Dinard is a town and commune on the Côte d'Émeraude, on the northeast coast of Brittany, France. It is part of the Ille-et-Vilaine département.
Its beaches and mild climate make it a popular holiday destination, and has resulted in the town having a variety of famous visitors and residents. The towns of Pleurtuit and Saint-Malo are nearby and the Dinard Pleurtuit Saint-Malo airport is about 4km south of Dinard.
PopulationThe population of the town of Dinard is approximately 10,000 people. It is a tourist town but is also popular with retired people who appreciate the sea-side location and the temperate climate. It is not rare for several generations of the same family to reside there.
ClimateDinard lies on the Gulf Stream which means it enjoys a warm climate, several degrees warmer than the surrounding areas. The Yacht club has fine examples of tropical palms and plants, which stretch round the coast on the Promenade de Clare de la Lune, which pipes out music throughout the evening for couples to enjoy romantic walks.
HotelsThe most exclusive hotel is the Grand, which looks over the Rance Estuary. Other notable hotels are the Royal, which sits next to the Casino above the main Esplanade. Further round the coast in the St Enogat area of Dinard is the Thallasa hotel and Villas Falais. This exclusive sea water therapy centre is one of only a few throughout Europe. The architecture of this building is sympathetic with the coast line, and from some angles becomes at one with the cliffside.
In the Summer the population swells to over 40,000 with the influx of holiday makers.
VisitorsDinard's reputation as the 'Cannes of the North' has attracted a wide variety of stars. Joan Collins is a frequent visitor, and Winston Churchill enjoyed holidaying on the River Rance. Alfred Hitchcock spent many summers in Dinard and based the house used in his most famous movie Psycho on a Villa standing over the Plage D'Ecluse. Lawrence of Arabia lived in Dinard before his Arabic conquests and Piccasso, Monet and many other prominent artists enjoyed the stunning coast line.
AttractionsDinard cannot boast a vigorous nightlife, but many bars and fine restaurants fill the towns streets. The abundance of beaches coupled with a consistently sunny weather, however, attracts many visitors during the summer holidays. The attractions include a casino with a restaurant facing the sea and a hall which hosts many expositions. The nearby town of Saint-Lunaire also features a fairly large golf course and the beach of Longchamp, renowned as a 'surfers' spot'.
Dinard holds every year a famous British Film Festival in the first days of October.
Educational facilitiesMany educational facilities may be found in Dinard, most of them elementary and primary schools, though there are two secondary schools. The most popular, the Collège Le Bocage, is a public school (the other being private) and has an estimated 700 pupils from Dinard and its vicinity. From there onward, children go to lycée (the equivalent of the American high school), the closest being the Lycée Jacques Cartier at Saint-Malo.
BeachesThe town has several beaches all of which are sandy, clean and large. The main beach is Plage d'Ecluse and the second largest is the Plage St Enogat.
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