Map › France › Bretagne — Isthme de Penthievre to Petite Mer de Gavres › Plage de Kerhillio

Bretagne · Baie de Quiberon - Erdeven · Morbihan · Erdeven

Plage de Kerhillio

also known as Kerhilio, Erdeven Kerhillio, Kerhillo

beginner-friendlyhigh crowds

On this page

Wind
- Month by month
Forecast
Water
Level
The scene
Launch
- Rescue
Hazards
Rules & access
Schools
Tips
Getting there
Photos
FAQ

Nearby Plage de Sainte-Barbe 2 km · Plage des Sables Blancs 5 km · Isthme de Penthievre 8 km · Grande Plage de Carnac 8 km · Petite Mer de Gavres 14 km · Plage de la Falaise 32 km · straight-line distance

Seasonno season namedthe months riders and schools name How windy15-18 ktmixed Launchlargeaccess rules on record, below Waterocean18°C in summer · 16 things riders flag LevelBeginner to advancedwith a caveat, in the Level section Schools4named at this spot From the airportno transfer time published

When it fills in

In summer the west thermal is an afternoon wind and settles at 15-18 kt. Frontal wind is another matter: it arrives when the depression does, morning, evening or overnight, and holds for days.

Kerhillio is the Erdeven beach at the foot of the Quiberon peninsula: long and sandy with a flat bottom, open to the Atlantic, rideable at every tide and in NW, W, SW or SE wind.

The west end is the sheltered part; the further east you go the more swell comes through, and at high tide with a proper westerly the waves are real, so this is where the local wave and freeride crowd rides and where the Morbihan schools teach from March to November. Summer thermals fill in with surprising regularity.

In summer the kite zone is the south-east part of the beach only, beyond the yellow cylindrical buoys and south of the bathing area, and you rig and launch facing the two marked reference points; kiting anywhere else on the beach is not authorized.

The lifeguard post runs 12:30-19:00 from 2 July to 30 August (2026), and it is a first-aid post, not a kite rescue. There are rocks and seaweed on the right of the beach and stakes can surface after a storm, whatever anyone tells you about a beach with no obstacles; ask a school before your first session.

SE is offshore or cross-off going by the map, unconfirmed on the sand. Beginners are fine in moderate wind inside the zone; on a big swell day it is a wave session and nothing else.

The wind

locals call it Bretagne south-coast westerlies and summer thermal breeze

Direction

wind blows away from land — rescue cover matters here

Kite sizes

567891011121314151617

metres · typical quiver highlighted

Character

mixed

fills in: In summer the west thermal is an afternoon wind and settles at 15-18 kt. Frontal wind is another matter: it arrives when the depression does, morning, evening or overnight, and holds for days.

Typical strength

Three regimes rather than one number. The summer thermal comes from the west at 15-18 kt. Frontal wind rotating from south round to northwest runs 15 to over 30 kt and is the winter and shoulder-season staple. An anticyclonic east to northeast setup gives 12-18 kt. These are Morbihan figures, not beach measurements; the Carnac record counts about 224 days a year at force 4 or more and 105 at force 5 or more.

Takes the region's dominant westerlies well, and the summer thermals work with surprising regularity. This is the local kite beach.

Spring and summer bring thermal breezes; the schools teach from March to November. In summer there is a marked kite zone and swimmers have priority everywhere outside it.

The quiver, in words

For a 75-85 kg rider, indicative: 12 m on the 15-18 kt summer thermal, 10 m at 19-23, 9 m at 24-27, 7 or 8 m once a frontal westerly is past 28. Winter days here run big and the small kites get more use than the summer average suggests. No published local chart.

Direction to shore

The beach faces SW, so W to SW comes in onshore to side-on and SE goes out offshore to cross-off. That is read off the map, not confirmed on the sand.

Dominant direction

NW, W, SW, SE

Forecast

Month by month

Jan53
Feb51
Mar76
Apr63
May65
Jun47
Jul55
Aug47
Sep47
Oct48
Nov53
Dec71

windy days per month (3 h+ at 12 kn+)

53%Jan11°
51%Feb10°
76%Mar11°
63%Apr13°
65%May15°
47%Jun18°
55%Jul17°
47%Aug18°
47%Sep18°
48%Oct17°
53%Nov14°
71%Dec12°

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	53%	76%	68%	18.1 kt	SW	14:00	7.3°C	10.6°C	62
Feb	51%	74%	65%	16 kt	SW	14:00	8.8°C	10.2°C	57
Mar	76%	89%	85%	19.7 kt	WSW	15:00	9.9°C	11°C	62
Apr	63%	80%	77%	16.9 kt	W	15:00	11.2°C	12.5°C	60
May	65%	89%	82%	15.3 kt	NNE	16:00	14.7°C	15.3°C	62
Jun	47%	83%	73%	14.4 kt	W	17:00	17.8°C	17.7°C	60
Jul	55%	79%	69%	15.2 kt	W	16:00	18.6°C	17.2°C	62
Aug	47%	73%	65%	14.3 kt	W	16:00	19.3°C	18.4°C	62
Sep	47%	75%	67%	15.3 kt	W	15:00	17.3°C	18.2°C	60
Oct	48%	68%	66%	16.3 kt	SE	14:00	15.2°C	17°C	62
Nov	53%	77%	65%	19.2 kt	W	14:00	11.9°C	14.4°C	60
Dec	71%	77%	76%	18.6 kt	WNW	14:00	8.8°C	11.6°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

ocean

Standing depth

Flat sand with shallow water close in, enough to walk a launch out on a normal day. How far the bank runs at low water is still unconfirmed, and the tide is Atlantic, so the water's edge moves a long way between high and low.

Tides

Rideable at every tide. The waves come in best on the high, and the further east along the beach you go the more swell gets through. In summer buoys separate the bathers from the board sports.

Temperature

18°C summer · 10°C winter

Wetsuit

Summer peaks around 17-21 C, sealed 3/2 territory; late winter drops to 10-11 C, so a 5/4 or 5/3 with the cold-water accessories. These are Belle-Ile figures used as a proxy.

Currents

Reportedly no current and no obstacles across the whole beach, but that does not square with the warnings about surf, rocks on the right and stakes exposed after storms. Assume the obstacles are real.

10–18°C water

A long, exposed sand beach at the entrance to the Quiberon peninsula. The west end is the sheltered part; the eastern part takes the Atlantic swell. There is nearly always some swell, and the waves are best at high tide.

Your level

beginnerintermediateadvanced

A wide sand beach with a flat bottom, and the schools teach here, so beginners are fine in moderate wind inside the marked zone. The same beach on a big swell is a wave spot with real power; whether it is a beginner day depends on the wind, the tide and the swell that morning.

The scene

What riders come here for

freeridewaveslearningsurf-kite

A busy multi-sport beach and the local kite beach. The scene is tolerant, no localism to speak of.

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

See who they are

On your own

Room to launch: large

access rules on record

Somewhere else

Plage de Sainte-Barbe, 2 km

Plage de Sainte-Barbe Plage des Sables Blancs Isthme de Penthievre

Every spot within 40 km is on the map at the top of this page, with its distance under it.

Rescue

A first-aid post with lifeguards covers the marked bathing zone in summer, 12:30 to 19:00 daily from 2 July to the end of August (2026). It is not a kite rescue and it does not watch the kite zone. A 5 m corridor on the sand has to stay clear for emergency vehicles.

At sea, 196 reaches the French coastguard.

Launch

The kite area is the south-east part of the beach: rig and launch facing the two marked reference points, beyond the yellow cylindrical buoys and south of the bathing area. A kite channel has been marked here through the summer since 2004. Kiting anywhere else on the beach is not authorised.Free parking behind the dune, except in July and August when the grass lot is charged.

Space

large

Hazards riders report 16

crowding
protected dune/Natura 2000 environment
Summer beach crowding and swimming-zone conflict outside the marked kite area.
Protected dune and Natura 2000 environment behind the beach.
Powerful waves during larger swell.
Stakes may appear after storms.
Rocks and seaweed on the right side of the beach.
Reportedly no current and no obstacles, yet rocks and seaweed on the right and stakes after storms are also reported; assume the obstacles are real.
Summer crowding and swimming-zone conflict outside the marked kite area
Protected dune and Natura 2000 environment behind the beach; use the marked access paths
Powerful waves on a big Atlantic swell, worst at high tide and toward the east end
Stakes can surface after storms
Rocks and seaweed on the right-hand side of the beach
Conflicting accounts of obstacles: one account has no current and no obstacles anywhere on the beach, while rocks, seaweed and post-storm stakes are also reported; assume the obstacles are real
No lifeguard cover outside 12:30-19:00 from 2 July to 30 August, and no kite rescue at any time
Large tidal excursion on a flat beach, so the water's edge and the walk to it move through the day

Rules & access

2026: kitesurf at Kerhillio is authorised only in the south-east part of the beach, beyond the yellow cylindrical buoys and south of the bathing area, rigging and entering the water opposite two marked reference points; nowhere else on the beach. The beach is watched by the CRS in summer and the first-aid post runs 12:30 to 19:00 from 2 July to 30 August. Sailboats have their own 15,000 m2 area with seasonal hours, and traction kites are allowed outside the bathing zones. Dogs are banned 1 April to 30 September, metal detectors 15 April to 30 September between 10:00 and 19:00, and horse access is restricted from May to early September. Parking is free except in July and August, when the grass lot costs 1 EUR (2026). Sea rescue is 196.

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

Rider tips

Rig only in the south-east kite zone, beyond the yellow cylindrical buoys and south of the bathing area, and launch facing the two marked reference points; the zone is set relative to the bathing area, so check the layout each summer before you pump up.
Keep off the dune: it is Natura 2000 and protected, so use the marked access paths down to the sand.
On a big Atlantic swell day ride it as a wave session; a beginner has no business out there, marked zone or not.
Ask Kite Spirit or NKS 56 about stakes after a storm and about the rocks and seaweed on the right of the beach before your first session.
The lifeguard post is open 12:30-19:00 from 2 July to 30 August (2026); outside those hours and dates nobody is watching, so ride with a partner.
Suit: a sealed 3/2 in summer at 17-21 C, a 5/4 or 5/3 with the cold-water accessories in late winter at 10-11 C.
From Nantes or Rennes count about 1h30; take the Carnac/Quiberon exit, then Etel and Belz to Erdeven, and follow the Kerhillio signs; there is a campsite right behind the dune and other places within about 800 m.
Summer is a 12 m afternoon at 75-85 kg: the west thermal settles around 15-18 kt and comes in after lunch.
Winter and the shoulder seasons carry most of the wind, 15 to over 30 kt on the frontal westerlies. Bring the small kites.
The first-aid post is open 12:30-19:00 from 2 July to 30 August (2026); outside those hours and dates nobody is watching, so ride with a partner and remember 196 for the coastguard.
Leave a 5 m corridor clear on the sand for emergency vehicles, and expect to pay 1 EUR for the grass parking in July and August.
From Nantes or Rennes count about 1h30; take the Carnac/Quiberon exit, then Étel and Belz to Erdeven, and follow the Kerhillio signs. There is a campsite right behind the dune and other places within about 800 m.

Getting there

Airport

Lorient South Brittany Airport is the nearest; Nantes and Rennes are the larger practical airports.

Route

About 1h30 from Nantes or Rennes by road, under 4h from Paris by TGV. Take the Carnac/Quiberon exit, then Etel and Belz to Erdeven, and follow the signs from Erdeven to Kerhillio beach.

Staying

Camping, gites, holiday villages, house rentals and hotels around Erdeven; there is a campsite right behind the Kerhillio dune and several places around 800 m from the beach.

No-wind days

Surf, stand-up paddle, kayak, windsurf, beach walks, Quiberon peninsula visits and Carnac/Erdeven area tourism.

Photos

La plage de kerhilio a erdeven - panoramio (2) — chisloup, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

FAQ

Is Plage de Kerhillio suitable for beginners?

Yes; the large sandy beach, flat bottom and school use support beginner teaching, though big swell can make conditions powerful and beginner suitability depends on wind, tide and the marked zone.

What is the wind like at Kerhillio?

The beach receives NW, W, SW and SE wind, with the region's dominant westerlies working well and summer thermals reported with surprising regularity.

Is the spot usable at all tides?

Yes; the spot is listed as usable at all tides.

Are there rules or restricted zones?

In summer, kitesurfing is regulated with the kite zone south-east of the bathing area beyond marked buoys, with rigging and launching opposite the marked zone.

What are the main hazards?

Powerful waves during larger swell, rocks and seaweed on the right side of the beach, and stakes that may appear after storms.

Last updated: August 2026