LANDES
Southwest France's surf mecca — 100km of pine-backed beach between Bordeaux and Biarritz, anchored by **La Gravière**, one of Europe's heaviest beach-break barrels.
About Landes
Landes runs 100km of empty pine-forest coastline between Gironde and the Pyrénées, and the Hossegor / Capbreton / Seignosse triangle is mainland Europe's surf capital. Quiksilver, Billabong and Rip Curl all built their European HQs here.
The marquee wave is La Gravière, a Hossegor sandbar that throws thick A-frame barrels every October when the WSL Championship Tour rolls into town for Quiksilver Pro France. Les Bourdaines in Seignosse handles intermediates on the same swell.
Surf level
| Skill level | Jan-Feb | Mar-Apr | May-Jun | Jul-Aug | Sep-Oct | Nov-Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beginners | ||||||
| Intermediate | ||||||
| Advanced |
- Best time to go
- Good time to go
- Ok time to go
- Less desirable time to go
- Not recommended time to go
Weather & Travel Comfort
| Metric | Jan-Feb | Mar-Apr | May-Jun | Jul-Aug | Sep-Oct | Nov-Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weather | ~6–11°C | ~9–15°C | ~14–20°C | ~18–24°C | ~15–21°C | ~8–13°C |
| Rainy days | 10d | 10d | 8d | 7d | 9d | 11d |
| What to Pack |  Water Temperature~12–13°C | Water Temperature~13–15°C | Water Temperature~18–21°C | Water Temperature~22°C | Water Temperature~20–22°C | Water Temperature~14–17°C |
- Boots if neededFor cold water or reef breaks
- Full protection wetsuitCold water
- Shorty / springsuitMild conditions
- No wetsuitWarm water
Tips for Surfing Landes
France's beach-break heartland packs its barrels into shifting sandbars at La Gravière and La Nord that fill thirty surfers deep by 9am every autumn. The four tips below cover Les Bourdaines for newcomers, the dawn-or-nothing window, and how to read which bank is firing.
Begin at Les Bourdaines
Beginners: head to Les Bourdaines in Seignosse. Group lessons run €35–€50 for 2 hours.
Surf Before the Crowd
La Gravière fills 30 surfers deep by 9am every autumn — paddle out at first light.
Wetsuit by Season
4/3mm Nov–April, 3/2mm May/Oct, 2mm shorty or trunks July–August (water 22°C+).
Read the Sandbars
Banks shift weekly at La Nord and La Sud — ask at a local school which peak is firing.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is the best time to surf in Landes?
Skill drives the answer. Beginners score from April to September at Les Bourdaines and Le Penon, when 2–4ft summer swell and 17–22°C water make for forgiving sessions. Intermediates peak March to October on shoulder swell with warmer water and lighter crowds. Advanced surfers come October to March for 4–10ft NW pulses at La Gravière, La Nord and L'Estacade, with E offshore wind grooming the sandbars at dawn.
Is Landes good for beginners?
Yes — at the right spots. Les Bourdaines in Seignosse is the standard starter beach: wide sand bottom, gentler bank shapes, and every school in the region runs classes here from May through September. Le Penon works similarly. Avoid La Gravière, La Nord and La Sud entirely in your first two weeks — they break heavy, the takeoff is fast, and travelling pros stack the lineup most autumns.
How big do the waves get in Landes?
Waves run 2–4ft most of summer and 4–10ft from October to March. La Gravière holds clean head-and-a-half barrels on a powerful NW swell, and the WSL contest at Quiksilver Pro France has run in 8ft surf there. La Nord and La Sud stay rideable up to 6ft. Small days send everyone to Les Bourdaines, Le Penon and the protected jetty wave at L'Estacade.
Do I need a wetsuit to surf in Landes?
Mostly yes — but not in deep summer. Water sits between 12°C in February and 22°C+ in August. A 4/3 fullsuit covers November through April, a 3/2 handles May, June, October and early November, and boardshorts or a 2mm shorty are enough July through September. Boots and gloves are optional in the coldest weeks; most locals skip them.
How do I get to Landes from Biarritz?
Biarritz Airport (BIQ) is 30 minutes by car north on the A63 motorway — most rental desks are inside the terminal. Bordeaux Airport (BOD) is the alternative, 1h45 south on the same motorway. From Paris, SNCF's TGV Atlantique reaches Bayonne in 4 hours, then a 30-minute taxi or regional bus covers the last leg to Hossegor or Capbreton.
Where should I stay in Landes for surfing?
Stay in Hossegor if you want to walk to La Gravière and La Nord — it's the surf hub, packed with brand outlets, oyster bars and beach-side cottages. Pick Seignosse for quieter pine-forest stays at lower nightly rates, 5 minutes from Les Bourdaines. Capbreton suits families: working port, jettied beach, easier parking, and direct access to the wave at L'Estacade.
Other regions in France
The Ultimate Guide to Surfing in Landes
What makes Landes unique
No other stretch of European coast holds the surf-industry weight that Landes does. Quiksilver Europe, Billabong Europe and Rip Curl Europe all anchored their headquarters in or around Hossegor, and the WSL Championship Tour stops here every October for the Quiksilver Pro France — a contest run almost exclusively at La Gravière, the sand-bottom barrel one block from the village centre. The geography behind that pull is straightforward: the Capbreton Canyon plunges 3,000 metres straight off the Hossegor beach, funnelling raw NW Atlantic swell into shallow sandbars without losing power. The result is one of mainland Europe's heaviest beach breaks fronted by 100km of pine-forest dune — wide, walkable, and largely undeveloped. Most visitors base in France's southwest corner because of the wave, the brand culture, and the food.
Landes surf spots by skill level
La Gravière is the headliner. A heavy, sand-bottom A-frame in central Hossegor that throws square barrels on a clean NW swell with E offshore wind. Peak season runs September to November when the canyon focuses autumn pulses. Advanced only — closeouts come fast, and the takeoff is contested by travelling pros every October.
La Nord and La Sud are Hossegor's flanking peaks. Same sand bottom, slightly forgiving shape, multiple shifting peaks across a 1km stretch. Best on small-to-medium NW swell with light E wind. Intermediate to advanced, depending on the day's banks.
Les Bourdaines in Seignosse, 5km north of Hossegor, is the friendlier alternative — wider beach, mellower bank shapes, and the spot where most schools run their improver classes. Intermediates in summer; manageable for confident beginners on small days.
Le Penon, also Seignosse, is a long sand-bottom strip that suits intermediates working into bigger water. Multiple peaks down its length, easier paddle-out than Hossegor.
L'Estacade sits at the south end of Capbreton, tucked between two stone jetties at the harbour mouth. The jetties bend the swell and shape an unusually clean wave when everything else closes out. Intermediate on most days, advanced when it sizes up.
Vieux-Boucau and Le Santocha round out the menu — overflow beach breaks 15km north and inside Capbreton respectively, useful when the marquee Hossegor banks crowd up.
When to surf Landes: month-by-month
October to March is the heavy season. Waves run 4–10ft on stacked NW Atlantic swell, water cools from 19°C in October to 12°C by February, and the offshore E wind grooms La Gravière at dawn. The first half of October is contest season — expect crowds and travelling pros at every Hossegor peak. April to June is the shoulder: 3–5ft swell, water climbing 14–18°C, fewer surfers, and bank shapes resetting after winter storms. July and August flip the script entirely — 2–4ft summer swell, 22°C water, beachgoers everywhere, and every school in the triangle running back-to-back classes at Les Bourdaines and Le Penon. September is the local secret: 21°C water, swell rebuilding, and the August holiday tide gone home.
Where to stay in Landes
Hossegor is the obvious base. Beach-side cottages on Avenue des Tisserands, walking distance to La Gravière and La Nord, and the densest cluster of surf shops, brand outlets and oyster bars in southwest France. Higher prices in summer and contest week. Seignosse, 10km north, is the quieter alternative — pine-forest cottages, lower nightly rates, 5-minute drive to Les Bourdaines and Le Penon. Capbreton, the port town at the south end, runs more family-friendly: jetties for safer swimming, a working harbour, and easier parking than Hossegor centre.
How to get to Landes from Biarritz
Biarritz Airport (BIQ) is the closest hub — 30 minutes by car up the A63 to Hossegor or Capbreton, with rental desks at the terminal. From further afield, Bordeaux Airport (BOD) is 1h45 north on the same motorway. SNCF runs the TGV Atlantique from Paris Montparnasse to Bayonne in 4 hours (around €60–€90 booked ahead); from Bayonne, a regional bus or 30-minute taxi covers the last leg to Hossegor. Once you're in the triangle, a car or scooter pays for itself — La Gravière, Les Bourdaines and L'Estacade sit 15km apart.
Surf schools, gear rentals and local culture
Four schools anchor the lesson scene: Hossegor Surf Club, École Surf Hossegor, Surf Roots Hossegor and Seignosse Surf School — useful reference points whether you book with them or not. Board rentals run €15–€25/day for soft-tops and €25–€40/day for performance shortboards. Longboards are scarcer in autumn — reserve early.
A cultural note: surfing landed in Landes in 1957, when American screenwriter Peter Viertel left a board behind in nearby Biarritz, and the Hossegor scene grew through the 1960s and 1970s as French shapers and the first European brand reps moved in. The lineup today is unmistakably industry — pros, brand staff, and local rippers who grew up under contest jerseys. Sit wide on your first session at La Gravière, wait your rotation, and the wave count opens up.