La bougie
Surf spot · France
Is it worth the trip?
14Poor out of 100 for your dates
Best on Mon 2: too small (3 ft swell at 10 s), sheltered (estimated): holds up in a blow
Mon 2 · 23 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft10 shollow
- Energy
- 186kJ
- Wind
- ESE 1 kn
- Temp
- 12°C
Tue 3 · 15 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft5 smushy
- Energy
- 21kJ
- Wind
- ESE 1 kn
- Temp
- 11°C
Wed 4 · 6 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft13 shollow
- Energy
- 23kJ
- Wind
- E 2 kn
- Temp
- 13°C
Thu 5 · 12 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft11 shollow
- Energy
- 60kJ
- Wind
- NNW 4 kn
- Temp
- 16°C
Fri 6 · 12 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft9 shollow
- Energy
- 54kJ
- Wind
- SE 2 kn
- Temp
- 16°C
Sat 7 · 4 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft12 shollow
- Energy
- 15kJ
- Wind
- WNW 3 kn
- Temp
- 15°C
Sun 8 · 10 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft9 shollow
- Energy
- 38kJ
- Wind
- E 3 kn
- Temp
- 19°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Sun 133, too small
- Mon 223, too small
- Tue 315, too small
- Wed 46, too small
- Thu 512, too small
- Fri 612, too small
- Sat 74, too small
- Sun 810, too small
- Mon 96, too small
- Tue 108, too small
The spot in five facts
- Faces Ntakes swell from the N
- Offshore: Swind from the land
- Beginner +who it suits
- Works 5–20 ftof swell
- Water 16 °C3/2 wetsuit
Full forecast
every day, every number
| Day | Score for experts | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun 1Nov | 33, too small | 4 ft11 shollow5 ft at break (est.) | 388kJ | wind from the west, 3 knots | 16°C |
| Mon 2Nov | 23, too small | 3 ft10 shollow4 ft at break (est.) | 186kJ | wind from the east-south-east, 1 knot | 12°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 15, too small | 2 ft5 smushy3 ft at break (est.) | 21kJ | wind from the east-south-east, 1 knot | 11°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 6, too small | 1 ft13 shollow1 ft at break (est.) | 23kJ | wind from the east, 2 knots | 13°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 12, too small | 2 ft11 shollow2 ft at break (est.) | 60kJ | wind from the north-north-west, 4 knots | 16°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 12, too small | 2 ft9 shollow2 ft at break (est.) | 54kJ | wind from the south-east, 2 knots | 16°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 4, too small | 1 ft12 shollow1 ft at break (est.) | 15kJ | wind from the west-north-west, 3 knots | 15°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 10, too small | 2 ft9 shollow2 ft at break (est.) | 38kJ | wind from the east, 3 knots | 19°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 6, too small | 1 ft9 shollow2 ft at break (est.) | 16kJ | offshorewind from the south-south-east, 11 knots, offshore | 19°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 8, too small | 2 ft11 shollow2 ft at break (est.) | 46kJ | wind from the west-north-west, 5 knots | 18°C |
Energy is the swell's power, in kJ per metre of wave. Wind is in knots, the arrow where it blows to; green is offshore. More
Tide
- Sun 1 NovLow 02:21 −1.2 mHigh 08:41 +1.3 mLow 15:08 −1.3 mHigh 21:34 +1.0 m
- Mon 2 NovLow 03:33 −1.0 mHigh 10:03 +1.2 mLow 16:27 −1.2 mHigh 23:01 +1.0 m
- Tue 3 NovLow 04:54 −1.0 mHigh 11:27 +1.2 mLow 17:47 −1.3 m
Local clock times; heights about mean sea level. On open coasts the times are usually within a quarter of an hour; in bays, estuaries and on the Gulf of Mexico they can be an hour or more out. Tide: EOT20 global ocean tide model, Hart-Davis et al. 2021, DGFI-TUM (doi:10.17882/79489), CC BY 4.0. Times and heights computed by us. A model, not a tide table: check a local table before you go.
Forecast updated . It refreshes every three hours. Forecast data: ECMWF, DWD, Météo-France and NOAA, served by Open-Meteo.com (CC BY 4.0). Changed by us. Generated using E.U. Copernicus Marine Service Information.
Map
the spot, its town, photos
La bougie on Google Maps · Directions
Each place wears its best day on these dates, a surf spot for experts: green good, amber fair, pale red poor, as the key says.
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Photos of La bougie
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More surf near here
5 places
- Le Port 0.8 km away
- Sainte Barbe Inside 1.4 km away
- Sainte Barbe 1.7 km away
- les flots bleus 1.8 km away
- Belharra 3.3 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About La bougie
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces N (12°), so it takes swell from the N. The wind blows offshore from the S (192°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits beginners and up. It works in 5–20 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves steeply: 10 m deep about 200 m out (1 in 18). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would break hollow. The sea is about 13°C in January, its coldest month (4/3 wetsuit and boots), and 23°C in August, its warmest (2 mm shorty). The town to stay in is Saint-Jean-de-Luz, 1.5 km away (about 5 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 7 surf spots, 1 wind sports spot and 1 dive site.
Water about 16°C: 3/2 wetsuit. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.
The score is the conditions only: the journey, the price and the partners never change it (how we score, how we earn).
Rough cost (estimate): about US$1,210–US$2,250 each
about US$1,210–US$2,250 each · 6 nights, 2 sharing: flights, taxi, stay, food, board and wetsuit.
Our estimate from typical public prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book (where they come from). Prices are about, in US Dollar (USD): our pound figures at the European Central Bank's rate of 30 October 2026.
How we worked it out
| What | How we worked it out | Each |
|---|---|---|
| Flights | return ORD to EAS, estimated from distance and season, changing at MAD, full-service airlines, with a hold bag | about US$469–US$971 |
| Taxi | airport and back, shared | about US$27–US$40 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | about US$281–US$469 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | about US$315–US$583 |
| Board and wetsuit | 5 days, or about US$114 to fly your own | about US$114–US$188 |
| Total | about US$1,210–US$2,250 |
For 2 people sharing a room. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra. Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.
Where to stay: 3 towns
3 min by car · 57 places to stay
about US$107/nightcountry average
About Saint-Jean-de-Luz its beds, food and every spot near it
- Beds in Guéthary on Booking.com
12 min by car · 35 places to stay
- Beds in Hendaye on Booking.com
13 min by car · 36 places to stay
About US$107 a night is our estimate of the country's average 2-star double room that month: not each town's price, and not a quote. Drives are estimates. Prices are about, in US Dollar (USD): our pound figures at the European Central Bank's rate of 30 October 2026.
Getting there: about 17h 10m
About 17h 10m door to door from Chicago
Fly ORD → EAS, changing at Adolfo Suárez Madrid–Barajas Airport (MAD), then 30 min by road
Flights ORD → EAS on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.