Surf Guidel – The Ultimate Guide to Brittany’s Learner Haven
Beginners and learners and families are the ones who come to surf Guidel in the summer months. It’s one of the best places to start out on the Breton coast, with protected waves and great surf schools.
An introduction to Guidel
When we talk about surfing in Guidel, we’re actually talking about surfing in Guidel Plage. It’s the smaller beachside commune that’s linked to Guidel town by a single road that runs alongside the sandy edges of the La Laita river.
It’s a charming little spot that comes into its own in the summer months with escapees from Brest, Paris and beyond.
A sea of undulating dunes rises beside the estuary on one side, while little mosaics of rock reef ring the high cliffs on the other.
In the middle of it all, is the wide, wide Plage de la Falaise. That’s where most of the surfing takes place, on a tide that opens a huge beachfront and loads of sandbar waves that get excellent protection from the biggest NW swells and strong E winds.
Mhmm…this is arguably Brittany’s best beginner location.
If you’re looking to surf with the little ones, have never been in the water on a board before, or just love small-wave surfing, Guidel could be what you’ve been searching for.
The town is loaded with campsites, top-rated surf schools (many of which are seasoned with younger ages) and fine family hotels. Most are within walking distance of the beach, rentals are a cinch to organize, and it’s good vibes only in the water.
You can also venture out to some more heavy local reef spots to push the boundaries, over on Plage des Kaolins or along the more exposed Quiberon Peninsula (which is only a drive away and truly beautiful for scenery and surf alike).
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!
This guide is just one part of our complete guide to surfing in France and surfing in Brittany
Guidel surf at a glance
The good…
The bad…
What’s in this guide to Guidel surf?
Where is Guidel Plage?
Guidel Plage is on the mouth of the Laita River in southern Brittany. It’s connected to the town that gives it its name – Guidel – by 4km of road. The nearest major town is lorient, which is about 20 minutes’ drive to the east.
We’d highly recommend brining your own car here – the ferry ports of Saint Malo and Roscoff provide good access to drivers coming from the UK (they are about 2-3 hours’ drive through the heart of rural Brittany to the north.
Alternatively, fly into one of the regional hubs (Rennes, Nantes, and Rennes) and rent your wheels. We tend to use RentalCars.com for ours just cos’ we like that they often offer cancellation up to 48 hours before for no charge.
Guidel surf spots
Guidel has it’s one main beach, which is the spot it’s famous for on account of how good it is for begginers.
But there are one or two beaches and reefs within a 20-minute drive that are also worth a mention because they come with more challenging waves that are good options for when you bore of the learner spots or are in a mixed-ability group.
Plage de la Falaise (Guidel Plage)
Super-wide Guidel Plage (also known as the Plage de la Falaise) is the main beach right in front of town. It’s perfect for complete beginners and learners since it gets some of the best protection from the cliffs to the west and the east of the beach of any wider bay in the region.
Best conditions are at low-low tide up to a mid tide, when the water is nice and low and there’s more space between the rocks to the east and the rivermouth, which is where you find some rips. Basically, the location of the beach means that the strong NW swells in the Atlantic need to work a bit harder to sneak their way around the headlands of northern Brittany.
They lose size and power in the process and it’s typically sets no higher than your chest aplenty. There will be days in the winter when the rest of the Breton coast is pumping and blown out when there will be head-high wedges rolling in here, and that’s when the local crews will swap places with the surf schools to have fun.
Generally, though it’s a top beach for starting out with surfing.
Plage du Loch
Plage du Loch is the perfect place to graduate to once you’ve gotten a bit of confidence courtesy of lessons on the main beaces of Guidel Plage.
There’s a bit more exposure here and the banks can produce waves that are a touch punchier and more powerful, but it’s usually very much still within the lower-intermediate/learner range on swells between 3 and 7 foot.
On heavy winter days with an E wind, the spot can be excellent up to about 9 foot but will close out after that. Summer and fall can produce fun sandbank rides that are hotdogging waves for shortboarders and more cruisy and trimmable waves on the log.
Plage du Loch is one headland around from Guidel Plage – it’s about 3-5 minutes in the car.
Plage des Kaolins
Remoter Plage des Kaolins offers something a bit more challenging – we’ve heard of families splitting up so that the groms can play on Guidel’s main plage and the more advanced dads and mums come here for a session to get their ripping in. However you do it, this wave is kinda’ tricky.
It works on a low tide when the water peels off a reef at one end of the bay and will give a very cool barrel when it’s at its best.
Quiberon
The Quiberon Peninsula is a long finger that juts out of southern Brittany. It’s pretty fricking gorgeous to be honest, so come here for dramatic coastlines and…
Some lovely west-facing surf beaches that get real good in autumn and spring, either side of the stormy winter. The best is probably Port Bara, which has a wedgey A-frame peak in the middle with hollowed out lefts.
Read our full guide to surfing in Quiberon right here
Where to stay when surfing in Guidel?
Guidel Plage has a nice amount of hotels within eyeshot and earshot of the main beach, plus a good clutch of spots within the town center. Generally speaking, they are aligned to family visitors, with many offering self-catering facilities and larger living spaces.
- Maisonnette de charme – Refaite à neuf – Vue mer – This cozy bolthole has a garden that opens onto the clifftops. Sit and have lunch with a view of the main beach and the rolling surf. It’s perfect for a couple or a small family. Sleeps up to four with the sofa bed in use.
- The cottage of Guidel – A touch further back from the beach, this charming cottage is a good setup for a family since it has a double bedroom and another with two singles. There’s a small grassy garden and an outdoor shower for washing down boards and wetsuits.
- Bel Appartement 11 – If you like to get away from it all and are looking for more intermediate waves, this hidden apartment complex with a pool, tennis courts, and access to du Loch beach could be the perfect thing.
You also might want to check out our complete guide to the best surf camps in France. There aren’t all that many options in Brittany but it’s something worth considering if you don’t want the hassle of planning every little bit of your surf trip yourself.
Surf lessons in Guidel
Guidel is a GREAT place to book surf lessons. It has some of the best-rated schools in the Brittany region as a whole (perhaps only La Torche can match its offering).
You can either go for a single taster lesson – typically 1.5-2 hours of on-sand and in-water practice – or book a full course.
Pre-booking is wise for the summer months.
- YouSurf X Lastage – A local surf shop in Guidel has partnered with local teachers to provide affordable surfing packages. Starting at approximately $40, you can enjoy a 1.5-hour introductory session that includes essential warm-ups on the beach, info on surf etiquette, and practical stuff in the water. They’re highly rated for mixed ability family groups, so are a great choice if you’re on hols.
When to surf in Guidel?
You can surf Guidel any time of the year. However, summer tends to bring much smaller waves that are better for beginners while winters are better for those looking for bigger sets.
The main season here lasts from May to August, but that’s governed by the French and UK holidays rather than the surf conditions. Being the learner mecca of Brittany means that most people look for the smaller swells of the season and that means the summer months. Beaches will tend to be at their busiest at this time and hotel rates at their highest.
A good sweet spot is the time between September and November, when the weather can still be nice and the water relatively warm, though the Atlantic starts offering some heavier storm swells and long-period groundswell that can work brilliantly on beaches like du Loch.
The winter is a better time for more advanced surfers. There’s hardly a day between November and March that doesn’t have surf here, though wind is key: NE is generally best for southern Brittany, though you can drive west to find bays where offshores range from west to south.
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!
