Description:

The town of Dinard was originally a small fishing village called Saint Enogat however in late 1800s the area became popular with wealthy British visitors.  The village quickly grew to become the most popular seaside resort in Europe until the 1930s when the rich and famous started to favour the Cote d'Azur.

In 1920 Pablo Picasso painted the famous 'Deux Femmes Courants sur la Plage' and 'Baigneuses sur la Plage' in the town.

The area was known as Saint Enogat until 1879 when the name was changed to Dinard Saint Enogat and then changed again in 1921 to Dinard.  Saint-Enogat now only refers to the west of the town.

Dinard is listed as a 'Ville et Pays D'art et D'histoire' - essentially reserved for towns that demonstrate they are trying to make the most of their setting, attractiveness and architecture.  The town still has over 400 listed villas left over from the glory days of the lates 1800s.

Dinard is in the department of Ille et Vilaine on the Cote d'Emeraude and sits at the entrance to the River Rance opposite Saint Malo.

The town covers an area of 7.84 km² and is one of the 9 cantons of Saint Malo.

As Dinard lies on the Gulf Stream it enjoys a climate which is usually several degrees warmer than the surrounding area.

Dinard has a market every weekday morning at the Halles de la Concorde as well as a market at the Place Croland on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday mornings.  There is also a weely antiques market every Sunday at Espanade de la Halle.  For all other groceries there is a Carrefour and Intermarche supermarket in Dinard.

Dinard has numerous clothes, shoe, home & garden, pet and food shops as you would expect in a large town. 

Dinard has three Ecole Primaires et Maternelles and three Colleges including a Montessori Primaire.  The nearest Lycee in 3 km away towards Saint Malo.

Dinard has all the facilities and services you can expect from a large town including post office, salons, garages,  banks, pharmacies,  vets, dentists, doctors, a hospital and a good transport system.

For entertainment Dinard is filled with lots of lively bistros,  bars, cafes and restaurants and although there are no discos many of the cafe bars provide regular live music.

Alternatively you could visit the town casino with its beach side restaurant, the cinema, the town cinema or the popular karting centre. 

Dinard has some great holiday accommodation with over 44 Hotels and numerous Chambre d’Hotes and Gites options available.  There are also lost of camp sites in the area as well as a town campsite within Dinard.

Most of Dinards tourism is focused around the towns beautiful sandy beaches, including Plage de l'Ecluse and Plage de Prieuie.  The beaches of Dinard are perfect for families with regular family entertainment and childrens activity clubs arranged throughout the summer.

Dinard also enjoys over 8 km of marked coastal footpaths with some beautiful views across the Cote d'Emeraude.

The town is home to an annual Festival of British cinema every October which is popular with residents and tourists.

Due to its location on the coast, Dinard has some great watersports facilities including catamaran, sail boarding, kayaking and diving.

Dinard also has a good Equestrian centre and tennis club as well as a town stadium and sports centre.  There are also climbing and golf facilities nearby.