France · Hautes-Alpes
Baie St Michel
Hautes-Alpes, France
On the beach
Right now
Sample dataIllustrative conditions — the live Open-Meteo marine feed wasn't reachable, so these are deterministic placeholder values that will be replaced automatically once the feed is available.
7-day outlook
Sample dataModeled placeholder forecast for demonstration — will be replaced by a live marine-weather feed.
Sea temperature
Next 7 days, °C
Wave height
Next 7 days, metres
View as table
| Day | Sea temp (°C) | Wave height (m) |
|---|---|---|
| Wed 2 | 26.2 | 0.1 |
| Thu 3 | 26.6 | 0.1 |
| Fri 4 | 26.6 | 0.1 |
| Sat 5 | 26.2 | 0.1 |
| Sun 6 | 25.7 | 0.1 |
| Mon 7 | 25.5 | 0.1 |
| Tue 8 | 25.7 | 0.1 |
Water quality history
Official EEA classification, one rating per bathing season, 2015–2025 — real data reported by national authorities.
- 2015: Good2015
- 2016: Excellent2016
- 2017: Not classified2017
- 2018: Good2018
- 2019: Good2019
- 2020: Excellent2020
- 2021: Excellent2021
- 2022: Excellent2022
- 2023: Excellent2023
- 2024: Excellent2024
- 2025: Excellent2025
Excellent in the most recent season, and 10 of 10 classified years rated Excellent or Good.
- Excellent
- Good
- Sufficient
- Poor
- Not classified
View as table
| Year | Classification |
|---|---|
| 2015 | Good |
| 2016 | Excellent |
| 2017 | Not classified |
| 2018 | Good |
| 2019 | Good |
| 2020 | Excellent |
| 2021 | Excellent |
| 2022 | Excellent |
| 2023 | Excellent |
| 2024 | Excellent |
| 2025 | Excellent |
Typical sea temperature by month
Modeled estimatePlausible seasonal climatology derived from latitude, for illustration — not a measured average.
Monthly sea temperature
Typical range across the year, °C
View as table
| Month | Typical sea temp (°C) |
|---|---|
| Jan | 15 |
| Feb | 15 |
| Mar | 15 |
| Apr | 17 |
| May | 20 |
| Jun | 23 |
| Jul | 25 |
| Aug | 26 |
| Sep | 25 |
| Oct | 23 |
| Nov | 20 |
| Dec | 17 |
Location & nearby beaches
Nearby beaches
- Camping la Presqu'Ile1.2 kmHautes-Alpes
- Le Grand Pre - Les Tremouilles1.9 kmHautes-Alpes
- Baie de Chanteloube2.1 kmHautes-Alpes
- Colonie Jeunesse Avenir2.1 kmAlpes-de-Haute-Provence
Distances calculated as straight-line (haversine) from official coordinates.
Getting there & around
- Easy by car — there's parking close to the beach.
- Bus stop: Chorges - Forest du Pin, about ~1.1 km away.
- Nearest ferry landing is about ~60 m away.
Food, stays & town
- Nearest village: Pontis, about ~3.2 km away.
- 3 places to eat within 1 km Closest is L'Amarina, about ~350 m away.
- 7 places to stay mapped nearby Closest is Base Nautique du Camping des Pompiers, about ~280 m away.
What kind of beach is this?
This beach belongs to a small coastal village. It's usually calmer than a resort or town beach, though a popular village spot can still fill up on the best summer days.
Estimated from OpenStreetMap surroundings data (ODbL).
Is the water clean at Baie St Michel?
Thinking of swimming at Baie St Michel? The short answer: its official EU Bathing Water rating for 2025 is Excellent — the highest official classification under the EU bathing-water assessment. That rating is set once a year under the EU Bathing Water Directive, from a full season of testing for intestinal enterococci and E. coli reported to the European Environment Agency the following spring, so the 2025 season's grade appeared in spring 2026 and the 2026 season won't be graded until spring 2027. In addition to that yearly rating, some national authorities — for Croatia, the national environmental authority — publish individual water sample results during the season itself, ahead of the annual report. It's been a consistently reliable spot too — the rating has held at Excellent for 6 straight years. There's parking about ~80 m from the beach.
Looking to avoid the busiest weeks? The water is typically warmest around August, with the most reliable swimming window running July–September; outside that stretch you'll find a cooler sea but a quieter beach. That rating has been consistent: every one of the 10 classified seasons on record has come back Excellent or Good. On site you'll find Showers, Toilets, and Accessible entry. The nearest town, Pontis, is about ~3.2 km away.
Worth remembering: “Excellent” isn't a live reading, it's an annual grade — Excellent, Good, Sufficient or Poor — set once a year from that season's water samples and describing the average, not this afternoon's conditions. For what the sea is doing right now, check the “Right now” panel and 7-day outlook above. It sits in Hautes-Alpes. There are 3 places to eat within a kilometre — L'Amarina is the closest, about ~350 m away.
Frequently asked questions
Is Baie St Michel safe to swim in?
Yes, without much reservation. Baie St Michel holds the top EU Bathing Water classification, Excellent, for 2025, and 10 of 10 classified seasons here have rated Excellent or Good. It's also held steady at Excellent for 6 straight years.
What is the sea temperature at Baie St Michel today?
For Baie St Michel, the ~26°C figure above is a stand-in value, not a live reading — the marine-weather feed was unreachable when the page last built, and it'll swap in automatically once the feed responds again. That's the reading right off Hautes-Alpes. On the modeled climatology here, August usually runs warmest.
When should you plan a swimming trip to Baie St Michel?
For swimming, July–September is usually the best call — that's the modeled window when the sea here runs warmest. That applies to the water around Hautes-Alpes. Within that window, August is typically the single warmest month.
How is bathing water quality actually assessed?
It's based on official water samples: authorities test for intestinal enterococci and E. coli through the season, then report the full-season results to the European Environment Agency each spring, which assigns one of four grades — Excellent, Good, Sufficient or Poor. A few national authorities, including Croatia's IZOR, also publish individual samples during the season itself, ahead of that annual report — that isn't yet available for Baie St Michel.
What's nearby Baie St Michel — parking, buses, or a ferry?
By car, it's easy — parking is right by the beach. By bus, the nearest stop is Chorges - Forest du Pin, about ~1.1 km away. There's a ferry landing about ~60 m from the beach. The nearest town is Pontis, about ~3.2 km away.