Bordeaux, a surfing city

Surfing in Bordeaux: spots, activities and community

Wave Surf Café: indoor surfing in the city center

The Wave Surf Café, located in Les Chartrons, remains a landmark in Bordeaux come rain or shine. It offers a year-round artificial wave for bodyboarding and urban surfing, with supervised sessions for beginners and advanced surfers, and an on-site bar-restaurant.

Alaïa Surf Café: surf flavors and culture on the banks of the Garonne

Located on Quai de Queyries, the Alaïa Surf Café offers a menu inspired by legendary surf spotssuch as Teahupo'o, Pipeline or Uluwatu. A river breeze, a cold beer and the spirit of the ocean is never far away.

Bordeaux Surf School: learn to surf from the city

The Bordeaux Surf School offers surf lessons from age 6, for all levels. Departure by Land Rover Defender from Bordeaux for Lacanau, with half-day or full-day outings on Saturdays.
  

Accessible, committed surfing

Some heart-warming initiatives that tell the story of how surfing brings together a confraternal, committed community:

• See Surf offers surfing for the visually impaired and blind.
• Surf Insertion introduces young people in difficulty to surfing and eco-citizenship.
• Vagdespoir develops handiglisses (surfing, kiteboarding, skateboarding..).

 How to get to the ocean from Bordeaux?

The surfing spirit is also about having a reduced carbon impact. So we favor public transport, carpooling and biking to get to our favorite surfing or paddling spot. Of course, on site, all types of boards will be available for hire at the various sites!

Bordeaux - Lacanau by bike

Bordeaux-Lacanau is now done by bikevia an impeccable cycle path, built on the route of an old railway line. It's a relative effort (no Alpe d'Huez or Mont Ventoux here!), but at the end of just over 60 km of voie verte, you'll be on your way to Lacanau-plage! From Bordeaux-centre you'll need around 5h30, passing through the Bruges marshes nature reserve

See the itinerary to reach Lacanau by bike

Take the bus to the ocean beaches

Every day, you have the opportunity to take a bus to reach 12 of the main ocean beaches. You can board the bus at Gare Saint-Jean, Buttinière, Place des Quinconces or CHU Pellegrin to reach the beach. Head for Soulac, Le Porge or Lège Cap Ferret, among other magical destinations, for sand, waves and great surfing spots!

Information, timetables, fares and tickets: transport in New Aquitaine

Surfers carpool

Don't forget the option co-voiturage! It's another solution for accessing beaches, and sharing the same passion for surfing and paddleboarding between carpoolers and carpoolers.... Blabla-car offers daily routes to most ocean sites. For the real buffs, there are Bordeaux surfer groups on facebook likeBordeaux Surf Covoiturage or Bordeaux Surf Connection where car-sharing sessions are organized!
 

Lakefront beach by streetcar or bus

Bordeaux-lac and Bègles-plage are spots for beachgoers just a few streetcar or bus stops from the city center. Two urban beaches where you can also try your hand at water sports such as sailing, paddle, canoé or pédalo. A little further afield, but still accessible by public transport, are the lakes of Lacanau, Biscarrosse, Sanguinet or Carcans. To the east, another atmosphere, in the Gironde moors, you can still swim in the lakes of Hostens.

Coming to Biscarrosse, Sanguinet, Parentis... / OT Bisca Grands Lacs
Domaines des Lacs d'Hostens / OT Sud Gironde

Go stand up and paddle right in town

The nautical club les Marins de la Lune has been promoting for several years: stand-up paddle, kayak, sailing, etc., on the Bordeaux waterfront, or surfing on the ocean. The Marins de la Lune association is part of the Darwin ecosystem and the club is housed at Chantiers de la Garonne.