10 ways to experience Deauville like a local

Start the day with a Nordic walk along the beach to discover and appreciate the many benefits of this discipline. Practised on Deauville Beach, this type of fast walking uses poles to support arm movement and propel the walker forwards, allowing them to go quicker while tiring less.

This physical activity is recommended by doctors and uses 90% of the muscles in the body – the perfect reason to get warmed up for an energetic day. Join licensed coaches on Wednesday and Saturday mornings from September to June to enjoy a friendly sport to the sound of the gentle lapping of the waves.

Try your hand at golf at Amirauté Golf Deauville, a magical place where the greens are synonymous with art and nature. Just 5 minutes away from Deauville and the hotel of the same name, Amirauté offers several themed courses to try according to your tastes and skill level. Just like an open-air museum, the championship-level Arts Course (Parcours des Arts) is dotted with impressive modern sculptures and ponds that attract swans and other migratory birds.

If you want to take up the hobby or go for a training session, head towards the splendid Pond Course (Parcours des Étangs), which requires both rigour and precision. Finally, try the Star Course (Parcours des Étoiles) for an out-of-the-ordinary experience that is lit at night to ensure a new experience. A panoramic restaurant and diverse clubhouse complete the ensemble perfectly.

Watch a film at Cinema Morny, which can be found on the beach in Deauville. How can you resist the charm of the dark rooms during a stay in the town that is home to the American Film Festival every year? The 4 screens at Cinema Morny offer a varied selection, from film d’auteur to blockbusters and children's cartoons, all in a unique, deliciously vintage setting.

This local establishment actually stands on the site of an old Citroën showroom dating back to 1926, a work by the architect Georges Wybo. Converted into a cinema 20 years later, the premises still welcome cinema lovers from everywhere for a timeless break.

Take a stroll around the district of Le Coteau, which is as peaceful as it is out-of-the-way, but is still well worth a visit, even if only to admire the stunning view. Taking centre stage at Mont Canisy, this village built in a once-marshy area around the Saint-Laurent church – classed as a historic monument – helps you understand why Deauville was able to become the famous seaside resort that today attracts the most select visitors from Parisian circles.

Apart from Le Coteau's historic and cultural interest, the pretty period properties in the area are the perfect excuse for a walk with an unobstructed panorama over the urban area and the sea from the cemetery.

The Belgian Bridge (Pont des Belges), which spans the River Touques and leads to Trouville, Deauville's neighbouring town, will invite you to cross, to stroll and to remember. Hand in hand, alone or with friends, you'll always cross it with pleasure afresh, stopping to marvel at the ballet of seagulls that contemplate the moored boats and paddlers breaking through the waves.

The harmonious architecture of Trouville will slowly edge into sight, as if inviting you to go and discover it. This bridge is also the capital of local history and is highly symbolic. It was previously called Pont de l'Union (Union Bridge), but it was rechristened when it was reconstructed after the 1944 bombing to pay tribute to the Belgian soldiers who freed the 2 towns.

Take a dip in the seawater Olympic swimming pool to start your day out right. It isn't something you would necessarily think of when you have the beach and sea available, but it's one of the most pleasant experiences about. Enter a building whose shape resembles a giant shell and perfect your crawl under a fantastic light-reflecting vault designed by the famous sports facility architect Roger Taillibert.

The pool is heated to 28°C year-round, and the water comes from the sea off Deauville, so there's nothing quite like it if you fancy a dip without braving the fresh waters of the English Channel. Water aerobics classes and individual lessons are also available, and don't forget to check out the sun lounge.

Lais de Mer Park (parc des Lais de mer) is a great place to relax. It's less well-known than Promenade des Planches but no less charming and covers 4 hectares along the seafront. Walkers, joggers and bookworms meet at every waking hour to enjoy the peaceful freshness of the pathways and appealing benches, while lovers prefer to hang a padlock in the Garden of Hearts (Jardin des Coeurs) as a token of their love.

The play area will win over families with young children, the sports fields will attract high-level players and amateurs alike, and the skate park will thrill teenagers who want to meet – or make – friends. Rest and relaxation guaranteed.

Place de Morny is a great place to have a coffee on the terrace and is the heartbeat of Deauville, where the city's 8 main arteries meet and inhabitants and visitors alike wander through the elegant whirlwind. Rest under the shade of the lime trees on one of the pretty terraces surrounding the water jets of the fancy fountain and succumb to the charm of the architecture from the Belle Époque and light and joyful atmosphere that reigns.

If you listen carefully, you can hear the lively echo of the market that takes place in the next square every morning at Place du Marché. It's safe to say that this little pleasure will quickly become a ritual and be among your most treasured memories.

L'Étoile des Mers, a fishmonger and restaurant in the heart of the town, is defined by a love of the open sea and its roots. The owner is a fisherman's daughter who stocks her stall with her 3 brothers' catches. Apart from the Scottish salmon and Madagascan prawns, everything's local and unbeatably fresh.

The principle's easy: No stock is kept so, when it runs out, well, you'll just have to come back tomorrow. Find mackerel, John Dory, sole, sea bass and red mullet, as well as sumptuous seafood platters made up of Norman oysters and other treats. What's more, the accompaniments are just as tempting as the fish.

Enjoy a sweet stop at Pâtisserie François Gayet, who applies his motto – 'The best can only be made with excellence' – to the letter in his laboratory and boutique. This promise is kept as a token of quality and freshness, and you'll be won over after a mere bite of his marvellous classics, such as the Paris-Brest (choux pastry and praline cream cake), the millefeuille or the Opéra (almond sponge cake with coffee cream and chocolate ganache), or his more innovative creations, like pistachio pudding with a raspberry heart.

Pastries and cakes complete the offer of this chef who combines textures and flavours with verve and relies not only on his talent but also on his discretion. It's a location well away from the centre, with an understated backdrop and limited open hours. It's the product that speaks, and believe us when we tell you it has a lot to say.