| A hundred years ago, HOULGATE, 15km west of Deauville, was every bit as glamorous and sophisticated a destination as its neighbours. What makes it different today is that it has barely changed since then. Its long straight beach remains lined with a stately procession of Victorian villas, while the town's handful of commercial enterprises are confined to the narrow parallel street, the rue des Bains, fifty metres inland. As a result, Houlgate is the most relaxed of the local resorts, ideal if you're looking for a peaceful family break where the only stress is deciding whether to paddle or play mini-golf. The tourist office is well back from the sea on boulevard des Belges (mid-June to mid-Sept daily 10am–12.30pm & 2–6.30pm; mid-Sept to mid-June Mon–Sat 10am–12.30pm & 2–6.30pm; tel 02.31.24.34.79, www.ville-houlgate.fr). The Hostellerie Normande, just off the rue des Bains at 11 rue E.-Deschanel (tel 02.31.24.85.50; €30–40; closed Oct–March, plus Mon evening & Tues in low season), is a pretty little hotel covered with ivy and creeping flowers, with a €10 lunch menu on which you can follow fish soup with a plate of moules frites. Above the Vaches Noires (Black Cows) cliffs on the corniche road east of town, La Ferme Auberge des Aulnettes (tel 02.31.28.00.28; €30–40; closed Tues eve, plus Wed in low season, and mid-Nov to mid-Feb), is a lovely country house set in pleasant gardens, with a good restaurant and room to sit outside in the evening. The best campsite in the area, the four-star Les Falaises (tel 02.31.24.81.09, [email protected]; closed Nov–March), is close at hand.
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