The Ultimate Guide to Saint Malo Surf
Saint Malo surf is about long beach breaks that get decent winter swell through the mouth of the English Channel. We say: Perfect first stop off the boats on a Brittany surf roadtrip.
An introduction to Saint Malo surf
Saint Malo is the pirate town of Brittany.
Once a stronghold of privateer corsairs who patrolled the English Channel striking fear into the Royal Navy and pretty much everyone else who passed their way, it’s famed for it’s colossal walls, which surround the old town and have done since the 12th century.
Look – it’s a great place to visit and an even better first pitstop in Brittany if you’re coming across the channel (Saint Malo has ferry links to the UK, the Channel Islands, and Ireland).
For surfing, it’s not the best in Brittany since the north-facing beaches lack a little exposure to the most reliable Atlantic swells. But it’s also not the worst, particularly for families, learners, and those who don’t mind mushier conditions.
The wide bay of Le Sillon is the mainstay spot. It runs all the way from the old town at the mouth of the Rance River to Le Pont, a headland to the east, offering all-level waves on an undaunting sandy bottom.
We’d look at Saint Malo as the initial spot in a longer Breton surf road trip. Roll off the ferry, try to look for some local waves, and if nothing’s on then there’s tons of pirate history, medieval sights, and seafood to enjoy before you breeze west to more consistent beaches like La Torche or Guidel.
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This guide is just one part of our complete guide to surfing in France and Brittany
Saint Malo surf at a glance
The good…
The bad…
What’s in this guide to Saint Malo?
Where is Saint Malo?
Saint Malo sits on a headland on the eastern side of the Rance River estuary close to the border between Normandie and Brittany. It faces north into the English Channel and looks east across to the neighboring town of Dinard, which you can reach in 20 minutes (by car) or by a cool sea bus thingy that goes across the water.
To get here, the ferry is best. We say that since we usually come over on the boats from the UK. There are direct links to Portsmouth and Plymouth (taking 7-8 hours).
The nearest airport to Saint Malo is Dinard Pleurtuit, which did have some good Ryanair connections last time we checked. Alternatively, Paris isn’t far, and neither is Rennes or Nantes.
A car of your own is very much a good idea for surfing in Brittany and Saint Malo as you won’t want to be limited to the city beaches here and getting to the best spots means having to drive. If you haven’t already sorted it, rent from RentalCars.com, who – we think – have some of the best deals in Europe…
Saint Malo surf spots
Saint Malo town actually fronts a really long beach break that’s great for all levels – that is, when it’s blessed with swell, which isn’t always.
You’ll need to drive further – around 2-3 hours more – to get to the proper good Breton beaches, places like Finisterre and La Torche and others.
However, Saint Malo is also near a few of the best spots in northern Brittany. We’ll take a look at all your options here…
Plage du Mihinic
Plage du Mihinic carries on from the northernmost end of Le Sillon beach. It’s a bit more west-facing than it’s compadre, so tends to get a bit more swell as the northern channels switch in the later spring and summer.
Being a bit further from the port and the town, it’s rarely as busy up this end and it’s a good spot to surf when winter E winds filter through as they are dead on offshore.
Plage Rochebonne
Rochebonne Beach tends to be a magnet for the local Saint Malo surf crews. They’re not a possessive bunch but will be out in force here if the swell is good, so you’ll need to work a bit harder for your waves.
The banks at Rochebonne are also a bit superior to Le Sillon if you ask us. With a light offshore wind they will hold shape nicer and give A-frame peaks with good, semi-long rides. There’s also a really fun right hander that works on the rocks right at the top end of the beach.
It’s a pretty place to nail some lines under the gaze of old Breton coast houses.
Le Sillon
By far the most important beach to know about, Le Sillon is the epicentre of the Saint Malo surf scene. It’s peppered with surf schools and surf hire shacks, running roughly northeast from the town center for around 2 miles in all.
The whole of the bay is sand-bottomed beach break from top to bottom. Just be aware that sets will change character as you move up and down the beach depending on the angle of the swell, plus how that swell is making it through the string of little rocky islets that you can see off the shore.
Generally speaking, the closer you head to the town the smaller the conditions will be. That’s a gift in the high winter when huge W swells are pumping up the English Channel. We’ve seen it happen that surfers tuck right into the rocks under the National Fort, where the dominant winter westerly winds are actually offshore!
Most of the time, swells are NWish. In the medium-size range, that will give Le Sillon the peaky beach break sets its known for. Best on a middle to high tide and always on the push, when there’s a bit of extra power. Low tide loves a complete close out.
There’s hardly ever localism here and it’s a fun place to surf.
Plage De Longchamp
Longchamps, as it’s known, is the main surf spot in the town of Saint Lunaire, west of Dinard and about 35 minutes’ drive from Saint Malo.
It can’t handle overhead waves at all but in the 5-7 foot range it’s a bit more challenging than anything on Le Sillon, with wally rides that are fast and steep.
Great for performance shortboarders in the peak winter months, especially as those E cold winds that come through so often are a little bit offshore.
Where to stay when surfing in Saint Malo?
Saint Malo is a BIG tourist draw for its pirate stories and cool old town. You won’t have a shortage of hotel options on Booking.com.
We’ve picked out a few that offer good proximity to the surf spots over the history sights…
- Le Grand Sillon – Le Georges – A big, roomy seafront apartment that’s prefect for up to groups of four who like having their own cooking space. It’s right on Le Sillon beach, which is handy for morning surfs.
- Les Charmettes – Lovely Les Charmettes is a good-looking Breton townhouse with real style. They have cozy rooms overlooking the main road just back from Le Sillon surf beach. Breakfasts are divine, décor is – as the name implies – charming.
When to surf in Saint Malo?
The best time to surf in Saint Malo is from the fall through the spring. Basically, the summers here can be notoriously flat and the beaches get super busy with swimmers and sunbathers between May and August, so that’s best avoided.
What you’re looking for is for the low-pressure winter storms passing through the northern Atlantic. That tends to start properly around October and carry on until March, when good long-fetch groundswells start to slacken.
Wind is the main problem throughout the peak season, but easterlies, which are common enough in the depths of winter, can actually be offshore here, helping to groom the bigger swells in to big open faces to rip up.
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!
