Crozon – La Palue

Crozon · Finistère Sud · France

Today’s forecast: the current surf forecast for Crozon – La Palue (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/crozon-la-palue.

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La Palue is the reference spot of the Crozon peninsula: a 2 km wild beach below heath and dunes on the west side of the Cap de la Chèvre, picking up swell from north-west to south-west and one of the most consistent spots in Brittany. The sand peaks shift with the tide, and an easterly wind makes them hollow, fast and powerful, with tubes and long rides on good days. Strong currents make it a beach for experienced surfers; swimming is banned and drownings are not rare.

Level
Advanced
Break
Beach break, sand
Waves
Lefts and rights
Crowd
Busy
Season
autumn, winter, spring
Boards
A shortboard for the hollow, fast peaks; a step-up when it is over 2 m and barrelling.

When it works

✓ A 1.2–2.5 m W to WSW swell with an easterly wind, from mid to high tide on the rising tide.

When it doesn't

✕ Onshore westerlies, the top of the tide when the banks close out and a shorebreak hits the pebbles, or a big swell that closes out and pulls hard along the beach.

Watch out for

  • rips
  • currents
  • shorebreak
  • crowds

Best months

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

Local tips

Pick your sandbank from the top of the dune before going down. A deep rip channel usually sits straight in front of the steps from the car park. The current runs from right to left (looking at the sea) before heading out, so work your way back up to the right towards Lostmarc'h. Early morning near the end of the rising tide is a favourite window; weekdays are often empty, weekends and holidays get busy. Rocks appear on the right-hand point as the tide rises, and in years with little sand, concrete blocks can show in the middle of the beach.

Getting there

From Crozon follow the D887 towards Morgat, then the D255 towards the Cap de la Chèvre. After the hamlet of Montourgar turn right and follow the road to the car park on top of the dune, a few minutes' walk from the sand. The lane through the village is narrow and busy with walkers and cyclists. There are no cafés at the beach; Morgat is the nearest.

Travel notes

How often it works
One of the most reliable beaches in Brittany. It is open to swells from south-west to north-west. It starts working under 1 m and holds big waves, so there is usually a wave from autumn to spring.
Crowd and vibe
Weekdays can be empty. Weekends, holidays and good days get crowded, as this is the peninsula's best-known wave. Locals are generally friendly if you share waves and don't show off. The colder months are much quieter.
Camping and vans
There is no campsite at the beach. The nearest is Camping de la Plage de Goulien, about 4.5 km north. The Cap de la Chèvre car park on the D255, about 3 km south, allows parking for up to 24 hours but no camping. The Goulien beach car park is daytime only. Nearest campsite about 4.5 km away.
Facilities
Just a car park on the dune and a few small surfer parking spots. No cafés, showers or lifeguards; Morgat, a short drive away, has shops, cafés and a backpackers' hostel.
Water quality
La Palue is not an official bathing site, because swimming is banned due to the rip currents. The nearest tested beach on this coast, Goulien, was rated excellent for 2025.

Ideal conditions

Swell
WSW–WNW best, SW–NNW works
Size
1.2–2.5 m offshore swell; starts at 0.6 m, holds to 3.5 m
Period
8 s minimum, best from 12 s
Wind
Offshore ENE–SE; handles onshore up to 12 km/h
Tide
mid, high best, on the rising tide
Faces
W (266°)

Live cam

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

In the guides

Nearby spots

All spots in Finistère Sud · All spots

Sources