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La Baie des Sables, France

Stay in Les Sables-d'Olonne: see the trip Its beds, the way there and every spot near it.

Also within 20 km of Les Sables-d'Olonne

Watch this spot We email you when La Baie des Sables is worth the trip.

La plage - panoramio
La Baie des Sables. Photo: Michel G, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

About La Baie des Sables

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

The spot faces S (189°), so it takes swell from the S. The wind blows offshore from the N (9°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits beginners and up. It works in 3–14 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves very gently: 10 m deep about 1.1 km out (1 in 106). 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 August, its warmest (2 mm shorty). The town to stay in is Les Sables-d'Olonne, 0.9 km away (about 5 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 2 surf spots and 1 wind sports spot.

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 17 h 35 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. 1 h 20 from the airport to La Baie des Sables.

    Car hire · Discover CarsAd

  3. Accommodation.

    Stay in Les Sables-d'OlonneAd

    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 Les Sables-d'Olonne · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in Les Sables-d'Olonne · GetYourGuideAd

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

La Baie des Sables on Google Maps · Directions

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

Live webcam

Webcam vue de Tanchet, de l'Ecole de Voile, 2 km away

Open the webcam on pv.viewsurf.com

Webcams belong to their owners.

Forecast

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

DayScoreSwellEnergyWindTemp
Sun 18Oct303 ft9 ssoft106kJ15°C
Mon 19Oct152 ft15 ssoft123kJ14°C
Tue 20Oct514 ft12 ssoft303kJ14°C
Wed 21Oct105 ft9 ssoft273kJ14°C
Thu 22Oct08 ft8 smushy801kJ16°C
Fri 23Oct85 ft14 ssoft976kJ14°C
Sat 24Oct08 ft9 ssoft803kJ15°C
Sun 25Oct06 ft8 ssoft432kJ17°C
Mon 26Oct08 ft8 smushy814kJ18°C
Tue 27Oct07 ft9 smushy711kJ17°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 1h 20 by road. About 17h 35 door to door

  2. Tue 20 Oct
    Surf L'Aubraie

    Best 11:00 to 14:00 local time: 4 ft at 12 s, wind 5 kn (10 km/h).

  3. Wed 21 Oct
    Rest day

    Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 30 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 24 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 1h 20 by road. About 17h 35 door to door

The plan picks the best of 4 spots near Les Sables-d'Olonne each day: La Baie des Sables, L'Aubraie, Sauveterre, Tanchet (Les Sables d'Olonne).

The trip from Les Sables-d'Olonne, with every spot near it

Rough cost

About £1,125–£2,100 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
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£1,125–£2,100

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

Places to eat near Les Sables-d'Olonne

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.