Beauduc, Camargue

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/ Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur France
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Kiteboarding / Kitesurfing in Beauduc, Camargue, Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur France

Type of wind:
Mistral, thermal
Best and main wind direction:
Northwest
Best time to visit:
Year round
GPS Coordinates:
43° 23.622' N, 4° 34.25' E
Camargue is a region, located in the south of Arles, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region, France. It lies between the Mediterranean Sea and the two arms of the Rhône River delta. The eastern arm is called the Grand Rhône and the western one is the Petit Rhône. Since 1986, Camargue site has been designated as a "Wetland of International Importance" by the Ramsar Convention.

In an area of over 930 km²/360 mi², the Camargue is western Europe’s largest river delta. It is a vast plain comprising large brine lagoons, cut off from the sea by sandbars and encircled by reed-covered marshes. A sport that is very popular in the area is kite-surfing and the best place to practice it is on Beauduc beach.

In order to get to Beauduc beach, you have to cross the whole of the Camargue area until you arrive at the saltpans of Salin-de-Giraud. Then you leave the road network for a track that goes through marshland, lagoons and dunes, along causeways and out towards the edge of the world. When you can’t go any further, you’re just on the spot.

The beach is a kind of isolated so you should count a weekend trip in order to kite surf there. It is a good spot where medium (16-25 knots/30-46.3 kph) thermal winds are blowing from their best and usual direction, northwest. The mistral wind is suitable for much kind of tricks like freestyle, free-ride and bump and jump.

The water is murky with no currents or tide dependency and a sandy bottom. On week days, you will only meet a few surfers but on weekends, it is crowded. You should pay extra attention to other water crafts in the area. It is a beautiful and easy to find beach, suitable for both novices and experienced kite-surfers.