Chase the Wind, Ride the Waves: Discover France’s Ultimate Kitesurfing Destinations
ORGANISE YOUR TRIP | OUR FAVOURITE KITESURF SPOTS | FEATURED VIDEO | KITESURFING GALLERY
The moment you arrive at the beach, surrounded by sand, water, sun and wind, you know you’re in your element! Kitesurfing has exploded in popularity in recent years. And it’s little wonder when you consider it’s relatively easy to learn, amazing fun, keeps you fit and takes you to some of the world’s most beautiful destinations.
Organise Your Kitesurf Trip
Once you’ve chosen the perfect destination for your ability and style of kitesurfing, you need to organise your accommodation, airport transfers, kitesurf rental and lessons. We’ve got your back. We work with the best companies in the industry to help you organise an unforgettable kiteboarding trip.
Kitesurf Spot Guides
Check out the best spots on France’s Med Coast for your next kitesurfing holiday.
Kitesurf Lessons
Learn to kitesurf in France with passionate English speaking instructors.
Campsites
Camp near the beach within walking distance of France’s best kitesurf spots. Park your van, pitch a tent, or rent a mobile home.
Airport Transfers
Our airport transfers partners provide great value and reliable transfers to French kitesurf destinations.
Campervan Rental
Rent a campervan and enjoy the ultimate kitesurf roadtrip!
The Best Kitesurf Spots in France
Here’s a selection of our favourite places to go kitesurfing on France’s Mediterranean coast. See all kitesurf spots.
l’Espiguette
L’Espiguette is an excellent spot to learn to kitesurf with plenty of space along the huge beach.
Lac de Serre Ponçon
Lac de Serre Ponçon has ultra-reliable wind, warm water and a spectacular setting.
France – a world-class kitesurfing destination
In France, there are hundreds of kitesurfing spots along the Mediterranean and Atlantic coastlines. The south of France gets two strong northwesterly winds; the Mistral and the Tramontana, which can kick in at any time but are most consistent in winter and spring. In summer, southerly thermals kick in around lunchtime making for some unforgettable late afternoon sessions. Each April, Leucate hosts the Mondial du Vent kitesurf event which sees the world’s best kitesurfers battle it out in optimum conditions just metres from the beach.
Learning to Kitesurf in France
Unlike learning to windsurf where you can spend hours dragging the sail out of the water, with kitesurfing you can progress quickly from total beginner to aspiring intermediate. Despite the fact that when you’re starting out you drop your kite occasionally, you’ll quickly get that magic sensation of skimming across the water.
However, kitesurfing can be dangerous and to stay safe you need to make sure you take some lessons with a qualified kitesurf instructor. There are lots of good kitesurf schools across France offering introductory lessons and multi-day courses. Sign up for a course, get the basics nailed down and then practice, practice, practice. Basically, get as much time out on the water as you can after your beginner course.
With a bit of practice, you can start doing a few jumps and before long you’ll be blasting along and launching skywards. The sky really is the limit. The beauty of kitesurfing is that you can make continuous incremental progress in every aspect of the sport.
Travelling kitesurfer Johannes Völkner remembers of a joke amongst the windsurfing community:
What’s the difference between a kitesurf beginner and a pro?” The answer: “One week”
Johannes Völkner
Obviously, it’s not that easy but with a bit of effort (and a sprinkling of natural talent/tenacity) you can be confidently kitesurfing and staying up wind within a week to ten days.
Watch This: Strapless Kitesurfing in France.
Kitesurfing Insider
Le Jaï local Yann Chouard gives us the lowdown on his local spot and how he got into kiteboarding.
When and how did you discover the Le Jaï?
It was early 2012 and a neighbour was drying his kites outside. I asked him what they were and the next day he took me with him to Le Jaï. I tried kitesurfing and right from the very beginning I was hooked. Since then, I’ve dropped my other passions including paragliding even though I know I’ll pick them up again at some stage. And since then, I come to Le Jaï as often as I can. Evening after work sessions are my favourite if for no other reason than the amazing sunsets.
What advice would you give to someone wanting to kite Le Jaï for the first time?
I would actually advise people to be very careful. The wind can be extremely strong and there have been several accidents. It’s not unpredictable though and you just need a bit of common sense. Always keep an eye on the horizon and if you see a storm brewing, it’s time to come in. Don’t put your kite up if you have a doubt about your ability relative to the conditions, and respect the designated kiting zone.
What do you think are the optimum conditions for the spot?
In my opinion, a good strong south-easterly on a nice sunny day is hard to beat. But I also like it when there’s 30 knots of Mistral as generally when it’s like that I have the spot to myself!
Kitesurfing France Insta Gallery
Tag your Instagram kitesurfing pics and clips @ultimatefrance to be featured here!
Ultra-reliable wind, warm water and a spectacular setting - this is kiting on the Lac de Serre Ponçon in the southern French Alps
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#kitesurfing #mountainlake #mistral #frenchalps #france #ultimatefrance
@kai_lenny towing in off a SUP at La Nord, Hossegor.
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Repost @frostfireshq
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#surf #surfing #surfer #bigwave #bigwavesurfing #surfers #surfin #kitesurf #surfboard #surfinguk #surfinglife #wsl #worldsurfleague #hossegor #france
This is what happens when you throw kiteloops in 58 knot gusts..!
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Rider @antoine_clerc #kitesurfing
Please leave a comment below if you need specific advice for your kitesurf trip to France, or if you have any recommendations to help us improve this page. Happy holidays!