Saint-Malo – Rochebonne / Le Minihic

Saint-Malo · Bretagne Nord · France

Today’s forecast: the current surf forecast for Saint-Malo – Rochebonne / Le Minihic (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/saint-malo-rochebonne.

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Rochebonne is the north-eastern end of the Sillon, where the beach meets the rocks of the Pointe de Rochebonne and turns towards Le Minihic. The rocks help the sand bars hold their shape, so the banks are often better than in the middle of the bay, with A-frame peaks (breaking both ways) and fairly long rides in a light offshore wind. A fun right peels off the rocks at the top end. A tight local crew surfs here first, and it fills up on a good swell.

Level
Intermediate
Break
Beach break, sand and rock
Waves
Lefts and rights
Crowd
Busy
Season
autumn, winter, spring
Boards
A shortboard or fish when the swell is up; a longboard on smaller high-tide days.

When it works

✓ A NW swell big enough to reach Saint-Malo, a light E to SE wind, and a rising tide from mid to high.

When it doesn't

✕ Low tide, when it turns into a shallow wave that breaks all at once near the rocks, or any wind from west round to north.

Watch out for

  • rocks
  • crowds
  • currents

Best months

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

Local tips

Winter easterlies are offshore here and tidy up a bigger swell. The right off the rocks at the top of the beach is the prize, but it is short and close to the rocks, so watch the tide and the locals sitting on it. Le Minihic, just round the point, faces a little more west, picks up a little more swell and is rarely busy.

Getting there

Reach it from the Paramé end of the Sillon promenade, a few minutes' drive from the old town. Le Minihic beach, below its small cliff off Avenue John Kennedy, has toilets and a first-aid post.

Travel notes

How often it works
Like the rest of the bay, it needs a decent west to north-west swell to reach this far into the Channel. The rocks at the point keep the sandbanks in good shape, so this end usually beats the Sillon on the same day. Expect long flat spells, especially from late spring to early autumn.
Crowd and vibe
Saint-Malo's regulars come here first. On a good winter swell the waves get busy, especially the short right off the rocks, and the locals clearly get priority. Le Minihic, just round the point, is quieter.
Camping and vans
The closest place to sleep is the Aire des Îlots at Rothéneuf, about 2.5 km east. It is a municipal motorhome-only site, open all year without booking, with 173 grassy pitches and a bus into town. Tents go to the Cité d'Aleth campsite in Saint-Servan, about 4.5 km away across town. Motorhomes may not park overnight on several seafront car parks. Nearest campsite about 4.5 km away.
Facilities
Le Minihic has toilets and a first-aid post in summer. The cafés, restaurants and surf schools of the Sillon promenade in Paramé are a short walk away.
Water quality
This is Saint-Malo's worst spot for water quality: Rochebonne was rated 'insufficient' on the 2024 season results and was sometimes closed for bacterial pollution in summer 2025. The town has since upgraded the sewers and storm drains here, and nearby Le Minihic is rated 'excellent', but stay out of the water after heavy rain.

Ideal conditions

Swell
WNW–NW best, W–NNW works
Size
1.5–2.5 m offshore swell; starts at 1.2 m, holds to 3.5 m
Period
9 s minimum, best from 12 s
Wind
Offshore E–S; handles onshore up to 12 km/h
Tide
mid, high best, avoid low, on the rising tide
Faces
NW (315°)

Live cam

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

Nearby spots

All spots in Bretagne Nord · All spots

Sources