While France is most often praised by tourists for its incredible food, fine wines, and breathtaking landmarks, the country also happens to be an ideal location for surfing.
In fact, there are many highly-rated surf camps all over the country, guaranteed to provide you with the vacation of a lifetime.
Wood’n Sea Surf Lodge is by far one of the best surf camps in the whole of France.
The camp is located in Capbreton, which is on the South-Western coast. This is a beautiful destination near the Bourret and Boudigeau rivers.
The Wood’n Sea Surf Lodge has been rated by TravelMyth as one of the top 3 accommodations in Capbreton as a whole.
In terms of the accommodation itself, the Wood’n Sea Surf Lodge is a hostel-style lodging that offers both double and dormitory rooms, with either private or shared bathrooms.
The accommodation is no more than 400 meters from La Piste Beach, which is where your surf lessons will be held. The lodge will make reservations for you with one of the 3 available surf schools, depending on which one best suits your needs.
A 7-night package is available, which includes bed and breakfast for 7 nights along with 5 2-hour surf lessons. You can purchase this package for just €399 per person.
Moliets-Plage is a stunning location in South-West France, in the town of Moliets-et-Maa.
The Star Surf Camp at Moliets-Plage provides several packages for surfers. The basic package, which is only €268 weekly per person in high season, includes a 7-night stay in a spacious, 3-person tent along with 6 breakfast buffets, 6 picnic lunches, and 4 dinners.
This package will also entitle you to use all the camp’s facilities, access to the entertainment program, and an authentic wine and cheese night to immerse you into French dining culture.
With the basic package add-ons, you can also enjoy either 12 or 16 hours worth of surf lessons, hire surf equipment, take yoga classes, and even upgrade your tent.
The Pura Vida Lodge is a surf and yoga camp situated in Mimizan, which is a South-Western commune in Nouvelle-Aquitaine.
This lodge features spacious, rustic-themed bedrooms and a lounging garden with a pool for guests to relax in.
Meals are included with the cost of accommodation, and you can either choose to have your meals prepared for you or get hands-on and prepare your own food. There are several meal options for dinner, so you’ll always have variety.
The all-inclusive surf package is available for surfers over the age of 23 and includes a 7-night stay with breakfast every morning, unlimited use of surfing equipment, free yoga sessions, a beach cruiser bike, access to the pool and relaxation area, and 6 hours of surf lessons. All of this starts at €465 per person.
If you just can’t get enough of the surf, we have the perfect French surf camp for you: the appropriately-named Water Addict Surf Academy!
The academy is located on the South-West coast of France, between Capbreton and Hossegor.
You will stay at the Beach House villa and receive up to 3 surf lessons per day. There are additional activities on offer, such as paddle boarding and yoga sessions. Alternatively, you can spend your free time just relaxing in the jacuzzi.
High-season rates for adults come to roughly €899 per person, per week, with catering included.
If you’ve never been to the Ujusansa Family Surf Camp before, we highly recommend that you try it.
Located in Montalivet, the Ujusana Family Resort provides a beautiful tent-village experience along with surfing classes for both children and parents. Fun activities are provided for children under 7. You can also participate in yoga classes if you like.
3 main meals are provided daily, including vegetarian and vegan options as well as snacks. Weekly prices for one adult vary between €399 and €499, with discounted prices for children and teenagers.
The Dreamsea Surf Camp is an international camp, but its French branch is one of the most popular surf vacation destinations.
In this idyllic Moliets location, you can choose between private glamping or shared camping tents.
Yoga and surf lessons are available, and you can also entertain yourself with beach volleyball, ping pong, kayaking, or karaoke night. Surf gear can be rented on demand.
3 meals per day are included, with prices for one person ranging from €249 to €409 for camping, or between €419 and €559 for glamping.
Landes is one of the most popular areas in France for surfing, so it’s no surprise that the Silver’Landes Surf Camp in Léon has become such a coveted vacation spot.
High-season prices for the Silver’Landes Surf Camp range from €490 per person per week for the Relaxation package, which includes 7 days and 6 nights’ accommodation with breakfasts, 5 surf lessons, and activities.
The Passion package costs €610 during high season. This includes the same deals as the Relaxation package, but with an extra 5 surf lessons.
The Secret Spot Lodge in Azur is the perfect location for a dreamy surfing getaway.
Secret Spot provides a Surf and Stay package that only costs €225 for a 2-night stay for 2-people, including one surf lesson per person. Prices are adjustable depending on the length of your stay and the number of guests.
The accommodation price also covers free board and wetsuit hire, breakfast, pool access, and free wifi.
When you’re not surfing, you can relax by the pool or participate in activities such as yoga, golfing, horseriding, fishing, and more!
The Shifting Sands Surf Camp can be found approximately 4 kilometers away from Hossegor.
Surfers can stay in bunk or dorm rooms for lower prices. Alternatively, double and family rooms are available.
An all-inclusive stay in one of the dorm rooms costs just €350 per week and includes bed and breakfast, surfboard and wetsuit rent, transport to local surf areas, surfing lessons, and free laundry services.
Carwyn’s Surf House in Seignosse delivers a fun, relaxed atmosphere with in-person surf lessons from a former professional surfer.
Prices for accommodation vary according to the season, but the cost per night always includes a buffet breakfast, free WiFi, daily surf guiding, transport to and from surf locations, and bike, board, and wetsuit rental.
In your downtime, you can use the gym, lounge on the sundeck, take a dip in the pool, or get the shuttle bus into the town center for some shopping and sightseeing.
Budget Planning
Meal Price Range
The first thing to verify before you book yourself into a surf camp for the summer is whether or not meals are included under the nightly accommodation price.
It is not unusual for accommodation to provide breakfast and expect you to source your own lunch and dinner. Luckily, France is known for its food, so finding somewhere to eat shouldn’t be too difficult, no matter where you are.
On average, you should budget to spend about €13 per person, per meal, or €15 to be safe.
Equipment Rental
If you have your own surfing equipment and are able to travel with it, then you won’t need to worry about renting equipment.
However, if you don’t have your own gear, it’s best to check beforehand whether this is included in the price of your surf camp package. If not, you will usually have to add equipment to your package as an add-on.
Prepaid SIM Cards
One of the most common oversights when it comes to budget planning for trips abroad is forgetting to invest in a prepaid SIM card.
Orange is the most popular mobile phone network in France, and this provider has an excellent-value Holiday SIM card that only costs €40.
Public Transport
Many of our listed surf camp destinations are close enough to a beach that you shouldn’t need to take public transportation from your accommodation to your surf lessons.
With that being said, you may still need to plan for public transport to get from the airport or terminal to your lodgings.
In Paris, you can expect to pay €1.07 per kilometer for a taxi. Train fares will vary depending on the length of your journey and the time of year, but the average is roughly €17.59 per 100 kilometers.
Gas Prices
Finally, if you’re traveling with a vehicle (or renting a vehicle once you arrive at your destination), you’ll need to budget for gas prices.
The average price for gas in France is €1.537 per liter or €5.818 per gallon.
Types of Risks
Generally speaking, France is a safe country for tourists.
In terms of crime, the most common criminal activity in France involving tourists is theft, often in the form of pickpocketing. However, this is much more common in busy city areas such as Paris than in the coastal towns most of our surf camps are situated in. Nice and Marseilles are the exceptions to this rule.
With that being said, it’s always wise to keep your belongings somewhere you can see them at all times when using public transport or walking around public areas, particularly at night.
The surf itself is also relatively safe in France. Shark sightings off the coast of France are quite rare in comparison to some other countries, but the Southern coast of France does play host to some shark species, including blue sharks.
How to Prepare
Visas
Assuming you hold an Official or Diplomatic U.S. passport, you will need to apply and be approved for a France Schengen Visa before you can travel to France.
Make sure that you apply for your Visa well in advance because the process can sometimes take up to 2 months, although you will usually receive a response to your application within 20 days.
Vaccines
The only vaccines you need to travel to France are for Tetanus, Rabies, and Tickborne Encephalitis.
Be sure to get all of these vaccines at least 2 weeks before you travel if you aren’t already vaccinated.
Language and Currency
The main language in France is, of course, French, and the currency is the euro.
Prior to arriving in France, you will need to exchange your dollars for euros to ensure that you can pay your way throughout your vacation. The conversion rate is currently 1 euro to 1.21 U.S. dollars.
While English is taught in French schools from a young age, there is no guarantee that there will not be a language barrier. Therefore, we recommend learning some key French words and phrases before you arrive.
Checking Surf Forecast
Most surf camps have special package deals on offer during the summer months because this is generally when the forecast for surfing is the best.
Checking the forecast far in advance can be unreliable, so you should check again the week before you travel. Some surf camps provide forecast notifications on a daily basis to help you plan your activities.
Travel / Surf Insurance
Make sure to get travel insurance before going on your French surf camp vacation.
Since you’ll be surfing a lot, it’s best to have insurance in case you injure yourself and need medical treatment.
Make sure that your travel insurance includes surfing insurance. Not only will this cover your medical expenses should you be injured while surfing, but if your surfing gear gets stolen or lost, surf insurance will help you to cover expenses.
Anything Else You Should Know
Plant-based diets like vegetarianism and veganism aren’t as widely popular in France as they are in the United States.
If you have plant-based dietary requirements, you should check before booking whether your preferred camp or nearby restaurants can provide vegan or vegetarian meals for you.
