Back to results

Étang sale, France

Stay in L'Étang-Salé: see the trip Its beds, the way there and every spot near it.

Also within 20 km of L'Étang-Salé

All 11 on L'Étang-Salé's map

Watch this spot We email you when Étang sale is worth the trip.

Coucher de soleil étang salé
Étang sale. Photo: Pradigue, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

About Étang sale

Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated. Facts: verified, surf details estimated.

The spot faces SW (238°), so it takes swell from the SW. The wind blows offshore from the NE (58°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 3–10 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves moderately: 10 m deep about 200 m out (1 in 21). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would break hollow. The sea is about 24°C in July, its coldest month (no wetsuit), and 28°C in January, its warmest (no wetsuit). For intermediate surfers the best months are usually January, October, November and December, with about 1 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is L'Étang-Salé, 4 km away (about 10 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 1 surf spot, 1 wind sports spot and 2 dive sites.

Water about 24°C: no wetsuit. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.

Save this trip A link to come back to, or to send to the group.

Book the trip

From Chicago: about 29 h 30 door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.

  1. Fly. Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) to RUN, changing at Charles de Gaulle International Airport (CDG).

    See flights ORD → RUN · Skyscanner from about £875 returnAd

  2. Getting there. 1 h 05 from the airport to Étang sale.

    Car hire · Discover CarsAd

  3. Accommodation.

    Stay in L'Étang-SaléAd

    Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote.

    Room photos are examples, not these hotels (credits).

    See all places to stay on Booking.com →

    Closest towns to stay in

    Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote. Drives are estimates.

  4. Hire and lessons.

    Surf lessons in L'Étang-Salé · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in L'Étang-Salé · GetYourGuideAd

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

Étang sale on Google Maps · Directions

The map needs JavaScript. Every place on it is listed on this page, and each place's page links to Google Maps.

One finger scrolls the page; two fingers move the map. Pins are our own positions. Map OpenFreeMap, © OpenMapTiles, data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Forecast

The score for intermediates, coloured as on the area pages:GoodFairPoorToo bigToo small

DayScoreSwellEnergyWindTemp
Sun 18Oct474 ft5 smushy76kJ26°C
Mon 19Oct543 ft9 shollow176kJ26°C
Tue 20Oct443 ft10 shollow198kJ26°C
Wed 21Oct644 ft11 shollow319kJ26°C
Thu 22Oct483 ft10 shollow162kJ27°C
Fri 23Oct402 ft9 shollow99kJ26°C
Sat 24Oct282 ft11 shollow67kJ26°C
Sun 25Oct194 ft11 shollow392kJ22°C
Mon 26Oct011 ft11 scrumbling2,815kJ24°C
Tue 27Oct08 ft10 scrumbling1,182kJ25°C
Wed 28Oct0––––

Day scores here are the conditions out of 80; a trip's score on the results is the same conditions out of 100. The journey never scores. The forecast reaches about 10 days. Energy is the swell's power in kJ per metre of wave, from its height and interval: it grows with the square of each, so a long-period swell hits far harder than a short one the same size. The word under the swell is the wave's shape, our estimate from the sea floor. Wind is in knots: 10 kn is about 19 km/h. The arrow points where the wind blows to; offshore wind, blowing from the land out to sea, is green and says so.

Your trip, day by day

6 nights from Mon 19 Oct, leaving from Chicago, for intermediate surfers. Change dates

  1. Mon 19 Oct
    Travel out

    Fly ORD to RUN, changing at CDG, then 1h 05 by road. About 29h 30 door to door

  2. Tue 20 Oct
    Surf Etang Sale Bridge - Le Tournant

    Best 14:00 to 17:00 local time: 3 ft at 10 s, wind 5 kn (9 km/h).

  3. Wed 21 Oct
    Surf Etang Sale Bridge - Le Tournant

    Best 14:00 to 17:00 local time: 4 ft at 11 s, wind 2 kn (4 km/h).

  4. Thu 22 Oct
    Surf Etang Sale Bridge - Le Tournant

    Best 11:00 to 14:00 local time: 3 ft at 10 s, wind 4 kn (7 km/h).

  5. Fri 23 Oct
    Surf Etang Sale Bridge - Le Tournant

    Best 14:00 to 17:00 local time: 2 ft at 9 s, wind 3 kn (6 km/h).

  6. Sat 24 Oct
    Rest day

    Too small: 2 ft at best.

  7. Sun 25 Oct
    Travel home

    Fly ORD to RUN, changing at CDG, then 1h 05 by road. About 29h 30 door to door

The plan picks the best of 2 spots near L'Étang-Salé each day: Étang sale, Etang Sale Bridge - Le Tournant.

The trip from L'Étang-Salé, with every spot near it

Rough cost

About £1,595–£3,065 each for 6 nights, 2 people sharing a room. A guide from typical prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book.

WhatHow we worked it outEach
Flightsreturn ORD to RUN, estimated from distance and season, changing at CDG, full-service airlines, with a hold bag£875–£1,810
To the UK airportparking or the train, there and back£35–£65
Hire car6 days, shared£105–£175
Stay6 nights, a mid-range double, shared£255–£425
Food7 days eating out£240–£445
Board and wetsuit5 days, or about £85 to fly your own£85–£145
Total£1,595–£3,065

Prices from public sources, checked in 2026: where they come from. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra.

Places to eat near L'Étang-Salé

Within 2 km of the town centre, listed by how complete the listing is (website, opening hours, cuisine) and whether two sources name it. Not a judgement of the food: we have no reviews. Listings © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) and Overture Maps Foundation. Credits

Book the trip

Getting thereAd

Flights · Skyscanner Car hire · Discover Cars

Where to stayAd

Places to stay · Booking.com

In the waterAd

Surf lessons · GetYourGuide Board and wetsuit hire · GetYourGuide

Links marked Ad may pay us a small commission if you book. You pay the same price, and it never changes a score.