Bernières-sur-Mer beach

With its 2-kilometre-long pedestrian promenade, its little white beach huts and its restaurants just a stone’s throw from the sea, Bernières-sur-Mer is an ideal beach for families with children.
This fine-sand beach on the Côte de Nacre offers a haven of peace for holidaymakers seeking tranquillity and simple activities: sandcastles, swimming, picnics and shore fishing are the four main attractions!
From a tidal coefficient of 90 upwards, shore fishing becomes a real pleasure at Bernières-sur-Mer, which benefits from a rocky reef ideal for the growth of shellfish and crustaceans.
The small seaside resort of Bernières-sur-Mer forms part of the Canadian sector, Juno Beach, within the D-Day beaches.
The eastern part of the beach stretches as far as Saint-Aubin-sur-Mer. Along this coastline, you’ll find several sites relating to the Atlantic Wall, as well as the famous Maison des Canadiens, the first house in France to be liberated by sea on 6 June 1944. It features in numerous films about the Normandy Landings.
The western part of the beach, towards Courseulles-sur-Mer, has a wild, unspoilt feel, featuring the Marais du Platon, a protected natural area. This 6-hectare meadow, which runs alongside a dune ridge, is a very pleasant place for a walk. It is home to a wide variety of plant and animal species.

Supervised swimming:
– between Cale du Platon and Place du Canada,
– during the summer school holidays

https://station-bernieres.snsm.org/

Showers:
Available in July and August, in front of the lifeguard station.
Toilets:
– to the right of the lifeguard station
– on Rue Victor Tesnière, next to the boules court

Cycling:
Cycling is permitted in July and August before 10.00 and after 19.00 between the Cale du Platon (west side) and the Place du Canada (east side).
During the rest of the year, cycling is permitted without any time restrictions.
Bernières-sur-Mer lies on the Vélomaritime cycle route. This 1,500 km cycle route from Roscoff to Dunkirk passes through iconic sites such as the D-Day beaches, Mont-Saint-Michel and the cliffs of Étretat.

Access for people with disabilities:
The swimming area at Bernières-sur-Mer beach is certified ‘Tourisme et Handicap’ for four types of disability: mobility, intellectual, hearing and visual. The beach is designed to ensure visitors can enjoy it safely and with peace of mind, with three accessible ramps leading down to the beach. An adapted changing room, the HANDYMER facility, is available free of charge from July to September, subject to booking: it features a shower, toilet, changing area with a medical bed, a recliner, as well as a microwave and fridge. A Tiralo, a Hippocampe, a beach trolley and a wheelchair are also available on loan upon request. Location: on the seafront promenade, near the lifeguard station. Access is via North Nova Scotia Highlanders Square. GPS coordinates: N: 49° 20’ 6’’ W: 0° 25’ 27’’. Disabled parking. On-site assistance will be arranged upon your arrival.
To book the facility, contact Mr BRIAS on 02 31 96 45 47.

Dogs:
Outside the supervised swimming areas, on the rest of the beach, whatever the tide level, dogs kept on a lead are permitted. Please remember to bring a dog waste bag!

Horses:
Horses are only permitted on the beach provided they remain on the foreshore (the part of the beach between high tide and low tide) beyond the northern end of the groynes, well clear of any people, swimmers, walkers or anglers.
Horses must be led through the restricted area – to reach the authorised beach area from the land – as close as possible to the shoreline. Under no circumstances may horses be on the promenade sea wall, except when crossing it via a designated path along its edges in front of and behind the beach huts.