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Ile de Ré - La Couarde, France

Stay in La Couarde-sur-Mer: see the trip Its beds, the way there and every spot near it.

Also within 20 km of La Couarde-sur-Mer

Watch this spot We email you when Ile de Ré - La Couarde is worth the trip.

About Ile de Ré - La Couarde

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

The spot faces SW (209°), so it takes swell from the SW. The wind blows offshore from the NE (29°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 3–11 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves very gently: 10 m deep about 4.3 km out (1 in 435). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would spill softly. The sea is about 10°C in January, its coldest month (4/3 or 5/4, boots and gloves), and 20°C in July, its warmest (2 mm shorty). For intermediate surfers the best months are usually January, February, March and April, with about 1 good days in 7; in July, about 0. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is La Couarde-sur-Mer, 0.6 km away (about 5 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 1 surf spot and 2 wind sports spots.

Water about 17°C: 3/2 wetsuit. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.

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Book the trip

From Chicago: about 16 h 55 door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.

  1. Fly. Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) to LRH, changing at Dublin Airport (DUB).

    See flights ORD → LRH · Skyscanner from about £405 returnAd

  2. Getting there. 40 min from the airport to Ile de Ré - La Couarde.

    Car hire · Discover CarsAd

  3. Accommodation.

    Stay in La Couarde-sur-MerAd

    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 La Couarde-sur-Mer · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in La Couarde-sur-Mer · GetYourGuideAd

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

Ile de Ré - La Couarde on Google Maps · Directions

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Forecast

Ile de Ré - La Couarde does not suit beginners. This is the forecast for intermediates, so you can see what it does.

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

DayScoreInter­mediateSwellEnergyWindTemp
Sun 18Oct393 ft9 ssoft114kJ14°C
Mon 19Oct192 ft15 ssoft100kJ15°C
Tue 20Oct474 ft12 ssoft322kJ14°C
Wed 21Oct73 ft8 ssoft124kJ15°C
Thu 22Oct08 ft8 smushy767kJ16°C
Fri 23Oct43 ft14 smushy224kJ14°C
Sat 24Oct08 ft9 smushy885kJ16°C
Sun 25Oct06 ft10 smushy776kJ18°C
Mon 26Oct08 ft8 smushy837kJ16°C
Tue 27Oct07 ft9 smushy621kJ18°C

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 LRH, changing at DUB, then 40 min by road. About 16h 55 door to door

  2. Tue 20 Oct
    Surf Ile de Ré - La Couarde

    Best 11:00 to 14:00 local time: 4 ft at 12 s, wind 6 kn (11 km/h).

  3. Wed 21 Oct
    Rest day

    Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 21 of 80.

  4. Thu 22 Oct
    Rest day

    Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 0 of 80.

  5. Fri 23 Oct
    Rest day

    Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 11 of 80.

  6. Sat 24 Oct
    Rest day

    Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 0 of 80.

  7. Sun 25 Oct
    Travel home

    Fly ORD to LRH, changing at DUB, then 40 min by road. About 16h 55 door to door

The trip from La Couarde-sur-Mer, with every spot near it

Rough cost

About £1,050–£1,975 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 LRH, estimated from distance and season, changing at DUB, full-service airlines, with a hold bag£405–£845
To the UK airportparking or the train, there and back£35–£65
Taxiairport and back, shared£30–£50
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£1,050–£1,975

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

Places to eat near La Couarde-sur-Mer

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.