L'Amélie

Soulac-sur-Mer · Gironde · France

Today’s forecast: the current surf forecast for L'Amélie (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/soulac-amelie.

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L'Amélie is the beach of the Amélie district, about 4 km south of Soulac, in front of the local surf club and surf school. The waves run roughly a metre smaller than at Le Porge or Lacanau but are powerful, quite fast and hollow for their size, breaking close to shore with an easy paddle out. Besides the main peak in front of the club, other banks form opposite the old bunker and near the remains of the old pontoon to the south. The coast here is retreating fast and the shore is protected by a sea wall, which has changed the banks over the years.

Level
Intermediate
Break
Beach break, sand
Waves
Lefts and rights
Crowd
Busy
Season
autumn, winter, spring, summer
Boards
A shortboard or fish for the short, punchy waves; beginners in lessons use foam boards in summer.

When it works

✓ A west to north-west swell of 1–2 m with an east or south-east wind around mid tide.

When it doesn't

✕ Onshore west wind, and small swells that barely reach this sheltered northern stretch.

Watch out for

  • rips
  • rocks

Best months

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

Local tips

Start in front of the surf club, then check the banks by the bunker and the old pontoon if the main peak is crowded or closing out. Some of the better lefts break near rocks and the remains of coastal defences, so look before you paddle. Older locals say storms and coastal works since 1999 have changed the bottom and the wave is less fast than it used to be.

Getting there

From Soulac follow the boulevard de l'Amélie south to the Amélie district; the beach is reached through the seafront streets and is lifeguarded in summer, with the surf club and school right by the beach.

Travel notes

How often it works
It breaks only sometimes, and the swell here is smaller than further south. The waves break close to the beach, so getting out is easy.
Crowd and vibe
It used to be a secret spot but is busier now. Wannasurf still lists it as empty on weekdays and with few surfers at weekends.
Camping and vans
Camping Sandaya Soulac Plage is about 1 km away. Camping des Pins and Camping Les Genêts are about 2 km. Nearest campsite about 1 km away.
Facilities
There is a surf club and school right by the beach and a summer lifeguard post.
Water quality
The L'Amélie monitoring point was rated good every season from 2022 to 2025, all five 2026 samples were good, and the beach holds the 2026 Pavillon Bleu.

Ideal conditions

Swell
W–NW best, WSW–NNW works
Size
1.5–3 m offshore swell; starts at 1 m, holds to 3.8 m
Period
9 s minimum, best from 12 s
Wind
Offshore ENE–SE; handles onshore up to 12 km/h
Tide
mid best, avoid high
Faces
WNW (285°)

Live cam

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

Nearby spots

All spots in Gironde · All spots

Sources