France · Charente-Maritime
La Grande Plage
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 | 22.3 | 0.9 |
| Thu 3 | 22.6 | 0.7 |
| Fri 4 | 22.9 | 0.8 |
| Sat 5 | 23.4 | 1.0 |
| Sun 6 | 22.9 | 1.0 |
| Mon 7 | 22.8 | 1.2 |
| Tue 8 | 22.7 | 1.5 |
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 de la Giraudiere1.0 kmCharente-Maritime
- Plage de Vert-Bois4.0 kmCharente-Maritime
- Plage de Gatseau4.3 kmCharente-Maritime
- La Petite Plage4.5 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: Office de Tourisme, about ~260 m away.
Food, stays & town
- Nearest village: Saint-Cast-le-Guildo, about ~1.2 km away.
- 31 places to eat within 1 km Closest is L’air D’été, about ~60 m away.
- 8 places to stay mapped nearby Closest is L'Espérance, about ~180 m away.
- 2 shops nearby, the closest about ~170 m away
What kind of beach is this?
This beach sits in a built-up resort setting, with hotels, restaurants and services clustered around it — a full-service stretch of coast that tends to be busy in peak season and quieter outside it.
Estimated from OpenStreetMap surroundings data (ODbL).
- Families
- Full-service days
Is the water clean at La Grande Plage?
Thinking of swimming at La Grande Plage? 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 11 straight years. There's parking about ~100 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 11 classified seasons on record has come back Excellent or Good. On site you'll find Showers, Toilets, and Beach bar. The nearest town, Saint-Cast-le-Guildo, is about ~1.2 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 Charente-Maritime. There are 31 places to eat within a kilometre — L’air D’été is the closest, about ~60 m away.
Frequently asked questions
Is La Grande Plage safe to swim in?
Yes, without much reservation. La Grande Plage holds the top EU Bathing Water classification, Excellent, for 2025, and 11 of 11 classified seasons here have rated Excellent or Good. It's also held steady at Excellent for 11 straight years.
What temperature is the sea at La Grande Plage right now?
The latest reading puts the sea at La Grande Plage at around 22°C — the “Right now” panel above has the full live picture. That's the reading right off Charente-Maritime. On the modeled climatology here, August usually runs warmest.
When does La Grande Plage 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-Maritime. Within that window, August is typically the single warmest month.
Who measures the water quality rating, and how?
Once a year, national authorities report a full season of testing for intestinal enterococci and E. coli to the European Environment Agency, which grades the season Excellent, Good, Sufficient or Poor under the EU Bathing Water Directive. A handful of countries, including Croatia via IZOR, also publish individual in-season samples ahead of that report — La Grande Plage doesn't have that feed set up yet.
Is there parking near La Grande Plage?
By car, it's easy — parking is right by the beach. By bus, the nearest stop is Office de Tourisme, about ~260 m away. The nearest town is Saint-Cast-le-Guildo, about ~1.2 km away.