Plouharnel – Sainte-Barbe

Plouharnel · Morbihan · France

Today’s forecast: the current surf forecast for Plouharnel – Sainte-Barbe (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/plouharnel-sainte-barbe.

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Sainte-Barbe is the northern end of the long sandy arc that runs from Plouharnel down to the Penthièvre isthmus, a wild, dune-backed beach that is one of the best-known learner and longboard spots in southern Brittany. On small days it offers long, gentle waves that roll in regularly and are easy to paddle through, which is why longboarders gather here. When a swell of a metre and a half or so hits at mid tide the banks sharpen into punchier peaks for intermediates. Because it is one point on several kilometres of beach, the line-up rarely feels packed even in summer.

Level
Beginners
Break
Beach break, sand
Waves
Lefts and rights
Crowd
Some company
Season
autumn, winter, spring, summer
Boards
Longboards and foam boards most days, a fish or mid-length on the punchier mid-tide days.

When it works

✓ A west to south-west swell of 0.5 to 1.5 metres with light north-east to east wind, from mid tide towards high.

When it doesn't

✕ Onshore westerly wind, which flattens and scrambles it quickly, or swells above about two metres, when it closes out and becomes hard to get out.

Watch out for

  • rips
  • currents

Best months

March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November

Local tips

Under about a metre the paddle out is easy and the waves suit long rides on a log; bigger than that the inside gets heavy and the peaks steep. Spread out along the beach rather than crowding the main access, where schools and swimmers concentrate in summer. A north-east breeze grooms the northern part of the beach best.

Getting there

Drive through the village of Sainte-Barbe in Plouharnel to the car park at the end of the road behind the dunes, a few minutes from Plouharnel centre. The beach is lifeguarded in July and August with marked zones for swimmers and boards.

Travel notes

How often it works
Surf-forecast rates it fairly consistent, and it works through most of the year except in summer. It is part of a long open beach that picks up west and south-west swells.
Crowd and vibe
It is one point on a huge beach, so there are relatively few surfers even on good days. Longboarders and summer schools gather near the main access.
Camping and vans
The municipal Camping de Kerhillio in Erdeven is about 1.5 km north. Camping de la Lande in Plouharnel is about 3 km away. Nearest campsite about 1.5 km away.
Facilities
Lifeguards watch marked zones in July and August, and surf schools teach here in summer.
Water quality
Sainte-Barbe has no monitoring point of its own. The nearest points, Kerhilio and Mentor, were rated good every season from 2022 to 2025.

Ideal conditions

Swell
SW–W best, SSW–WNW works
Size
0.7–1.6 m offshore swell; starts at 0.4 m, holds to 2.3 m
Period
7 s minimum, best from 11 s
Wind
Offshore NNE–E; handles onshore up to 15 km/h
Tide
mid, high best
Faces
WSW (240°)

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 Morbihan · All spots

Sources