is patrolled by lifeguards in July and August, with a marked swimming zone indicated by flags. Parking is available along the promenade, and some sections of the beach are set up for visitors with reduced mobility.
The chalk cliffs on either side of the beach erode constantly, and getting close to their base is officially forbidden for safety reasons. At low tide, walkways near the port connect this beach directly to the neighboring beach of Le Tréport across the Bresle river mouth.
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