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La Torchere, France

Stay in Arcachon: see the trip Its beds, the way there and every spot near it.

Also within 20 km of Arcachon

All 19 on Arcachon's map

Watch this spot We email you when La Torchere is worth the trip.

About La Torchere

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

The spot faces W (274°), so it takes swell from the W. The wind blows offshore from the E (94°). It is exposed to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 2–8 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves gently: 10 m deep about 550 m out (1 in 55). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would spill softly. The sea is about 12°C in February, its coldest month (4/3 or 5/4, boots and gloves), and 22°C in August, its warmest (2 mm shorty). For intermediate surfers the best months are usually March, April, May and June, with about 2 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Arcachon, 7.3 km away (about 15 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 8 surf spots.

Water about 19°C: 2 mm shorty. 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 Bordeaux–Mérignac Airport (BOD), changing at Dublin Airport (DUB). About 11 flights a week that month.

    See flights ORD → BOD · Skyscanner from about £410 returnAd

  2. Getting there. 1 h 05 from the airport to La Torchere.

    Car hire · Discover CarsAd

  3. Accommodation.

    Stay in ArcachonAd

    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 Arcachon · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in Arcachon · GetYourGuideAd

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

La Torchere 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.

Forecast

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

DayScoreSwellEnergyWindTemp
Sun 18Oct453 ft10 ssoft195kJ15°C
Mon 19Oct272 ft15 scrumbling126kJ14°C
Tue 20Oct474 ft12 ssoft503kJ16°C
Wed 21Oct32 ft12 smushy127kJ16°C
Thu 22Oct09 ft9 smushy1,228kJ17°C
Fri 23Oct013 ft12 smushy4,090kJ16°C
Sat 24Oct011 ft9 smushy1,669kJ17°C
Sun 25Oct012 ft10 smushy2,218kJ18°C
Mon 26Oct010 ft9 ssoft1,586kJ16°C
Tue 27Oct09 ft8 smushy978kJ18°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 BOD, changing at DUB, then 1h 05 by road. About 17h 35 door to door

  2. Tue 20 Oct
    Surf Le Bayle Nord

    Best 11:00 to 14:00 local time: 4 ft at 12 s, wind 3 kn (5 km/h).

  3. Wed 21 Oct
    Rest day

    Too small: 2 ft at best.

  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 0 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 BOD, changing at DUB, then 1h 05 by road. About 17h 35 door to door

The plan picks the best of 12 spots near Arcachon each day: Cap Ferret, Cap Ferret Chenal, La Garonne, La Torchere, La vache morte, Le Bayle Nord, Le Cimetière, Le pelican mort, Le petit train, Le Sail Fish, Le Truc Vert, Les Dunes.

The trip from Arcachon, with every spot near it

Rough cost

About £1,130–£2,110 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 BOD, estimated from distance and season, changing at DUB, full-service airlines, with a hold bag£410–£855
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£1,130–£2,110

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

Places to eat near Arcachon

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.