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Palplanche, Gabon

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

Also within 20 km of Port-Gentil

  • PG2 Surf spot · 5.7 km from Port-Gentil
  • Cap Lopez Surf spot · 13.1 km from Port-Gentil

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

POG-From The Air
Port-Gentil, the nearest town, 13 km away. Photo: Brian Ecton /, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons

About Palplanche

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

The spot faces NE (30°), so it takes swell from the NE. The wind blows offshore from the SW (210°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits beginners and up. It works in 5–20 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves moderately: 10 m deep about 250 m out (1 in 26). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would crumble. The sea is about 25°C in August, its coldest month (no wetsuit), and 29°C in January, its warmest (no wetsuit). The town to stay in is Port-Gentil. Within 5 km we also list 1 surf spot.

Water about 27°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 26 h door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.

  1. Fly. Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) to LBV, changing at Charles de Gaulle International Airport (CDG). About 6 flights a week that month.

    See flights ORD → LBV · Skyscanner from about £605 returnAd

  2. Getting there. 2 h 45 from the airport to Palplanche.

    Car hire · Discover CarsAd

  3. Accommodation.

    Nearest beds: Port-Gentil, 13 km (about 25 min by car)Ad

    No town with beds to book is nearer Palplanche: plan on the drive each day you surf.

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

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

    See all places to stay in Port-Gentil, 13 km away 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 Port-Gentil · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in Port-Gentil · GetYourGuideAd

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

Palplanche 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

Palplanche does not suit intermediates. This is the forecast for experts, so you can see what it does.

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

DayScoreExpertSwellEnergyWindTemp
Sun 18Oct122 ft10 shollow81kJ27°C
Mon 19Oct92 ft10 shollow48kJ27°C
Tue 20Oct132 ft11 shollow94kJ27°C
Wed 21Oct122 ft9 shollow72kJ27°C
Thu 22Oct112 ft7 smushy41kJ27°C
Fri 23Oct82 ft6 smushy25kJ27°C
Sat 24Oct61 ft9 shollow26kJ27°C
Sun 25Oct61 ft9 shollow22kJ27°C
Mon 26Oct61 ft9 shollow24kJ27°C
Tue 27Oct51 ft9 shollow18kJ27°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 expert surfers. Change dates

  1. Mon 19 Oct
    Travel out

    Fly ORD to LBV, changing at CDG, then 2h 45 by road. About 26h door to door

  2. Tue 20 Oct
    Rest day

    Too small: 2 ft at best.

  3. Wed 21 Oct
    Rest day

    Too small: 2 ft at best.

  4. Thu 22 Oct
    Rest day

    Too small: 2 ft at best.

  5. Fri 23 Oct
    Rest day

    Too small: 2 ft at best.

  6. Sat 24 Oct
    Rest day

    Too small: 1 ft at best.

  7. Sun 25 Oct
    Travel home

    Fly ORD to LBV, changing at CDG, then 2h 45 by road. About 26h door to door

The trip from Port-Gentil, with every spot near it

Rough cost

About £1,095–£2,115 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 LBV, estimated from distance and season, changing at CDG, full-service airlines, with a hold bag£605–£1,260
To the UK airportparking or the train, there and back£35–£65
Hire car6 days, shared£70–£115
Stay6 nights, a mid-range double, shared£165–£280
Food7 days eating out£155–£290
Board and wetsuit5 days, or about £85 to fly your own£65–£105
Total£1,095–£2,115

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

Places to eat near Port-Gentil

  • Le Colin'sBreakfast and brunch · 0.7 km from the centre
  • JUST ICE Restaurant - BarBar and grill · 0.3 km from the centre
  • L'Hacienda du Bougainvillier0.4 km from the centre
  • Le restaurant chêne d'orEuropean · 0.5 km from the centre
  • Seven ClubPizza · 0.5 km from the centre
  • Pizza HousePizza · 0.8 km from the centre

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

Nearest beds: Port-Gentil, 13 km (about 25 min by car) · 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.