Map › France › Bretagne — Isthme de Penthievre to Petite Mer de Gavres › Isthme de Penthievre
Bretagne · Presqu'ile de Quiberon · Morbihan · Saint-Pierre-Quiberon
Isthme de Penthievre
also known as Stop Andouille, Penthievre, Saint-Pierre-Quiberon, Penthièvre, Penthièvre Baie
Nearby Plage des Sables Blancs 3 km · Grande Plage de Carnac 5 km · Plage de Sainte-Barbe 6 km · Plage de Kerhillio 8 km · Petite Mer de Gavres 21 km · Plage de la Falaise 38 km · straight-line distance
When it fills in
No onset time is published for this spot.
The wind
Direction
Kite sizes
metres · typical quiver highlighted
Character
mixed
Typical strength
Rideable once the wind exceeds 10 knots; no typical range is documented.
The quiver, in words
Indicative only, with no wind statistics published for the isthmus and no local kite-size survey: a 75-85 kg rider on a twin-tip is on 12 m for a light 14-17 knot bay day, 9-10 m at 20-24 knots, and 7-8 m when a spring or autumn depression pushes past 27 knots.Foilers get useful days on the bay well below that. Sizes on the ocean side run smaller for the same reading because there is swell to deal with.
Direction to shore
The bay faces east, so winds from southeast round through east to northeast come in cross-shore to onshore on that side and the water stays sheltered from swell. West-sector winds are offshore on the bay; you cross the isthmus to the west-facing ocean beach, where the same wind is onshore. That short walk is the whole logic of the spot.
Dominant direction
N, NE, E, SE, S
Forecast
Month by month
- Jan57
- Feb60
- Mar76
- Apr62
- May66
- Jun59
- Jul65
- Aug59
- Sep56
- Oct66
- Nov72
- Dec71
per cent of the month at force 4 or more
- 15Jan11°
- 14Feb10°
- 16Mar11°
- 14Apr13°
- 12May15°
- 12Jun18°
- 13Jul17°
- 12Aug18°
- 13Sep18°
- 14Oct17°
- 17Nov15°
- 15Dec12°
avg knots per month · water °C below · season highlighted
| Month | Force 4+ | Knots | From | Air | Water |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 57% | 14.5 kt | WSW | 7.3°C | 10.7°C |
| Feb | 60% | 14.1 kt | W | 8.8°C | 10.3°C |
| Mar | 76% | 15.9 kt | SW | 9.9°C | 11.1°C |
| Apr | 62% | 13.6 kt | W | 11.2°C | 12.5°C |
| May | 66% | 12.4 kt | NNE | 14.7°C | 15.2°C |
| Jun | 59% | 12 kt | W | 17.8°C | 17.6°C |
| Jul | 65% | 12.6 kt | W | 18.6°C | 16.8°C |
| Aug | 59% | 12 kt | WNW | 19.3°C | 18.1°C |
| Sep | 56% | 12.8 kt | WSW | 17.3°C | 18°C |
| Oct | 66% | 14.3 kt | SSW | 15.2°C | 17.2°C |
| Nov | 72% | 16.9 kt | W | 11.9°C | 14.5°C |
| Dec | 71% | 15.4 kt | WSW | 8.8°C | 11.9°C |
modelled
A weather model's cell over this place, not a station on it. Good for comparing places, weaker for one beach.
Modelled from weather reanalysis on a 10–25 km grid (2022-2024), not a ground station: reliable for trade and synoptic winds, understates thermal sea breezes and valley winds. The typical daily max and the direction are columns of the table above, month by month. Highlighted months are the riding season from the spot record.
ERA5 reanalysis grid point (modelled) · Open-Meteo historical weather API — ECMWF ERA5/ERA5-Land reanalysis, not a ground station · 2022-2024
The water
Type
bay-side tidal flat / nearby ocean beach
Standing depth
Bay side is shallow and reportedly standing depth throughout, calm enough for a first lesson in an east wind; no measured depth range has been published. The usable window is mid- to low tide. At high water the bay-side strip goes under and the beach disappears completely, which is when riders move north to Sables Blancs.
Tides
Mid- to low tide, on both the Stop Andouille bay side and Penthièvre beach.
Temperature
17.4°C summer · 10.1°C winter
Wetsuit
Summer shorty or light full suit; winter thick full suit with cold-water accessories.
Your level
The scene
What riders come here for
Launch and rules
three ways on to the water, and what each one asks of you
With a school or a boat
4 schools name this spot
On your own
Room to launch: Plenty of sand, but the bay side is tide-dependent and in high season you launch and enter the water only in the regulated zones.
Somewhere else
Plage des Sables Blancs, 3 km
Every spot within 40 km is on the map at the top of this page, with its distance under it.
Rescue
Launch
Bay-side launch on the narrow Penthièvre isthmus, the Stop Andouille sector, with parking by the municipal campsite; the ocean-side Penthièvre beach is a few minutes away across the neck for west winds. The bay strip is tide-governed and vanishes at high water, so the fallback at full tide is Sables Blancs to the north.Penthièvre is shared water, bathing zone and nautical activities in the same space, and the summer zoning is marked on the beach.
Space
Plenty of sand, but the bay side is tide-dependent and in high season you launch and enter the water only in the regulated zones.
Rules & access
Access rules drift faster than anything else we hold — check locally, and propose an edit if this has changed.
Rider tips
- Bay side in east-sector wind, ocean side in west-sector wind; stay inside whichever zone is marked for that side.
- Wear booties in the bay-side shallows: oyster shells and oyster parks.
- Ride the low-tide window, three hours either side of low water; high tide is off limits under the 2025 order.
- Read the current Saint-Pierre-Quiberon municipal arrêté before a high-season session; outside high season every beach is open but keep 50 m from swimmers.
- If the tide has filled the bay strip and there is nowhere left to land, drive north to Sables Blancs rather than squeezing a launch onto what is left.
- Lifeguards on this commune work 13:00 to 19:00 in July and August only, so an early or late session is unwatched.
Getting there
Route
From Vannes take the N165 west to Auray, then the D768 southwest toward Plouharnel and Penthièvre; the isthmus is at the narrow entrance to the Quiberon peninsula. In summer the Tire-Bouchon train stops at the isthmus.
Staying
Penthièvre and Saint-Pierre-Quiberon have hotels, restaurants and camping; no kite-specific accommodation.
No-wind days
Quiberon peninsula beaches · Côte Sauvage viewpoints · Carnac · coastal cycling or walking
Photos
FAQ
Is Isthme de Penthièvre suitable for beginners?
The bay side is described locally as shallow and calm, useful for initiation when east-sector wind is present, though the spot is also used for freeride and freestyle.
What is the wind like?
East-sector winds work on the bay side, while west-sector winds require using the ocean side of the isthmus instead.
Are there hazards to know about?
The bay side has a dyke, oyster shells and oyster parks, and riding is tide-dependent around mid to low water.
Are there rules or restricted zones?
During the cited 2025 high season (29 May to 11 September), regulated zones apply at Penthièvre and aero-traction sports are forbidden on the bay in front of the south end of Camping de Penthièvre and its parking.
Last updated: August 2026