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Bretagne · Pays des Abers - Landeda · Finistère · Landeda

Sainte-Marguerite

also known as Dunes de Sainte-Marguerite, Landeda Sainte-Marguerite, La Bassine

lagoonbeginner-friendlyhigh crowds

On this page

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

Nearby Plage des Trois Moutons 5 km · straight-line distance

Seasonno season namedthe months riders and schools name How windy8-15 ktsynoptic LaunchLarge sandy area, but weekends and summer get busy, above all in southwest wind when the lagoon is navigable.access rules on record, below Waterlagoon15-18°C in summer · 11 things riders flag LevelBeginner to advancedwith a caveat, in the Level section Schools6named at this spot From the airportin words under Getting thereBrest Bretagne Airport (BES)

When it fills in

Synoptic wind with no dependable daily onset: it is on when a low is working the Celtic Sea, at any hour of the day. What sets the timing of a session is the tide, not the clock, and the lagoon window is about two hours either side of high water. Lessons are usually placed in the early afternoon.

Sainte-Marguerite is the lagoon spot of the Pays des Abers, on the Landeda dunes in North Finistere, and the best-known kite beach on this stretch of the Brittany coast.

The thing to understand is La Bassine: a sandy lagoon that only exists for about two hours either side of high tide, from roughly 5.50 m of water height, with coefficients of 40-80 the sweet spot. Inside that window it is flat, you can stand almost everywhere, and the water goes a colour you do not expect this far north.

Outside it you are on the open beach among reefs, pebbles and oyster beds, or walking 800 m to find the sea at low water. Two things bite.

On coefficients above 95 the emptying lagoon runs a current strong enough that getting home in light wind is hard, and July and August often sit around 8-15 kt, so bring the foil or the big kite. The wind is Atlantic low-pressure wind, W to NNW ideal, south generally gusty, with the odd NE thermal day in spring.

AvelWest and Reve O Kite both teach here, weekends and summer high-tide windows get crowded, and a bathing zone in the south of the lagoon is closed to riding in summer on dates that differ between the two posted notices.

The wind

Direction

cross-on

Kite sizes

567891011121314151617

metres · typical quiver highlighted

Character

synoptic

fills in: Synoptic wind with no dependable daily onset: it is on when a low is working the Celtic Sea, at any hour of the day. What sets the timing of a session is the tide, not the clock, and the lagoon window is about two hours either side of high water. Lessons are usually placed in the early afternoon.

Typical strength

8-15 kt is the usual summer band. Local schools teach between 8 and 32 kt of established wind, which brackets the practical working range at this beach. No measured on-site wind range exists.

Steady inside the lagoon when the tide timing is right. Thermal wind is rare, and summer often runs light in North Finistere, 8-15 kt.

North Finistere gets more than 200 sailing days a year from Atlantic lows in the Celtic Sea. Spring occasionally throws up a memorable NE thermal day. July and August often sit around 8-15 kt and may need a foil or light-wind gear.

The nearest airport station inland averages about 10 kt across the year from west-southwest, a regional figure rather than a beach reading.

Thermal or synoptic

mainly synoptic Atlantic depressions; rare NE thermals in spring in North Finistere

The quiver, in words

Indicative, derived from the documented ranges rather than a local size table. July and August often sit at 8-15 kt, so a 75-85 kg rider wants 12-15 m or a foil. Around 9-11 m covers the ordinary mid-range day.Drop to 7-8 m when an Atlantic low pushes toward the 32 kt ceiling above which the schools stop teaching.

Direction to shore

The ideal W and NNW arrive cross-shore to side-onshore over the beach and the lagoon. The navigable arc runs from S round to NNE; S comes off the land and is generally gusty.

Dominant direction

Rideable from south round to north-northeast; west and north-northwest are the ideal directions, and south wind is generally gusty.

Forecast

Month by month

Jan73
Feb75
Mar82
Apr77
May74
Jun50
Jul60
Aug58
Sep48
Oct58
Nov67
Dec81

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

73%Jan12°
75%Feb11°
82%Mar11°
77%Apr12°
74%May14°
50%Jun17°
60%Jul18°
58%Aug19°
48%Sep17°
58%Oct15°
67%Nov14°
81%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	73%	89%	77%	21.7 kt	SW	13:00	8.2°C	11.5°C	62
Feb	75%	91%	86%	19.2 kt	SW	14:00	9.4°C	11°C	57
Mar	82%	92%	89%	21.4 kt	SSW	15:00	9.8°C	11.2°C	62
Apr	77%	93%	88%	20.4 kt	ENE	14:00	10.8°C	12.2°C	60
May	74%	90%	89%	16.9 kt	NE	14:00	13.3°C	14.1°C	62
Jun	50%	73%	60%	14.4 kt	NE	14:00	15.7°C	16.5°C	60
Jul	60%	77%	73%	15.2 kt	SW	15:00	17.2°C	17.5°C	62
Aug	58%	77%	71%	15.2 kt	SW	14:00	17.7°C	18.5°C	62
Sep	48%	80%	70%	16 kt	WSW	15:00	16.2°C	16.8°C	60
Oct	58%	89%	76%	16.7 kt	SW	14:00	14.6°C	15.4°C	62
Nov	67%	77%	77%	20.1 kt	W	11:00	12°C	14.4°C	60
Dec	81%	87%	84%	22.1 kt	NW	13:00	9.5°C	12.6°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

lagoon

Standing depth

In the high-tide lagoon window you can stand almost everywhere, which is what makes learning here easy.

Tides

Strongly tidal. The lagoon called La Bassine is navigable from about 5.50 m water height, roughly two hours before and after high tide; ideal tide coefficients are 40-80, while at low tide the water may recede about 800 m.

Temperature

15-18°C summer · 9-10°C winter

Wetsuit

A 5/4 mm suit for most of the year in North Finistere; winter sessions need cold-water accessories in practice, though exact accessory guidance for this spot is unconfirmed.

Currents

Tidal currents matter across North Finistere. At Sainte-Marguerite, coefficients above 95 send a strong current through the lagoon as it empties, and getting back in light wind is hard.

11–19°C water

High tide creates a flat, shallow sandy lagoon with Caribbean-colored water; outside the lagoon window the wider spot remains navigable, but reefs, pebbles, oyster beds and seaweed are part of the North Finistere environment.

Your level

beginnerintermediateadvanced

A learning spot thanks to the shallow lagoon and regular wind, but beginners still need to read the tide, know the local rules and keep clear of the current and the obstacles.

The scene

What riders come here for

flat waterfreeridelearninglight-wind foil

Famous regional spot with local riders, schools and visitors; the main pressure is during the high-tide lagoon window and summer weekends.

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: Large sandy area, but weekends and summer get busy, above all in southwest wind when the lagoon is navigable.

access rules on record

Somewhere else

Plage des Trois Moutons, 5 km

Plage des Trois Moutons

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

Rescue

The beach and the bathing area are supervised in July and August, with a lifeguard post on site; some of the lifeguards kite themselves. Outside those two months there is no cover on the sand, and no dedicated kite rescue boat has been found at any time of year.

Launch

Launch from the sandy Sainte-Marguerite/Landeda beach and time the lagoon for about two hours either side of high tide, from roughly 5.50 m of water height. Several parking lots sit within about 200 m of the beach; the point riders use is 48.59481, -4.60585.

Space

Large sandy area, but weekends and summer get busy, above all in southwest wind when the lagoon is navigable.

Rules & access

2026: the two posted notices differ. One gives a bathing area in the southern part of the Sainte-Marguerite lagoon closed to all navigation from 1 July to 30 August; the other gives a bathing zone on the left side from 15 June to 15 September, with navigation strictly forbidden inside the yellow buoys. The municipality states only that the beach and bathing are supervised during the summer season, July and August, with a lifeguard post on site. Read the board on the beach before rigging.

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

Rider tips

Check the tide height and the coefficient, not only the high-water time: La Bassine needs about 5.50 m and works best on 40-80.
Be off the water before the lagoon starts draining on coefficients above 95, above all if the wind is light.
Use one of the parking lots within about 200 m of the beach; the point riders use is 48.59481, -4.60585.
Stay out of the marked summer bathing zone in the south of the lagoon; the posted dates differ (1 July to 30 August on one notice, 15 June to 15 September on another), so read the board on the day.
Pack a 5/4 most of the year, and boots for the pebbles and oyster beds when the water is out.
In July and August plan for 8-15 kt: foil or your biggest kite.
There is a lifeguard post on the beach in July and August. The rest of the year nobody is watching the water.

Getting there

Airport

Brest Bretagne Airport (BES)

Route

Car or local bus from Brest/Landeda. Brest Airport to Landeda is about 24.6 km by road; public transport needs changes. The Abers spots are about 25 minutes from Brest by car.

Transfer

25-40 by car from Brest/BES depending on start point and traffic; public transport is longer and less direct.

Cost level

medium

Staying

Campsites with direct beach access sit close to the Abers spots; local options include La Cabane des Dunes and La Petite Valise.

No-wind days

Beach time and coastal walking around the Sainte-Marguerite dunes, GR34/Natura 2000 coast, Ile Vierge lighthouse views, Brest day trips and other Pays des Abers beaches.

FAQ

Is it suitable for beginners?

The shallow high-tide lagoon is presented by local schools as good for learning, since it offers standing depth over large areas, but beginners still need tide awareness and current caution.

What is the wind like?

Wind is mainly synoptic Atlantic low-pressure flow, with west to north-northwest rated ideal; summer can be lighter, often around 8-15 knots, which can call for foil or light-wind gear.

Are there rules, permits or restricted zones?

A summer bathing zone in the southern part of the lagoon prohibits kiting, though sources give different 2026 date ranges, so riders should check the current signage locally.

What hazards should I know about?

Hazards include reefs, pebbles and oyster beds near the sandy areas, seaweed that can catch lines, and strong current when tide coefficients above 95 empty the lagoon.

Last updated: August 2026