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 | 26.5 | 0.3 |
| Thu 3 | 26.6 | 0.3 |
| Fri 4 | 26.3 | 0.3 |
| Sat 5 | 25.8 | 0.3 |
| Sun 6 | 25.5 | 0.3 |
| Mon 7 | 25.6 | 0.3 |
| Tue 8 | 26.0 | 0.3 |
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: Good2021
- 2022: Good2022
- 2023: Good2023
- 2024: Good2024
- 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 | Good |
| 2022 | Good |
| 2023 | Good |
| 2024 | Good |
| 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 | 14 |
| Mar | 15 |
| Apr | 17 |
| May | 20 |
| Jun | 23 |
| Jul | 25 |
| Aug | 25 |
| Sep | 25 |
| Oct | 23 |
| Nov | 20 |
| Dec | 17 |
Location & nearby beaches
Nearby beaches
- Le Portal2.7 kmCharente
- Les Petits Essards3.8 kmCharente
- La Grande Prairie8.1 kmCharente
- Bain Des Dames19 kmCharente
Distances calculated as straight-line (haversine) from official coordinates.
Getting there & around
- Easy by car — there's parking close to the beach.
- Bus stop: Marsac - Baignade, about ~70 m away.
Food, stays & town
- Nearest village: Marsac, about ~500 m away.
- 1 place to eat within 1 km
- 1 shop nearby, about ~920 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 La Grande Ile?
La Grande Ile sits on a stretch of coast classed as a river 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. There's parking about ~50 m from the beach.
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. The nearest town, Marsac, is about ~500 m away.
“Excellent” is one point on a four-step scale — Excellent, Good, Sufficient or Poor — assigned once per year from that season's water samples, not a live reading. It describes how the site performs on average across the season, not the exact water quality this afternoon; for day-to-day sea conditions, see the “Right now” and 7-day outlook panels above.
Frequently asked questions
Should you swim at La Grande Ile?
Yes, without much reservation. La Grande Ile holds the top EU Bathing Water classification, Excellent, for 2025, and 11 of 11 classified seasons here have rated Excellent or Good. Its rating has also been trending the right way, moving from Good to Excellent in 2025.
What temperature is the sea at La Grande Ile right now?
The figure above (about 26°C) is placeholder data — the live marine-weather feed wasn't reachable when this page was built, and the real reading will appear automatically once it is. That's the reading right off Charente. On the modeled climatology here, August usually runs warmest.
When does La Grande Ile have the warmest water?
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 Charente. 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 La Grande Ile.
What's the easiest way to reach La Grande Ile?
By car, it's easy — parking is right by the beach. By bus, the nearest stop is Marsac - Baignade, about ~70 m away. The nearest town is Marsac, about ~500 m away.