Bidart – Pavillon Royal

Bidart · Pays Basque · France

Today’s forecast: the current surf forecast for Bidart – Pavillon Royal (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/bidart-pavillon-royal.

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Pavillon Royal is Bidart's longest sandy beach, more than a kilometre long and with a wild, remote feel. At low tide its sandbanks give short lefts and rights for all levels, and it holds a fair swell, though many waves close out around 3 m. It is rarely crowded and is often almost empty at sunset.

Level
Intermediate
Break
Beach break, sand and rock
Waves
Lefts and rights
Crowd
Some company
Season
autumn, winter, spring
Boards
A shortboard or fish; a longboard on small days.

When it works

✓ A 1–2 m north-west to west swell from low to mid tide with a southeast wind.

When it doesn't

✕ High tide, which pushes the waves against the cliff base, and onshore wind.

Watch out for

  • rips
  • rocks

Best months

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

Local tips

Check it early in the morning for glassy conditions. A beginner-friendly bank often forms in the naturist part of the beach. Rocks lie in the shorebreak, so watch your exit.

Getting there

Only on foot: leave the coast road between Bidart and Biarritz at the Pavillon Royal campsite and walk 5–15 minutes. Parking nearby is very limited, especially in summer; lifeguards from mid-June to mid-September.

Travel notes

How often it works
Works on most westerly swells, best at low tide on the sandbanks. Rocks in the shorebreak limit it at high tide.
Crowd and vibe
Quiet, because you can only get there on foot and parking is very limited. Part of the beach is naturist.
Camping and vans
Camping Le Pavillon Royal sits right above the beach (May to October). Biarritz Camping is about 1.5 km north. Nearest campsite about 0.5 km away.
Facilities
There are toilets and lifeguards from mid-June to mid-September, but no café on the sand. You reach it by the Vélodyssée cycle route or by bus.
Water quality
Pavillon Royal flies the Pavillon Bleu (Blue Flag), according to the Communauté Pays Basque (2025). Bidart's beaches are rated excellent or good. Check the Kalilo app after heavy rain.

Ideal conditions

Swell
W–NNW best, WSW–N works
Size
1–2 m offshore swell; starts at 0.7 m, holds to 2.8 m
Period
8 s minimum, best from 12 s
Wind
Offshore ENE–SSE; handles onshore up to 12 km/h
Tide
low best, avoid high
Faces
WNW (298°)

Live cam

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

Nearby spots

All spots in Pays Basque · All spots

Sources