Le Phare

A microclimate grants La Tranche-sur-Mer record wind and sunshine stats. Above all, the strong, steady north-westerly thermal (accelerated between the mainland and Île de Ré) makes La Tranche a real mecca. When there's swell, Le Phare is a radical break over a rocky shelf. Strong current, shorebreak and rocks make it technically demanding. It works best between 'mi-marée' (mid-tide) and high water, when the beach gets narrow. The summer kite zone is in front of the ruined bunker to the west, beyond which yellow buoys mark shallows on the point. In rare south-easterly wind, ride downwind of this outcrop towards La Terrière.