Vaux-sur-Mer – Nauzan

Vaux-sur-Mer · Charente-Maritime · France

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Nauzan is a small cove beach between Saint-Palais-sur-Mer and Vaux-sur-Mer, just inside the mouth of the Gironde a couple of kilometres from Royan. Sheltered from the open Atlantic, it only breaks when a solid swell wraps in, and is flat for most of the summer. When it works, the waves are short, gentle beach-break peaks over sand, mostly rights, which makes it a good, quieter alternative to Pontaillac for beginners and children.

Level
Beginners
Break
Beach break, sand
Waves
Lefts and rights
Crowd
Some company
Season
autumn, winter, spring
Boards
A longboard, a mid-length or a big foam board.

When it works

✓ A west to south-west swell of around two metres or more offshore with a north-east wind at high tide, ideally on the rising tide.

When it doesn't

✕ Low tide, small swells and summer, when it is usually flat, or a strong onshore south-westerly.

Watch out for

  • rocks

Best months

January, February, March, October, November, December

Local tips

This is a high-tide spot: plan the session around the last part of the push. It is worth a look on the big winter days when the open coast is out of control, and outside the summer holidays it is usually much less busy than Pontaillac. Waves are short, so it suits learning and cruising rather than long rides.

Getting there

The beach sits at the end of Avenue de Nauzan-Plage, with free parking nearby and along Boulevard de la Côte de Beauté, and is reached in a minute or two on foot. There is a promenade with shops and restaurants, toilets, a sailing school and summer lifeguards.

Travel notes

How often it works
It breaks only sometimes, and summer is mostly flat. It is best in winter, on big west swells at high tide.
Crowd and vibe
It is usually much quieter than Pontaillac outside the summer holidays. Wannasurf lists few surfers even at weekends.
Camping and vans
Camping Val Vert in Vaux-sur-Mer is about 1.5 km away, and Camping La Borderie in Saint-Palais is about 2 km. Nearest campsite about 1.5 km away.
Facilities
There are toilets, showers, summer lifeguards, a sailing school, and shops and restaurants on the promenade.
Water quality
The Nauzan monitoring point was rated good every season from 2022 to 2025, and all ten 2026 samples were good.

Ideal conditions

Swell
WSW–WNW best, SW–NW works
Size
2–3 m offshore swell; starts at 1.5 m, holds to 4 m
Period
11 s minimum, best from 14 s
Wind
Offshore N–E; handles onshore up to 12 km/h
Tide
high best, avoid low, on the rising tide
Faces
SW (215°)

Live cam

Cams © their operators, shown from the operator's own feed.

Nearby spots

All spots in Charente-Maritime · All spots

Sources