Le Portel

Hauts-de-France · France

Today’s forecast: the current surf forecast for Le Portel (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/le-portel.

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Le Portel's town beach lies just south of Boulogne-sur-Mer and runs for about 1.5 km between the harbour breakwater and the Napoleonic Fort de l'Heurt, which sits on its rocks just offshore. It is a regular, easy sand beach break on westerly swell, with short rights and lefts that are fun rather than powerful, and rips along the beach. It stays quiet, so it is handy when Wimereux is crowded, though very little has been written about surfing here.

Level
Beginners
Break
Beach break, sand
Waves
Lefts and rights
Crowd
Quiet
Season
autumn, winter, spring
Boards
Foamies, longboards and mid-lengths.

When it works

✓ A W swell of about 1–2 m with an easterly wind, around mid tide.

When it doesn't

✕ Onshore westerlies, the flat spells common in summer, or north-westerly swells, which Boulogne's breakwater blocks.

Watch out for

  • rips
  • pollution

Best months

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

Local tips

Watch for rips along the beach. Avoid surfing right after heavy rain: the beach is next to Boulogne harbour and pollution is a known hazard. You can walk to the Fort de l'Heurt at low tide, but the water comes back fast around it. Expect it empty on weekdays and only a few surfers at weekends.

Getting there

A town beach a few minutes from the centre, with free car parks along it that fill up in summer. Lifeguards watch the swimming area in July and August.

Travel notes

How often it works
Wannasurf says it works regularly. It picks up the same west swells as Wimereux, from under a metre to about two. Like the rest of this coast, it is often flat for long spells in summer.
Crowd and vibe
Usually empty on weekdays, with only a few surfers at weekends. That makes it a relaxed choice when Wimereux is busy. In July and August the beach fills with swimmers, not surfers.
Camping and vans
A Camping-Car Park aire for motorhomes on rue des Champs is about 800 m above the beach and open all year. It costs around €15 a night, you get in through the network's app, and reviewers find the pitches cramped and sloping. For tents, the nearest campsite is La Falaise in Équihen-Plage, about 4 km south. Nearest campsite about 4.5 km away.
Facilities
Toilets, a snack bar, beach bars, several seafront restaurants and lifeguards in July and August. There is no surf school on this beach.
Water quality
The weakest water on this stretch. The ARS rated it only sufficient for 2025, after insufficient (poor) in 2024, and Boulogne's beach just north was insufficient again in 2025. Stay out after heavy rain, because of run-off and the nearby harbour.

Ideal conditions

Swell
WSW–WNW best, SW–NW works
Size
1.2–2.2 m offshore swell; starts at 0.8 m, holds to 3 m
Period
6 s minimum, best from 9 s
Wind
Offshore ENE–SE; handles onshore up to 12 km/h
Tide
mid best
Faces
WNW (282°)

Live cam

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

Nearby spots

All spots in Hauts-de-France · All spots

Sources