France · Charente-Maritime
Grande Retenue - Plage Ouest
Charente-Maritime, France
On the beach
Right now
Live conditions from Open-Meteo, refreshed hourly.
7-day outlook
7-day marine forecast from Open-Meteo.
Sea temperature
Next 7 days, °C
Wave height
Next 7 days, metres
View as table
| Day | Sea temp (°C) | Wave height (m) |
|---|---|---|
| Wed 2 | 22.8 | 0.3 |
| Thu 3 | 23.0 | 0.2 |
| Fri 4 | 23.3 | 0.3 |
| Sat 5 | 23.8 | 0.3 |
| Sun 6 | 23.7 | 0.5 |
| Mon 7 | 23.6 | 0.5 |
| Tue 8 | 23.5 | 0.7 |
Water quality history
Official EEA classification, one rating per bathing season, 2015–2025 — real data reported by national authorities.
- 2015: Excellent2015
- 2016: Excellent2016
- 2017: Excellent2017
- 2018: Excellent2018
- 2019: Excellent2019
- 2020: Excellent2020
- 2021: Excellent2021
- 2022: Excellent2022
- 2023: Excellent2023
- 2024: Excellent2024
- 2025: Excellent2025
Excellent in the most recent season, and 11 of 11 classified years rated Excellent or Good.
- Excellent
- Good
- Sufficient
- Poor
- Not classified
View as table
| Year | Classification |
|---|---|
| 2015 | Excellent |
| 2016 | Excellent |
| 2017 | Excellent |
| 2018 | Excellent |
| 2019 | Excellent |
| 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 | 19 |
| Jun | 22 |
| Jul | 24 |
| Aug | 24 |
| Sep | 24 |
| Oct | 22 |
| Nov | 20 |
| Dec | 17 |
Location & nearby beaches
Nearby beaches
- Plage Ouest220 mCharente-Maritime
- Plage Nord602 mCharente-Maritime
- Plage de la Coue938 mCharente-Maritime
- Plage de la Vierge1.1 kmCharente-Maritime
Distances calculated as straight-line (haversine) from official coordinates.
Getting there & around
- Easy by car — there's parking close to the beach.
- Bus stop: Plage Nord, about ~260 m away.
- Ferry: Liaison Maritime Fouras - Île d'Aix, about ~2.2 km away.
Food, stays & town
- Nearest village: Fouras, about ~500 m away.
- 2 places to stay mapped nearby Closest is Le Bois Vert, about ~80 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).
- Families
- Water sports
Is the water clean at Grande Retenue - Plage Ouest?
Grande Retenue - Plage Ouest sits on a stretch of coast classed as a transitional bathing site, carrying an official EU Bathing Water rating of Excellent for the 2025 season. Under the EU Bathing Water Directive, national authorities test for intestinal enterococci and E. coli through the season and report the results the following spring — the 2025 rating was published in spring 2026, and 2026's won't follow 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 sits in Charente-Maritime. You can park about ~100 m away.
That rating has been consistent: every one of the 11 classified seasons on record has come back Excellent or Good. If you're timing a visit around water temperature rather than crowds, July–September is the safest bet, with August typically the peak — expect a cooler, calmer sea either side of that stretch. Fouras — the closest town — sits about ~500 m from here.
That “Excellent” label comes from a full season of official water sampling, not a single test — it's one step on a four-point scale (Excellent, Good, Sufficient, Poor) reassessed once a year. Today's actual conditions can differ from the seasonal average, so for a live snapshot see the “Right now” and 7-day outlook panels above. It's been a consistently reliable spot too — the rating has held at Excellent for 11 straight years.
Frequently asked questions
Is Grande Retenue - Plage Ouest a safe beach for swimming?
Generally, yes. Grande Retenue - Plage Ouest's 2025 EU Bathing Water rating is Excellent — the highest tier — backed by 11 of 11 classified seasons rated Excellent or Good. It's also held steady at Excellent for 11 straight years.
Is the sea warm at Grande Retenue - Plage Ouest today?
Right now, the sea at Grande Retenue - Plage Ouest is measuring around 23°C; see the “Right now” panel above for the latest conditions. That's the reading right off Charente-Maritime.
What's the ideal time of year to swim at Grande Retenue - Plage Ouest?
July–September is typically the most reliable swimming window, with the sea usually warmest in the second half of summer. That applies to the water around Charente-Maritime.
What does the water quality rating actually measure?
National authorities sample the water for intestinal enterococci and E. coli bacteria through the bathing season and report the full-season results to the European Environment Agency each spring for the season just finished, which assigns one of four annual classifications — Excellent, Good, Sufficient or Poor — under the EU Bathing Water Directive. Some national authorities, including Croatia's IZOR, also publish individual in-season sample results ahead of that annual report.
How do I get to Grande Retenue - Plage Ouest without a car?
By car, it's easy — parking is right by the beach. By bus, the nearest stop is Plage Nord, about ~260 m away. By ferry, the nearest landing is Liaison Maritime Fouras - Île d'Aix, about ~2.2 km away. The nearest town is Fouras, about ~500 m away.