Almanarre (Hyères)

About This Spot

Almanarre is France's flagship kite/windsurf spot, a ~5 km sandy beach on the western tombolo of the Giens peninsula (the 'route du sel'), a former World Cup venue. Its appeal is the double tombolo: depending on wind direction you get two completely different spots. Wind & season: reliable from spring through autumn (best roughly March–October). The Mistral (W/NW/SW, onshore to cross-onshore) dominates ~52% of the time, blowing ~15–35 kt and often running 3–4 days straight; it can be strong and gusty. Easterly winds (~34%) are offshore. In summer (June–Sept) lighter W thermals fill in most afternoons—great for foilers, marginal for twin-tips. For flat-water freestyle in steady E/NE offshore, the best window is actually Nov–April (fewer crowds, but cold: water ~13–15°C winter vs 22–25°C summer). Water state: in Mistral/Libeccio (SW) the whole beach goes onshore with chop and waves that tend to close out—better for jumping than wave-riding. In an easterly the bay turns glassy flat, ideal for freestyle/foil, but it's offshore so you must be confident upwind and watch for being blown out to sea. Level: intermediate to advanced. The launch beach is narrow (~150 m) and gets very crowded, water deepens fast off the beach, and gusty Mistral plus chop make body-dragging/water starts hard for beginners. Nearby La Madrague is shallower, calmer and less crowded—better for learning. Hazards/regs: rocks just right of the main launch; rapid drop-off; offshore risk in easterlies. In summer kite use is restricted—launch zone marked by FFVL-flagged posts and a buoyed navigation corridor (~300 m) before open bay. Overcrowded beach and car park on good days; car break-ins reported, don't leave valuables.