Where to stay to surf in Lacanau?
To surf in Lacanau, sleeping 200 metres from the Plage Sud spot changes the day: from Les Jardins de la Sud you walk to the water through the pine forest, the Surf Kalani school is 50 metres away on route du Lion and Cheeky Family 450 metres. The five gîtes of 35 m² for two people have a private terrace to dry the wetsuits and a shower room with a walk-in shower, and our guests get discounts at the partner schools.
The spot three minutes away, the schools on the same road.
Plage Sud, 200 metres. The Plage Sud break is often clean in the morning with an offshore wind. You walk there, board under the arm, along the path through the pines.
Two schools on route du Lion. Surf Kalani 50 metres away, Cheeky Family 450 metres: lessons for all levels, equipment provided, rental outside lessons, discounts for our guests.
Back at the gîte. Walk-in shower in the private shower room, terrace to dry the wetsuit, equipped kitchen, and the quiet of the pines to go to bed early before the morning session.
Plage Sud, the most natural break of Lacanau Océan.
Plage Sud is the most natural and least crowded beach of the resort compared with the central seafront. Conditions vary with swell and tide: a hollow wave at mid rising tide when the swell exceeds 1.5 metres, softer on the falling tide. The sandbar is usually cleaner in the morning, with an offshore wind, which is why the morning slots go first at the schools in summer.
The beach is lifeguarded in July and August, with a seasonal rescue post and a marked swimming area. Before heading out, live weather and waves are shown on our home page, and detailed forecasts for the Lacanau Sud spot are on Windguru or Magic Seaweed.
Surf Kalani 50 metres away, Cheeky Family 450.
Surf Kalani, at 62 route du Lion, is the closest school to the gîtes: under a minute on foot, direct access to Plage Sud. Group lessons of 5 to 8 people and multi-day courses, foam board and wetsuit provided, sessions adapted to the conditions of the day. A two-hour group lesson costs about 35 to 45 euros, to be confirmed directly with the school. Booking recommended in July and August for the morning slots.
Cheeky Family, at 5 route du Lion, about 450 metres and six minutes on foot, is a surf school, a surf camp and a place to live: state-certified instructors, lessons for all levels timed with the tides from April to November, from the 1h30 private lesson to the course of five 2-hour lessons, board and wetsuit rental outside lessons, yoga classes before or after the session, and a guinguette open from lunch to dinner.
In both cases, our guests get discounts on surf lessons and water activities: ask us for the details when booking.
Rinse, dry, eat, sleep early.
After the session, each gîte has its private shower room with a walk-in shower to rinse off sand and salt, and its private terrace to dry towels and wetsuits. The equipped kitchen with dishwasher lets you eat on the tide's schedule rather than the restaurants', and the shared washing machine in the common laundry room helps over a week of surf.
The Plage Sud neighbourhood has no shopping street and no late terraces: you go to bed early and get up with a clean sandbar. The five gîtes of 35 m² for two people can be visited in 3D in the immersive tour. To choose your neighbourhood knowingly, also read staying near Plage Sud.
When the wave is too big, or after the session.
Wave too big on the day? The lake of Lacanau is twelve minutes by bike on a flat path: paddle, kayak and wakeboard with Évolution 2, calm water. After the session, a terrace at the Rainbow Café, five minutes on foot, or dinner facing the Atlantic at Le Café Maritime on the seafront, where the aperitif is offered to guests of Les Jardins de la Sud.
For a livelier day, the central beach and the seafront are ten minutes by bike. And for a stay for two, see romantic weekend in Lacanau Océan.
April to November with the schools, all year for independent surfers.
The schools on route du Lion give lessons from April to November. July and August: lifeguarded beach, morning slots to book, gîtes to book several months ahead. June and September: the ocean is warm, the beach empties. Autumn offers quiet sessions, and the gîtes, heated by reversible air conditioning, welcome independent surfers into winter.
“The surfers who sleep with us have a ritual: a glance at the waves from the terrace, three minutes of path, and they are in the water before the beach wakes up.”
Before booking your surf trip.
How far are the gîtes from the spot?
About 200 metres from Plage Sud, that is three minutes on foot along a sandy path through the pine forest, from 43 route du Lion.
Can a beginner learn to surf?
Yes. Surf Kalani, 50 metres away, offers group lessons of 5 to 8 people and courses with foam board and wetsuit provided. Cheeky Family, 450 metres away, coaches all levels with state-certified instructors from April to November. Our guests get discounts at the partner schools.
Can you rent a board without taking a lesson?
Yes. Cheeky Family, on route du Lion, rents boards and wetsuits outside lessons.
How do you check the conditions?
Our website shows live weather and waves for Lacanau Océan. For detailed forecasts of the Lacanau Sud spot, check Windguru or Magic Seaweed. The sandbar is usually cleaner in the morning with an offshore wind.
When is the best season?
April to November for lessons. July and August with the lifeguarded beach, booking early. Autumn for quiet sessions on an almost empty beach.
More guides by your hosts.
Five gîtes for two people, the Plage Sud spot 200 m away, direct booking with your hosts, no commission and no middleman.
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