L'Arquet
Martigues · French Mediterranean · France
Today’s forecast: the current surf forecast for L'Arquet (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/l-arquet.
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A hollow reef next to La Couronne, by the lighthouse road. It is at its best in big swells, which are rare here: about twice a year it goes over 2.5 m. The take-off is steep with a rock in front, and the reef is covered in sea urchins.
- Level
- Advanced
- Break
- Reef break, reef
- Waves
- Lefts and rights
- Crowd
- Crowded
- Season
- autumn, winter
- Boards
- A shortboard; a step-up on the big days.
When it works
✓ A big west-south-west swell with a north-west wind.
When it doesn't
✕ Small swells, and onshore south-east wind.
Watch out for
- reef
- rocks
- crowds
- localism
Best months
January, February, March, October, November, December
Local tips
For experienced surfers. Wear booties for the urchins, and watch the rock in front of the take-off.
Getting there
From La Couronne beach head towards the lighthouse and turn left; the spot is next to the car park.
Travel notes
- How often it works
- Needs a big swell, so it breaks only a few days a year, but those are some of the best days on the coast.
- Crowd and vibe
- Very crowded on the big days, with a local crew.
- Camping and vans
- Camping de l'Arquet is next to the spot. Nearest campsite about 0.4 km away.
- Facilities
- Car park; services at La Couronne.
- Water quality
- Anse de Couronne Vieille, next door, is rated excellent by the French health ministry (2025).
Ideal conditions
- Swell
- SSW–W best, SSE–WNW works
- Size
- 1.4–2.8 m offshore swell; starts at 0.9 m, holds to 4.5 m
- Period
- 5 s minimum, best from 9 s
- Wind
- Offshore WNW–NNE; handles onshore up to 12 km/h
- Tide
- low, mid, high best
- Faces
- SSW (195°)
Live cam
No cam at this spot yet: the forecast and the guide are on the map.
Nearby spots
- La Couronne 0.2 km · Intermediate
- Les Laurons 4.0 km · Intermediate
- Sausset-les-Pins – La Corniche 4.9 km · Intermediate
- Pointe Rouge – La Digue 26 km · Intermediate
- Le Prado – Bonneveine 27 km · Beginner
- Cap Saint-Louis – Le Liouquet 53 km · Advanced