Plage de Pampelonne (Gros Vallat)
France · Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur
Pampelonne beach, located in Ramatuelle near Saint-Tropez, is a vast stretch of fine sand 5 kilometers long. It is a spot known for its luxurious setting and turquoise waters, popular with kitesurfers at the beginning and end of the season.
The Gros Vallat area offers a more specific space for practice, with an atmosphere that blends relaxation and kite sessions. Locals enjoy the windy conditions outside the summer season.
Surrounded by dunes and legendary beach clubs, it attracts both riders and sunbathers, but kiting is limited to certain periods.
Historical averages by month — not a live forecast.
The spot mainly works with East wind (Levant), which comes in side-on from the sea on the northern part of the beach. This is where you need to position yourself to ride, with a sometimes technical launch due to waves and the road just behind.
The riding area extends over the northern part, wide and spacious for maneuvers, but be careful not to overflow into swimming areas or surf schools. Launching takes place on the wide sand, ideal for inflations, but in summer it is forbidden for kiting due to the crowd.
In winter, the water surface deepens with small waves perfect for strapless, especially with strong West Mistral in side-on. Tides have little influence on launching, but always check the allowed areas. Talk to locals before launching to avoid wind shadows or hidden shallows.
Sources :coteazur.me · mfkite.com · thespot2be.com · unplug-kitesurf.com
Open Windguru forecast