Surfing Pointe du Raz & South

Beach Break · Best Sep-Apr · 3-12 ft · Crowd 1/5

Big open Atlantic swell, low tide, rising

Baie des Trépassés, the Bay of the Dead, is a wide bay just below the Pointe du Raz, the westernmost tip of Brittany. It takes the full force of Atlantic swell and gets heavy quickly.

The currents are strong and there are few easy ways out. On big days, most people come to watch from the clifftop road. It's for experienced surfers.

It's best at low tide on a rising swell, and only for surfers used to heavy beach breaks and strong currents. The Pointe du Raz, just above, is one of the most visited places in Brittany, so expect tourists in summer. On smaller days, the beaches near Audierne are easier.

Beach Break · Best Sep-Apr · 2-8 ft · Crowd 4/5

W-SW swell, E offshore wind, all tides

La Torche is a long beach break in southern Finistère and the best-known surf spot in Brittany, where national and international contests are held.

It works more often than most of the coast around it, picks up swell from a wide angle and holds shape across a range of sizes. There are several peaks along the beach, but it still gets busy, with a strong local crew. Surf schools run lessons on the easier sections.

It works best on a west or south-west swell with an easterly wind, and autumn and spring usually bring the best combination of swell and weather. In winter the water is cold, so a 5/4 wetsuit with boots is normal.

When the rest of southern Brittany is flat, La Torche often still has waves, which is why it's busy at weekends. There are lifeguards and surf schools in summer, when the smaller days are good for learning. The headland at the end of the beach is a nice walk on a flat day.

Beach Break · Best Sep-Apr · 2-7 ft · Crowd 2/5

Clean swell, low tide

St-Tugen is a beach break near Audierne, on the Cap Sizun coast south-east of the Pointe du Raz. It's known for short, hollow waves at low tide, quicker and steeper than the open beaches around it.

The tide makes a big difference here: as it drops, the waves sharpen up, so the same swell can be very different a few hours apart. It's for confident surfers, and the lineup is usually quieter than at La Torche, further south-east.

Autumn and spring swells usually bring the best conditions. There's a small car park above the beach, and Audierne, a few minutes away, has places to stay and eat. If it's too big or too hollow, La Torche is about half an hour south-east.

Beach Break · Best Sep-Apr · 2-7 ft · Crowd 1/5

Clean swell

Plozévet is a beach break on the Bay of Audierne, between the Pointe du Raz and La Torche. When the sandbanks are good, some local surfers rate it among the best waves on this part of the Breton coast.

It gets much less attention than La Torche. It's best on a clean swell with a light offshore wind, and worth checking if you're driving along this coast.

It works best on a clean west swell with an easterly wind, usually in autumn and spring. The beach is open and quiet, with a car park and little else, so bring what you need. La Torche is about twenty minutes south.