Port-Saint-Louis, Camargue

1. 

   Pointe de la Gracieuse

   flat · cross-shore

   Pointe de la Gracieuse, also written They de la Gracieuse, is the 6 km sand spit that shelters the Golfe de Fos side of Port-Saint-Louis-du-Rhone, and the water behind it is flat, roughly 1 to 1.5 m deep and empty.

   beginnerintermediateadvancedRoom to rig: huge

   Everything on Pointe de la Gracieuse →

2. 

   Plage du Cavaou

   sea

   Cavaou (the old Toro-Plage) is the big sand beach at Fos-sur-Mer, with the petrochemical port behind you and ships at anchor in front.

   intermediateadvanced

   Everything on Plage du Cavaou →

3. 

   Carteau

   flat

   Carteau is the flat-water bay of Port-Saint-Louis-du-Rhone, the Fos industrial port on the skyline, and it is a heavily used regional learning spot.

   beginnerintermediateadvanced

   Everything on Carteau →

• Marseille Provence (MRS), ~45min

Kite bag rules for your airline

Type the carrier you are flying: what it charges for a kite bag, and the year of the policy that says so.

Checked so far for France:easyJetRyanairAir FranceTransavia

Every carrier, with limits and what riders report at the counter →

The tag says how far the riders who mention it agree; the figure is how many mention it.

1. La Gracieuse costs you the access - either a 15-20 minute walk from Plage Napoleon or a boat across from Carteau or Port Napoleon - and that toll is exactly what keeps the sandbank empty

   consensus4 riders

2. Nobody comes here for the view - refinery stacks and tankers sit behind the water, and that is stated plainly rather than apologised for

   consensus3 riders

3. The breakwater is the whole point of the place - behind it there is a long stretch of genuinely flat water with room to spread out, and the spot rarely feels busy even on the good days

   majority3 riders

4. There is junk in and around the water - tyres set in concrete, metal boxes, a capsized boat, a fishing boat aground for years - enough that clearing it has been raised with the town hall, and enough that wrecks have become part of the spot's identity

   majority3 riders

5. The Mistral does not hand out odd windy hours here - once it is in the forecast it tends to run four or five days straight, under clear skies, which is why people plan trips around the forecast rather than the calendar

   majority2 riders

• Plan exits carefully if wind is forecast to drop, since access is remote
• Access via Carteau by boat (~10 min) with local schools (e.g. KAP) rather than the long walk
• Best in N/W/WSW winds; avoid when wind is S/SE/E

Things we could not verify. If you have ridden here, you can help.