MapFranceGrau-du-Roi, CamargueL'EspiguetteGrau-du-Roi, Camargue

L'Espiguette

Occitania · Camargue - Grau-du-Roi · Gard · Le Grau-du-Roi

also known as Pointe de l'Espiguette, Plage de l'Espiguette, Port Camargue - Espiguette

Part of Grau-du-Roi, Camargue →

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

beginner-friendlyhigh crowds

On this page

The spot
Wind
Forecast
Month by month
Water
Level
The scene
Launch
Schools
Tips
Getting there
Photos
FAQ

Riding essentials

Season

Apr–Oct

Months riders and schools name

How windy

10-16 kt

Character: mixed

Room to launch

huge

access rules on record, below

Water

mixed

24 °C in summerSandy open-sea beach

Hazards

Reported by riders

Level

Beginner to advanced

With a caveat: see Your level

BeginnerIntermediateAdvanced

Crowds

high crowds · busy Jul Aug

Schools

named at this spot

From the airport

25 min

Méditerranée Airport (MPL)

When it fills in

The southwest thermal builds from around midday into the early afternoon on sunny anticyclonic days and can hold into the evening; it is a May-to-September pattern. Tramontane and Mistral episodes are synoptic and can blow at any hour, including overnight.

Nearbystraight-line distance

Backup spotsWhere riders go when the wind doesn't work here.

Pointe de la Gracieuse
Plage Sud / Port K, Port Camargueno page yet
Le Boucanetno page yet
Étang du Ponantno page yet
La Grande-Motteno page yet
Étang d'Ingril

The spot

L'Espiguette is the official kite beach for Le Grau-du-Roi and Port Camargue, and it sits on a protected Natura 2000 dune coast rather than in front of a resort frontage. The draw is space: about 10 km of undeveloped sand, with the kite area a 500-600 m walk from the parking.

Wind

Three winds work it. The SW thermal comes up from May and is the everyday one, NW Tramontane and Mistral episodes are the strong ones, and S-SE Marin arrives on low-pressure days with more swell than the sheltered beaches inside the gulf. In moderate thermal the water is shallow and sandy and forgiving, which is why the schools are here; in a hard Tramontane it goes choppy and wavy and stops being a teaching beach.

Season and planning

July and August are regulated and crowded, because the swimming zones and kite channels are marked and every school in the area uses the same official strip. Outside those two months it is the most open, natural-feeling launch on this stretch of the Camargue. Choose your kite at the car, because it is a long way back through hot sand.

The wind

locals call it Thermique de Sud-Ouest, Tramontane, Mistral, Marin

Direction

cross-onSW thermal in summer

Direction to shore

cross-on

Dominant direction

SW thermal in summer; NW/NNW Tramontane-Mistral episodes mainly outside summer; S to SE Marin in low-pressure/sea-wind setups.

Kite sizes

4567891011121314151617

metres · typical quiver highlighted

The quiver, in words

Kite sizingFor a 75-85 kg rider on a twintip:13-15 m for the 10-16 kt southwest thermal,10-12 m once it pushes 15-18 kt,9-10 m at 18-22 kt,7-9 m at 22-27 kt,and 5-7 m in a hard Tramontane at 27-35 kt.The thermal is the everyday wind, so the big kite gets the most use and the small ones come out for the winter northwesterlies. Because it is a 15-20 minute walk from the car to the water, pick the kite before you leave the parking rather than planning to change.

Character

mixed

When it fills in: see above ↑

Average strength

The site average is often given as 22 kt. Treat it as unconfirmed: there are no station statistics for Le Grau-du-Roi/Camargue to check it against, and the everyday summer thermal sits well below that figure.

Typical strength

The southwest thermal commonly runs 10-16 kt from May onward on sunny anticyclonic days, and is sometimes given as high as 15-22 kt. Tramontane from the northwest is the strong-wind regime at roughly 20-35 kt, and a 25 kt-plus Mistral shows up about every two to four weeks.

SW thermal is regular and side-onshore; NW/Tramontane can be good but stronger days become choppy, wavy and technical; E wind is offshore at the kite area and should be avoided, while NE is weak because of limited land fetch.

The reliable southwest thermal starts in May and reaches about 10-16 kt on sunny anticyclonic days. Summer is the regulated and busiest stretch, partly because the nearby resort beaches restrict kiting and everyone ends up on this beach.

Autumn through spring brings more Tramontane and Mistral, and more low-pressure Marin. No wind statistics exist for the Le Grau-du-Roi/Camargue station, so the live forecast is all you have.

Forecast

Live forecast

Windguru Windfinder Windy

Month by month

riding season from the spot record · the wind series here holds no strength figure

No month-by-month share of windy days is held for this spot. The months riders and schools name are Apr, May, Jun, Sep, Oct, Jul, Aug.

Measured at Le Grau-Du-Roi (candidate), ~5 km from the spot.

How this was measuredmeasured

The source named below holds no month-by-month figure for this place, so no season is drawn from it. The season is the one the spot record names.

Highlighted months are the riding season from the spot record.

Le Grau-Du-Roi (candidate) · Windfinder

The water

Type

mixed

Standing depth

Shallow sandy water over a good distance; riders can touch bottom until nearly 200 m out, with sandbanks farther offshore.

Tides

Very small Mediterranean tide; Le Grau-du-Roi tide listings for late August/September 2026 show typical daily ranges of roughly 0.1-0.3 m on Tide-Forecast and Tidechecker, though some SHOM-derived listings show about 0.2 m around Port Camargue.

Temperature

24 °C summer · 13 °C winter

Wetsuit

Shorts or shorty in summer; shorty/3-2 mm in spring and autumn; thicker full suit in winter.

Currents

A slight longshore current, reportedly. It gets stronger when the Rhône is in flood or after heavy rain.

Conditions

Sandy open-sea beach. Water is generally calm to slightly choppy in moderate winds, with waves building in stronger Tramontane/Westerly conditions and more pronounced swell than the inner Gulf of Aigues-Mortes during Marin sea wind. It is not a flat-water freestyle lagoon.

Your level

BeginnerIntermediateAdvanced

The schools work here because the beach is huge, there is nothing to hit and the water stays shallow a long way out. Beginners should still keep away from strong Tramontane, offshore easterly setups, heavy shorebreak and the July-August mix of school groups and swimmers unless they are supervised.

The scene

What riders come here for

wavesfreerideintermediatefoilwingfoillong tacks

Who it suitslearning

Spacious and less urban than the resort beaches, but the official summer kite zone concentrates schools, independent riders, swimmers nearby and some boats; outside high summer it is much easier-going.

Launch and rules

three ways on to the water, and what each one asks of you

With a school or a boat

6 schools name this spot

See who they are

On your own

Room to launch: huge

Read the access rules

Somewhere else

6 spots nearby

All 6 spots within 40 km are under Nearby

Rescue

VHF channel 16

Rescue — full text1 min read

The Pointe de l'Espiguette first-aid post is staffed by SNSM lifeguards in peak season only, 27 June to 30 August 2026, 11:00-18:30; outside that window the beach is unwatched, and it is a long way from anywhere.

Channel no. 6, the motorised access channel, is marked 450 m south of that post. Schools work with their own safety boats and put students on radio. At sea, alert on 196 or VHF channel 16 to CROSS MED La Garde; on land, 112. There is no kite-specific rescue for independent riders.

Launch

Official kite area on a very wide sandy beach, reached by walking roughly 500-600 m or 15-20 minutes from the Baronnets/Espiguette parking through the dunes; the launch area is marked by a sports-aérotractés/kite sign and by seasonal buoy zoning.

Hazards riders report 12 reported

Wind

North and east-sector winds are turbulent or offshore here; check the beach orientation before you launch.
East wind is offshore at the authorized kite area and should not be ridden; north-east is weak and disturbed by limited land fetch.

Crowds and zones

Seasonal swimmer zone and yellow buoy line; do not cross into the bathing area in summer.
Long 500-600 m sand walk from parking to kite zone; choose gear before leaving the car.
Boats may be moored near the shore in summer.
Parking height barrier of about 2 m.

Waves and currents

shorebreak/wind swell on onshore days
Strong Tramontane can create bigger waves and a technical sea state.
Slight longshore current, stronger current possible when the Rhône is in flood or after heavy rainfall.

Protected areas and rules

protected dune vegetation - stay on marked paths
Protected dunes and Natura 2000 habitat; stay on marked paths and avoid dune vegetation.

Other

remote sections of beach are less patrolled

Rules & access

1 min read

2026: the Pointe de l'Espiguette bathing zone is supervised 27 June to 30 August, 11:00-18:30, by an SNSM post; the town runs eight posts and around 60 seasonal lifeguards across six supervised zones.

Navigation rules

Prefectural order no. 144/2022 of 25 May 2022 governs navigation, anchoring and speed sports inside the 300 m strip at Le Grau-du-Roi and replaced order no. 147/2021. It creates five shore access channels, 20 m wide and 300 m long, reserved for registered and motorised craft, limited to 5 knots, for direct transit only, with no riding, no stopping and no anchoring inside them. Channel no. 6 sits 450 m south of the Espiguette rescue post and widens to 40 m beyond the clean-mooring zone.

Return to shore

Unregistered craft, kites included, may return to shore under the conditions set by the municipal balisage order, identified in the 2022 prefectural text as no. 21-04-09 of 12 April 2022, which supersedes the older 18.01.08. The municipal balisage plan marks a dedicated shore-departure zone for kites.

Recent municipal orders

A further municipal order, REGL 26-07-04, regulating uses of the beach and the maritime public domain, was filed with the prefecture on 3 July 2026, and its articles are unconfirmed because the text is published as a scan.

Seasonal kite area

From 15 April to 15 October the kite area at Espiguette is marked by buoys and signage, on the left as you reach the water, and kept separate from the bathing areas.

Parking

2026 parking at Baronnets/Espiguette: EUR7/day for cars (2026), EUR3 for motorcycles (2026), EUR15 for camping-cars and caravans (2026), EUR4 reduced after 16:30 (2026). A height barrier of about 2 m guards the lot.

Access rules drift faster than anything else we hold — check locally, and propose an edit if this has changed.

Schools that ride here

Rider tips

Park at the RD255 lot near the Espiguette lighthouse and pack light: it is 500-600 m, or 15-20 minutes through sand, to the kite zone.
Choose your kite at the car. Walking back for a different size costs you half an hour.
For learning, take the southwest thermal days from May onward and stay off strong Tramontane and offshore easterly setups unless you are with a school.
In summer, rig only inside the marked kite area and keep clear of the yellow-buoy bathing zones and the school groups.
Check your van height before you arrive; the parking barrier is about 2 m.
For flatter water in a strong north-west Tramontane, go to Plage Sud / Port K instead. And remember the lifeguard post only exists from late June to the end of August: the rest of the year this is an empty beach a long walk from help.

Getting there

Airport

Montpellier Méditerranée Airport (MPL)

Route

By car, follow Le Grau-du-Roi / Port Camargue, then Route de l'Espiguette toward the Baronnets/Espiguette parking and walk 500-600 m through sand to the kite area. Public transport is possible to Le Grau-du-Roi by train/bus via Nîmes or Montpellier, but the final beach access is still awkward with kite gear.

Transfer

25 min

Cost level

mid

Staying

Camping de l'Espiguette and UCPA Kite Camp sit by the site with access to the beach/spot; Le Grau-du-Roi and Port Camargue have resort apartments, hotels and campsites nearby.

No-wind days

Seaquarium at Le Grau-du-Roi, the restored Phare de l'Espiguette and museum, cycling the ViaRhôna/Camargue routes, Aigues-Mortes ramparts and Salins du Midi, Camargue nature/bird outings.

Photos

FAQ

When is the best time to kite at L'Espiguette?

The southwest thermal is reliable from May onward, commonly 10-16 knots on sunny days, with occasional stronger Tramontane or Mistral episodes outside summer.

Is L'Espiguette suitable for beginners?

Yes, local schools use the huge, obstacle-free, shallow sandy beach for teaching, though strong Tramontane and the crowded July-August period call for more caution.

What is the wind like?

A side-onshore southwest thermal dominates in summer, with northwest Tramontane-Mistral episodes mainly outside summer and south to southeast Marin in low-pressure setups.

Are there rules or restricted zones?

From 15 April to 15 October the kite area is marked by buoys and signage and separated from the bathing area; 2026 parking at the Baronnets/Espiguette lot costs 7 EUR per car per day.

How do I get to the kite zone?

Park at the Baronnets/Espiguette lot and walk about 500-600 m, roughly 15-20 minutes, through the dunes to the marked kite area.

The bigger pictureEverything about Camargue - Grau-du-Roi

Last updated: August 2026