Moliets Surf Guide – Beginner Beaches / All Spots / Seasons
Moliets surf is Landes in a nutshell. Come here to ride big beach breaks (beginner-friendly in the summer) and enjoy pine-backed sands on the Atlantic.
An introduction to Moliets surf
Moliets-et-Maa, or just Moliets for short, could easily be the poster boy for the Landes region. Long, uninterrupted stretches of golden sand edge straight into the Atlantic Ocean here and they offer surf and more surf all the way up and down.
Yep, they run for miles and miles beneath lovely dashes of pine forests that are all carved up by dirt tracks and hiking trails. The region is not as built-up as Hossegor and Biarritz, but it’s got the same reliable NW swell window that keeps it working virtually all year round.
The peaks are France in a nutshell. They jostle up and down the beach and move all the time. It’s largely sandbanks that are determined by the winter storms and then hold their shape for much of the summer and autumn before being washed away to bring in whole other sets for the next season. But there are also some river mouth waves around the estuary of the Huchet to add some spice.
Moliets surf can get pretty gnarly in the height of the winter months. However, spring and summer will usher in a time that’s great for beginners (there’s never a shortage of whitewash) and improvers.
We’d also make a nod to the overload of seasoned surf schools, surf camps and instructors in these parts, along with the family friendly campsites close to the coast. It’s a solid option for any French surf jaunt.
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This guide is just one part of our complete guide to surfing in France
Moliets surf at a glance
The good:
- Lots of space to find a peak to yourself
- Great surf schools
- Awesome surf camps and campsites by the coast
The bad:
- Can get busy in the summer
- Not the same infrastructure as Hossegor
What’s in this guide to Moliets surf?
Where is Moliets?
Moliets-Plage, or Moliets et Maa is one of the main resort towns on the Landes coast. That put it right on the Atlantic Ocean on the far south-west side of France.
The A63 coast road is just behind and the city of Bordeaux is about 2 hours’ driving to the north-east. Popular surf towns like Hossegor and Biarritz can be found just to the south.
Biarritz is the closest airport, while Bordeaux has a larger hub that’s also within striking distance. Search Kiwi for connections – they have a magic thingy that lets you see the cheapest flights in using multiple airlines for different legs or something.
One thing we would reccomend doing here: Rent a car.
Public transport is okay for getting to Moliets but a car is the quickest option by far. It will also allow you to drive north and south up the beaches a little to get away from the crowds. (The only exception to that is if you’re booked onto an organized surf camp, which will typcially include transport to the breaks each day, so no car required.)
Moliets surf spots
We range from the far northern beaches of Landes to the famous beach breaks of Hossegor to bring you the cream of the Moliets surf spots…
Mimizan/Mimizan Plage
Cute little Mimizan Plage has over 6 miles of beachfront to its western side, which hosts some seriously fantastic surf spots.
You’re a considerable way outside of Moliets now, so it’s worth thinking about basing your stay here instead if this is where you want to surf. That will mean getting a taste of the north Landes breaks – less shapely, more wild, but uber-consistent.
La Garluche and Centrale are the main two, both classic, fat, Landes waves with the potential to get hollow on large winter days. We often recommend Mimizan Plage as the perfect family surf destination for its range of chilled accommodations.
We’ve got a complete guide to the surf in Mimizan Plage
Arna Plage
Arna for short, but Arnaoutchot Beach in all, this one’s a run of Landes beach that hides behind a huge dune to the north of Moliets.
It’s famed for having one of te largest naturist campsites in the area, so perfect if you hang free if ya know what I mean.
The surf is still sandbanks that shift and move season to season, but there’s never the same line up here. Usually crumbly but also holds shape on bigger NW swells.
La Lette
Heading north from the main beach takes you to the more hidden Moliets surf spots. This is a land where the western French pine forests tumble into the Atlantic. It’s tricky to get to – only a couple of sandy dirt tracks weave through the forests to the access points.
But the reward is a largely empty stretch of sand that’s got some nice peeling left-right waves during the summer months. Bigger and often blown out in winter, but still worth the check if Moliets is bursting.
La Centrale/Centrale Plage
Centrale Plage is called simple La Centrale in Moliets. It’s the main surf spot and showcases exactly what you’d expect of the Landes region. That means a long run of uninterrupted sandbank breakage.
Good lefts but better rights, all forming off wedgy beach waves that can gather some serious power in shoulder season months like September and May.
Summer sees the plage burst with holidaymakers and there’s better surf for beginners then. Hazards include strong rips on bigger days and cross-shore currents.
Seignosse
With the likes of Les Estagnots and Le Penon up its sleeve, the town of Seignosse always manages to draw a crowd.
We’d say it’s slightly better aligned to pro and advanced surfers.
That’s especially true when the NW swell channels in the Bay of Biscay are pumping in fall and spring. Expect lots of that Landes trademark: Barreling beach breaks with steep, wedgy drop ins.
We’ve got a complete guide to Seignosse surf – check it out now
Hossegor
Hossegor is known all over the globe for its barreling beach breaks.
They are heavy stuff and competitions come in their wake, usually in the early summer months.
Challenging, yes, but also downright fun, there are breaks in this town for all levels. It’s basically the capital of Atlantic surf in France. However, expect crowds and crowded line ups to match.
Where to stay? JO&JOE HOSSEGOR is a vibrant hostel with a partnership with a local surf school.
Check out our full guide to Hossegor surf right now
Surf camps in Moliets
Moliets, along with Hossegor and Mimizan, is now one of the main destinations for surf camps in France. More specifically, it’s become the home of the eco-surf camp. That’s why loads of the best places on offer here are based in the woods north of town, offeing glamping-style stays.
We gotta’ say, we quite like them, but then we are big fans of bell tents. You need to decide if that’s you. And…if so, a surf camp is probably a fantastic option here.
They offer full-packaged surf vacation solutions – think surf rental, accomodation, lessons, transport to and from the beaches, and even some meals all for a single price.
- Star Surf Camp (8-day chill and yoga surf camp) – The flagship offering from Star Surf Camps in this 7-night, 8-day retreat. It’s got 6 surf workshops that include hands-on practice in the water, plus breathing and balance work and surf theory. Breakfast, lunches, and four dinners are also part of the price, as is a stay in their luxury twin bell tents.
- Dreamsea Surf Camp x Camping Les Cigales (8-day surf camp) – We also really like this glamping surf camp. It’s less busy than the ever-opular Star offering and is run by the iconic Dreamsea brand. That ensures solid teaching across five lessons. The camp has a volleyball court, halfpipe, chillout areas, yoga shala and more.
We have more suggestions for surf camps in our overall guide to the top surf camps in France.
A note on why we partner with BookSurfCamps.com: Book Surf Camps are probably the biggest online aggregator of surf camps and surf-yoga packages in the world. We sounded out a quite a few potential partners before we affiliated with them. But, in the end, the abundance of choice for beginners, intermediates, and female-only surfing sealed it. We also love the simplicity of their booking system and the trusted brand name, along with the focus on connecting with homegrown local businesses on the ground.
Want more Moliets surf camp options? Search the whole shebang below right now and book in a few clicks.
Best hotels & hostels (for surfers) in Moliets
There are lots of top places to stay in Moliets for surfing – this is one darn popular holidaying location on the French west coast, after all! We’ve plucked out a few we’ve tried before (and loved) along with others that offer good proximity to Centrale Plage.
- Logis Hotel of the Ocean – One of closest hotels of all to the main surf beach, Logis is just behind the dunes in the pine woods. It’s popular with cyclists but perfect for surfers too, offering stylish rooms in a sort of country lodge setting with a great onsite eatery on the side.
- OSoleMio Moliets – Sleeps up to six people, super close to the beach, got all the mod cons, great kitchen, and parking spaces. What more do you need?
- Résidence Odalys Bleu Ocean – Your usual family French campsite, with an on-site swimming pool and stylish, new apartment blocks with 2-4 bedrooms up for grabs. Good for families and in the summer.
A good way to search out well-located accom in Moliets is to use the Booking.com map. Basically you’re looking for somewhere that’s in the cluster of rentals to the west of Moliets main town, which gets you closer to the beaches and surf schools.
Surf lessons in Moliets
The Soonline surf school (or is it the Soon Line surf school?) are one of the most established schools in Moliets. They’ve been running lessons here since we can remember and have refined what they do to be good with pretty much everyone, especially families with kids!
You can book online in advance, which is something we’d highly reccomend for the summer,
They’ve got a few options, either a single lessons (around $40 a pop) or packages of multiple lessons that come in a bit cheaper and are a good way to really improve across your whole hol…
- 2-hour surf lesson with Soon Line – This the flagship offering from these guys. It’s an affordable, professionally run 2-hour lesson with on-sand practice and in-water training. All equipment included.
- 5 x Lessons with Soon Line Surf School – You can save nearly $15 per lesson by booking a bulk of five with Soon Line. You can then spread these out throughout your trip and pick up where you left off at the end of the last lesson.
When to surf in Moliets?
For us, the overall top time down here is autumn, when offshores combine with balmy evening days and good NW currents in the Bay of Biscay.
Moliets surf follows exactly the same pattern as the rest of this ever-popular Landes coast. Generally, that means big swells in winter and beginner stuff in summer. It’s very rare for the surf to close off completely, but there can be pancake flat stretches in summer if you’re unlucky.
Summer (June-August)
The waves are quieter in Moliets in the mid-summer but the crowds are booming. This is probably the best time for family surfers (and Moliets is a really great family surf option) because the local schools will all be open, and the weather’s usually good.
Conditions are fairly reliable but more advanced surfers might be waiting for those famous French barrels to come through until fall. Lots of crumbly mush for learning, though.
Bring sunblock! We can highly reccomend Suntribe stuff. It’s low in chemicals that are bad for the ocean, plus they offer our readers 10% off (code: Surfatlas10).
Autumn/Fall (Sept-Nov)
Our favorite season of all on the Moliets surf, autumn brings strong NW currents and regular groundswells. The sandbanks all up and down the Landes coast are firmly set after a quiet summer, so you know what waves are working best by this point.
Winds are often low in the morning and then onshore in the afternoon, so early sessions are key.
Winter (December-March)
Landes gets buffeted by the full hit of the Atlantic storm system in winter. It’s not necessarily a bad thing for the surf in Moliets, because those strong weather patterns can power up the breaks of Hossegor and Seignosse to barrel level regularly.
Rips are dangerous at this time, and the bigger days are best left to surfers who know what they’re doing.
Spring (April & May)
There’s some lovely surf in Moliets around the April/May time, as the main swell moves to come in from a NW position and the sandbanks settle after the winter storms. The period can be unpredictable, especially with changeable N and E winds.
Still, smaller crowds make it a good option for intermediate surfers in France.
Surf shops in Moliets
Moliets surf shops usually double as surf schools throughout the winter. You can drop in for the wax and the leash but also book a few lessons or quiz the locals on the top breaks, if they’re willing to tell, that is.
- Maa Surf Shop – Part school, part shop, the Maa Surf Shop is one of the best-known wave craft names in the town. It’s got a great line up of local teachers throughout the whole season, with surf internship weekends starting from €69. What’s more, they are official Rip Curl stockists and have a stack of foamies for sale to boot.
- Soonline – Soonline covers the trifecta of surf rental, surf tuition and skate tuition for when the waves aren’t working. They’ve got a great website where you can pre-book packages. Alternatively, look for them right by the main Plage de Moliets near the campsite.
Where to eat in Moliets?
Moliets isn’t a big town like, say, Biarritz or Hossegor, but it still has its fair share of enticing eateries. Check out the following three spots for that post-surf re-fuel. They are the ones we will go back to time and time again…
- Zoo Bar Tapas – Zoo Bar Tapas can get pretty buzzy on a summer’s evening after a surf session. The line up sort of shifts to the big outdoor area to glug cold beer and munch on tasty French-Spanish tapas dishes. We love this spot and it’s not just great for food – it’s also great for getting to know other folk on a surf trip to M-e-M.
- Zaz’Pizza – Zaz is, hands down, the best pizza in Moliets. Just don’t come expecting an Italian artisan thingy. This one’s a French twist on the dish – lots of cheese, lots of flavor. There’s a nice vibe and it’s close to the Airbnb and hotel rentals on the south side of the town.
- La Cagette – Date nights should be at La Cagette. It’s refined Euro-French cooking in a relaxed setting. Great service. One of the best new joints in town. Wine list is unrivaled.
We might use affiliate links in this post. Basically, you click em’ and we get a little something from your booking or purchase. They help us keep offering more and more in-depth surf guides to awesome places all around the globe. So, thanks for that!
