France
Kerleven beach, located in La Forêt-Fouesnant in Southern Brittany, is a large stretch of fine sand one kilometer long at the bottom of La Forêt bay. Very sheltered from the prevailing winds, it offers a family-friendly setting with a sailing school in the center and a restaurant directly on the sand at the eastern end.
There are multiple access points, the main one coming from the Port-La-Forêt road, and the beach is supervised in July and August. Even in high season, the attendance remains reasonable despite the nearby campsites, with various water activities such as kitesurfing at the ends.
A local feature is the presence of green algae regularly collected at low tide, keeping the spot clean but slippery in some areas.
The wind data shown here comes from ERA5 (via Open-Meteo) over 4 years, reprocessed to reflect realistic conditions.
👉 Average wind has been calibrated to avoid the usual underestimation of models.
👉 Gusts have been corrected by a median ratio to avoid unrealistic extreme values.
👉 Each day is summarized by the median wind (P50) observed during useful hours (8am–8pm), then classified into wind ranges.
👉 The weighted mode mixes average wind and gusts to best reflect felt wind.
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flatKerleven beach is oriented facing south in a deep and well-protected bay, making it an ideal flat spot for kitesurfing, especially with winds from southwest to south-southeast arriving in side-on or side-shore from the ends. The navigation areas are mainly located at both ends of the beach to avoid the central supervised and family area, with easy access to the water on fine sand.
The water surface remains flat and protected from waves thanks to the natural shelter of Concarneau bay, perfect for learning or freestyle, particularly at low tide where the space is wider. Schools like Finistère Kite School or Kite Surf for All often operate with boat assistance from Port-La-Forêt for optimal progression regardless of wind orientation.
The launch area is clear at the ends, but care must be taken not to encroach on the central swimming area in summer. The wind is irregular in the southwest but consistent in the southeast, with typical strengths of 15-20 kts in season, making the spot accessible and safe for long sessions.
Ideal conditions are a wind from southwest to southeast between 15 and 25 kts, side-on, at low tide to maximize the flat space.
The water surface is generally flat and smooth, protected from ocean waves, with a clean bottom despite the cleaned algae. Ideal for calm sessions, even in moderate wind.
The currents are weak in the sheltered bay, but the significant tides in the region (coefficient up to 100) influence the water surface. Be cautious of changes during rising tide that reduce the navigation space.
Opt for sizes from 9 to 12 m² in typical conditions of 15-20 kts, smaller (7-9 m²) in strong gusty winds.
The wind regime is dominated by trade winds from southwest to southeast, with average strengths of 15-25 kts in gusts. There is no specific local name, but the spot works well with these side-shore directions, particularly stable in summer.
The climate in Southern Finistère is mild oceanic, with average temperatures of 10-15°C in winter and 18-25°C in summer. The seasons extend throughout the year for kitesurfing, but the months from April to November are the most pleasant with less rain and more sun.
The depth is gradual with a fine sandy bottom. You can stand up to about thirty meters from the shore at low tide.
Water temperatures range from 12-14°C in winter to 17-20°C in summer in this bay of Finistère.
