Southwest France

In the heart of Hossegor, close to the bars and cafes of the seafront plaza, lies one of the world's top rated beach breaks, Graviere. This is the crowning glory of a region that boasts a 225-km stretch of golden sand from the mouth of the Gironde in the north to Anglet in the south. In decent westerly swells, La Graviere produces serious, heavy, hollow, sand-charged pits of up to 12-ft that really take no prisoners. Even seasoned North Shore pros liken the waves produced here to Hawaiian pits. Summer sees the world paddling out in fun Hossegor surf, and boogers playing in the shore dump, but as the seasons change and the swells increase, the numbers begin to drop off. Rips can be arm-destroying, the shore break board-destroying and closeouts soul-destroying. But also expect some of the best, most accessible barrels you will ever experience. Come in the autumn and share a peak with your heroes.

If you've come to Europe to surf elegant little waves in the lee of a castle and then compete with fur-coated matrons and tiny shit-eating poodles for an overpriced ham and cheese sandwich, then head straight to Biarritz. There are two main waves, neither as good as Anglet to the north and Guethary to the south, but what they lack in quality and punch, they make up for in atmosphere. Normally, you wouldn't surf a spot just 'cause it has a pretty view, but hell, you're in France, dude -- chill out, grab a longboard and draw some clean lines. Cote de Basque This right-hand point sandbar and assorted other peaks are right under the castle and are some of the most popular waves in the area, especially for beginners. It doesn't really hold a big swell, and the quality of the wave is largely dependent on the shifting sandbar, but it's consistently a sweet little thin-lipped peeler through the summer months and is protected from the prevailing afternoon northwest wind by the rocky headland. Surf vans litter the stone wall along the point from June through September and you'll be competing with everyone from incompetent Euros standing up for the first time to 60-year-old stately Frenchwomen who know the lineup better than Dora ever did. Grand Plage Just around the corner from Cote de Basque and directly in front of the gothic casino is a temperamental beachbreak that's the high-performance staple for Biarritz locals who don't have the time or inclination to head north to Anglet (as it breaks on the same conditions). The whole beach is extremely tide and wind sensitive. In the right conditions (i.e., east or no wind and an underhead swell), there are a few scattered lefts at the south end by the rocks, and in the center, there are a couple of peaks that can get quite hollow as they approach the inside sandbar. If you're particularly homophobic or just don't like looking at fat naked men, careful as you head north past the rocks -- you might stumble upon something you'd rather not have seen. The peaks up there aren't that good anyway. In fact, if Grande Plage is good, Anglet is probably firing, so you should probably make your way up there.

Lacanau, with its golden sands, warm climate and consistent banks, has been drawing surfers to its beaches for decades, while the Lacanau Pro - won by everyone from Rabbit to Curren - has been an annual event since 1979. Facing west into the full force of the Atlantic, Lacanau utilizes every passing swell transforming them - with the aid of a few well-placed groins - into miles of quality, often barreling beachbreak. Summer months see the line-ups heaving with every conceivable watercraft but swells can be frustratingly small if not absent. This area usually has less surf than Hossegor to the south. However the autumn is the gravy season, when the banks come alive under an onslaught of consistent groundswells. The only down side is that if a huge swell hits, there no sheltered spots to retreat to.

The sheltered bay of Lafitenia, on southwest France's Basque coastline, is home to a classic right hand point that can reel for up to 250m. In big northwesterly swells, the line-up shifts around over the sand covered rock reef creating an unpredictable, and heavy takeoff. After making the drop, it's all about generating speed and working your line with classic carving turns as the wall races through the mid section. The inside then hollows out to create a nice little cover-up opportunity. This spot is always busy, especially during the summer months but the pay off is definitely worth the wait. There is a huge point on the opposite side of the bay called Peyo's Left.

This long stretch of scalloped golden sand has earned a reputation as the best beachbreak in Europe and one of the best in the world, all for good reason: tubes. Thick, meaty shorebreak barrels that'll leave you picking sand out of various orifices for weeks after a solid session. There's a huge trench offshore, not unlike Black's in San Diego, so the swell gets focused on the few miles of sand that make up Hossegor. Careful, though -- the tides in France are extreme (they can vary by 20 feet, where California tides will vary 8 feet max) and the sandbank that you surf in the morning will probably be closeout shorepound by lunch. Tide books are key. It's also prone to Atlantic flat spells, so make sure to bring a couple of books and a deck of cards.

Tom Curren didn't move here in 1988 for the croissants. From Les Cavaliers' barrels at the north end to VVF's wedging lefts at the south end and all the various peaks in between, Anglet is one of the most consistent spots in Southwest France. While never usually as big as Hossegor, it's also not as wind sensitive. Les Cavaliers can hold a northwest wind. While VVF's stays relatively clean in a southwest, Hossegor blows out if the wind even thinks about blowing west. You can check most of the whole stretch from the top of the hill just north of Biarritz -- pick your peak. Anglet also has the advantage (or disadvantage, depending on how crowded the surf gets) of being right next to Bayonne, the largest traditional Basque city in France. So when the surf goes flat, you're not allowed to say you're bored. (Note: La Barre, the right jetty/pointbreak made famous by the '70s classic film Evolution, used to be one of the best waves in Europe until the harbor expanded just north of Les Cavaliers. It can still break on big swells and low tide, but it's nowhere near its former glory.)

Les Estagnots

La Penon

Parlementia