Les Sables-d'Olonne – L'Aubraie

Les Sables-d'Olonne · Vendée · France

Today’s forecast: the current surf forecast for Les Sables-d'Olonne – L'Aubraie (wave height, swell, wind, tide and a 0–10 rating for every hour of the next 16 days) are only shown on SurfCams. They change every hour, so this text doesn’t contain them. To check today’s surf, open https://surf-cams.com/spot/aubraie.

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A wild, west-facing beach at the start of the Olonne forest, north of La Chaume, inside a protected natural area. Several sandbar peaks share the beach with a small reef plateau covered in mussels, and that plateau gives the best wave: a fast, hollow left with a quick take-off and a softer, longer right. Rides are short, rarely more than 50 m. It is less consistent than the nearby Sauveterre and is usually surfed by a handful of regulars, so it suits confident intermediates and better.

Level
Intermediate
Break
Beach break, sand and rock
Waves
Lefts and rights
Crowd
Some company
Season
autumn, winter, spring
Boards
A shortboard or a fish for the short, hollow reef peaks.

When it works

✓ A west to southwest swell of 1–2 m with a light east to northeast wind, from the start of the push to mid tide.

When it doesn't

✕ High tide brings backwash and the sandbank closes out, low tide uncovers the rocks, and summer is usually flat.

Watch out for

  • rocks
  • reef
  • rips
  • shorebreak
  • localism

Best months

January, February, March, April, May, September, October, November, December

Local tips

Sources disagree on the tide: locals report the reef and bank work best from low to mid tide on the push and close out near the top, so time your session around mid tide. The mussel-covered reef is sharp, so wear boots and keep off it at lower tides. Afternoons often get windy; go early. Check it when the Baie des Sables is flat, and respect the few regulars, as some localism has been reported.

Getting there

Drive north through La Chaume to the edge of the Olonne forest; there is a car park at one end of the beach and roadside parking, with a short walk over the dunes. A seasonal campsite is nearby and a nudist section lies along the beach.

Travel notes

How often it works
Surf-forecast calls it pretty consistent, though summer is often flat. Wannasurf says it breaks only sometimes, and it is worth checking when the Baie des Sables is flat.
Crowd and vibe
It has few surfers, even at weekends. Wannasurf notes some localism, so be respectful of the regulars.
Camping and vans
Camping Chadotel La Dune des Sables is only about 500 m away. Camping Le Moulin de la Salle is about 3 km. Nearest campsite about 0.5 km away.
Facilities
There is a car park and roadside parking but few facilities on the beach. The nearest lifeguarded beach with toilets is La Paracou, about 1 km south.
Water quality
The nearest monitoring point, La Paracou, was rated good every season from 2022 to 2025, and all eight 2026 samples were good.

Ideal conditions

Swell
WSW–WNW best, SW–NW works
Size
1–2 m offshore swell; starts at 0.8 m, holds to 2.5 m
Period
9 s minimum, best from 12 s
Wind
Offshore NE–SE; handles onshore up to 12 km/h
Tide
high best, avoid low
Faces
W (263°)

Live cam

No cam at this spot yet: the forecast and the guide are on the map.

Nearby spots

All spots in Vendée · All spots

Sources