Bon Secours Seawater Pool

What it is

The Bon Secours pool is a concrete basin built in the middle of the beach, at the foot of the intra-muros rampart, which the sea fills and renews with every tide. It has a diving board at one end, which is what everyone wants to try, and in front the islets of the Grand Bé and the Petit Bé. Swimming is open and free.

A little history

In the 1930s, three bathing establishments shared Bon Secours beach. The one in the middle, the "Bains René", was run by René Lesaunier. His problem was the spring tides: the sea went out so far that his customers went to swim in the Dinard pool. So in 1937 he had a seawater pool built so that people could swim at any hour. He boasted that the water was renewed twice a day, with each tide, and not only with the big ones, like Dinard's.

How the tide works

At high tide the pool is under the sea and cannot be told apart from the beach. When the water falls, the wall appears and the basin is left full of clean water. It is best to go as the tide is falling or at low water: the pool is whole, the diving board emerges and the sand around it serves as a sun terrace. Check the tide table to know when.

The water is that of the English Channel, so it is cold even in August. It is for swimmers and for anyone who can stand the first plunge.

Facilities and safety

Bon Secours is a family beach with supervision, with a lifeguard post in summer, a shower and, in the upper part, terraces for a drink. Outside the swimming season there are no lifeguards: swim with caution and never alone.

The city may close swimming temporarily if the water tests are not good: in July 2025 swimming at Bon Secours was closed for a time. If you see a flag or a prohibition sign, respect it.

Getting there

You leave intra-muros by the Porte Saint-Pierre or the Porte des Bés and go down to the sand. The pool is a few minutes from the causeway to the Grand Bé, so you can combine the two with the same low tide: first to the islet, then a swim.

For parking, the convenient option is the Paul Féval park and ride and the bus to intra-muros. Inside the wall there is hardly any room.

When to go

In July and August, mid-afternoon in good weather, the pool and its diving board fill with teenagers and the beach with families. If you are looking for a peaceful swim, go early with the tide in your favour. In June and September there are fewer people. At sunset the light falls on the islets and the rampart.

With children

It is a very rewarding plan: the basin protects from waves, but the diving board is not for little ones. Always keep an eye on them, also when they play at the edge. Bring jelly shoes: the bottom and the wall have seaweed and shells.

Combine it

From the pool you climb to the ramparts by the steps at the Porte des Bés and you are five minutes from the streets of intra-muros for a galette.