Normandy's coastal retreats

When you think of French beaches, the sparkling Cote d’Azur first springs to mind. Move your gaze up the map slightly, and let them rest on France’s northern coast, whose villages and ports were once the leisure spots of Paris’s high society. Puff Daddy and his ilk may holiday in its southern sister, but Napoleon III and his entourage preferred the north. Dotting the coast, just two hours from Paris are several beautiful harbour towns, the showpieces of which are Deauville, and only slightly further along, the literarily mythic Cabourg. Don’t be put off by the fact that these resort towns are situated on our humble English Channel rather than a more exotic body of water – this side belongs to La France, and, bien sur, everything is steeped in elegance.