Map › France › Bassin d'Arcachon › Mayotte
Nouvelle-Aquitaine · Grands Lacs / Biscarrosse, Landes · Landes · Biscarrosse
Mayotte
also known as Camping Mayotte, Lac de Cazaux-Sanguinet, Plage de Mayotte, Lac de Sanguinet, Biscarrosse Lac
Nearby Navarrosse under 1 km · Port de l'Estey 7 km · Biscarrosse Plage Sud 8 km · La Salie (La Teste-de-Buch) 12 km · La Hume (Gujan-Mestras) 23 km · Les Arbousiers (Arcachon) 25 km · Mimizan-Plage 27 km · Le Betey 33 km · Claouey 34 km · Le Porge Ocean 51 km · Lac de Lacanau - Lacanau-Ville 60 km · Lacanau Ocean 63 km · straight-line distance
When it fills in
The thermal fills in the early afternoon and stops in the early evening. Mornings are rarely worth rigging for.
The wind
Direction
Kite sizes
metres · typical quiver highlighted
Character
mixed
fills in: The thermal fills in the early afternoon and stops in the early evening. Mornings are rarely worth rigging for.
Typical strength
10-25 kts, reportedly; summer afternoons are often at the light end.
Thermal or synoptic
thermal and synoptic
Also on record
A 20.6 kts average appears for an Oct-Mar season, which contradicts Mayotte's summer role and has no visible calculation basis; unconfirmed.
The quiver, in words
For a 75-85 kg rider the lake thermal usually wants 12-14 m, dropping to 9-11 m on the rarer afternoons that reach the high teens. On the weakest days a foil or a 15 m and up lightwind kite is the only thing that gets you moving. Indicative sizing worked out from the wind range, not a measured local quiver.
Direction to shore
Side-on to side-shore across the beach through the working SW-W-NW-N arc; the exact angle depends where along the sand you launch. North to north-north-east reportedly comes in cleaner here than at Navarrosse.
Dominant direction
SW, W, NW and N; the working arc runs from south-west round to north.
Forecast
Month by month
- Jan19
- Feb26
- Mar26
- Apr37
- May, riders' month23
- Jun, riders' month10
- Jul, riders' month15
- Aug, riders' month21
- Sep, riders' month18
- Oct26
- Nov28
- Dec27
windy days per month (3 h+ at 12 kn+)
Ringed months are the ones riders and schools name: May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep.
- 19%Jan12°
- 26%Feb12°
- 26%Mar13°
- 37%Apr14°
- 23%May17°
- 10%Jun20°
- 15%Jul21°
- 21%Aug23°
- 18%Sep22°
- 26%Oct20°
- 28%Nov16°
- 27%Dec13°
windy days per month (3 h+ at 12 kn+) · water °C below · season highlighted
| Month | Windy days | Force 4+ | 12 kn or more | Knots | From | Peaks at | Air | Water | Readings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 19% | 39% | 32% | 10.5 kt | WNW | 13:00 | 7.4°C | 12.4°C | 62 |
| Feb | 26% | 32% | 30% | 11.2 kt | NNE | 16:00 | 8.7°C | 12.4°C | 57 |
| Mar | 26% | 50% | 45% | 12.7 kt | WNW | 14:00 | 11.1°C | 12.9°C | 62 |
| Apr | 37% | 52% | 45% | 12.4 kt | NNW | 16:00 | 12.8°C | 14.4°C | 60 |
| May | 23% | 52% | 42% | 11.7 kt | NNW | 15:00 | 16.4°C | 16.6°C | 62 |
| Jun | 10% | 48% | 30% | 10.9 kt | NNW | 16:00 | 19.9°C | 19.8°C | 60 |
| Jul | 15% | 39% | 26% | 10.8 kt | NNW | 17:00 | 21.4°C | 21.2°C | 62 |
| Aug | 21% | 47% | 34% | 11.1 kt | NNW | 17:00 | 22°C | 22.5°C | 62 |
| Sep | 18% | 37% | 30% | 10.8 kt | W | 16:00 | 19°C | 21.8°C | 60 |
| Oct | 26% | 42% | 39% | 11 kt | W | 15:00 | 17.3°C | 19.9°C | 62 |
| Nov | 28% | 43% | 42% | 11.9 kt | W | 14:00 | 12.4°C | 16°C | 60 |
| Dec | 27% | 37% | 35% | 10.9 kt | WNW | 14:00 | 9°C | 13.3°C | 62 |
modelled
A weather model's cell over this place, not a station on it. Good for comparing places, weaker for one beach.
Modelled from the operational forecast archive at 1.5–7 km (2023-2024), daylight hours only, not a ground station: it resolves thermal, lake and valley winds far better than coarse reanalysis but still tends to understate a strong local thermal. A windy day has at least three consecutive daylight hours at 12 knots or more. 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.
High-resolution weather model (modelled) · Open-Meteo historical forecast archive — best-match operational model (ICON-D2 / AROME / ICON-EU / GFS by region), not a ground station · 2023-2024
The water
Type
lake
Standing depth
You can stand for a very long way out. The school zone is described as 300 m of footing on one page and 400 m on another, and it takes roughly 10 minutes of wading before there is enough depth for a foil. The bottom is not uniform: sandbanks mean footing can also disappear under you in places.
Tides
No tide.
Temperature
18-21°C summer · 10°C winter
Wetsuit
Summer: shorty or light suit depending on wind; off-season suit needs are unconfirmed for Mayotte specifically.
Currents
No tide, no waves, no current; the lake is calm to lightly choppy, which is why H2O teaches beginners here.
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
3 schools name this spot
On your own
Room to launch: Small beach shared with the H2O school, small preparation area, pines close to the edge; launch in the water because the beach is too small.
Somewhere else
Navarrosse, under 1 km
Every spot within 40 km is on the map at the top of this page, with its distance under it.
Rescue
Launch
Park at the Camping Mayotte entrance and take the small path on the right, 50 m before the gate, which runs around the outside of the site. Reckon 10 to 15 minutes on foot with gear.The launch and riding zone, shared with the school, is to the right of the pine; the left of the beach is left to bathers. The sand is too small to launch on, so wade out and launch in the water.
Space
Small beach shared with the H2O school, small preparation area, pines close to the edge; launch in the water because the beach is too small.
Rules & access
Access rules drift faster than anything else we hold — check locally, and propose an edit if this has changed.
Rider tips
- Park at the Camping Mayotte entrance and walk the outside path around the campsite, 5-10 minutes; do not cut through the site with gear unless you are a student following the school's route.
- Launch in the water. The beach is too small for a beach launch and the pines are right behind you.
- Stay right of the pine; the left side of the beach is for swimmers.
- Give the H2O students and instructors a wide margin; this is a school zone first.
- Foilers: budget about 10 minutes of wading before there is enough depth.
- Read the regulation sign on site before rigging; the public window is commonly 1 June to 31 August, and the Conche de Sanguinet next door is closed to kites at all times.
- Park at the Camping Mayotte entrance and take the small path on the right, 50 m before the gate; walk the outside of the site, 10 to 15 minutes. Do not cut through with gear unless you are a student following the school's route.
- Give the students and instructors a wide margin; this is a school zone first.
- Read the regulation sign on site before rigging. The public window is commonly 1 June to 31 August, and the Conche de Sanguinet next door is closed to kites at all times.
- Out of season the sister spot is Navarrosse, open 1 September to 31 May; it is closed to kites in summer, so the two never overlap.
- The hunting blinds are the thing riders forget. They sit offshore and you are expected to keep your distance from them, not just from the buoys.
Getting there
Airport
Bordeaux-Mérignac Airport (BOD)
Route
Follow Bordeaux, then the Bassin d'Arcachon and Biscarrosse, to Camping Mayotte on the southern shore of Lac de Cazaux-Sanguinet. Park at the campsite entrance and take the small path on the right, 50 m before the gate, around the outside of the site rather than through it: 10 to 15 minutes with gear.Bordeaux-Mérignac is about 1 h 05 from Biscarrosse by car, and public transport connects via Ychoux, La Teste-de-Buch and Gujan-Mestras.
Transfer
65-75 min by car from Bordeaux-Mérignac to Biscarrosse/Mayotte area, depending on traffic and final parking.
Cost level
medium
Staying
Camping Mayotte Vacances is directly by the spot area; Biscarrosse-Lac, Biscarrosse and Sanguinet add campsites, holiday rentals and hotels.
No-wind days
Sailing, paddle, kayak, wake/ski-nautique activities, lake swimming in season, cycling in the Landes forest, Biscarrosse Plage surf and Dune du Pilat/Arcachon Basin excursions.
Photos
FAQ
When is the best time?
May to September is the most stable period, with light-to-moderate thermal wind typically building in early afternoon.
Is it suitable for beginners?
Yes, the shallow water, light wind and lack of waves make it a well-suited learning spot, taught on site by H2O Kite.
What is the wind like?
Southwest, west and northwest are the working directions, usually light to moderate and strongest in the early afternoon.
Are there kite schools nearby?
Yes, H2O Kite operates directly on the Mayotte beach, with mobile school Kite Particulier also covering the area.
Are there rules or restrictions?
A sign on site sets the current regulation; public riding has historically run from 1 June to 31 August under a prefectural order, so check the posted sign before riding.
Last updated: August 2026