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 | 28.3 | 0.2 |
| Thu 3 | 27.8 | 0.2 |
| Fri 4 | 27.4 | 0.2 |
| Sat 5 | 27.4 | 0.2 |
| Sun 6 | 27.9 | 0.2 |
| Mon 7 | 28.4 | 0.2 |
| Tue 8 | 28.6 | 0.2 |
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 | 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
- Les Petits Essards4.4 kmCharente
- La Grande Ile8.1 kmCharente
- Le Portal9.1 kmCharente
- Bain Des Dames18 kmCharente
Distances calculated as straight-line (haversine) from official coordinates.
Getting there & around
- By car: there's parking about ~330 m from the beach.
- Bus stop: Saint-Yriex Plan d'Eau, about ~310 m away.
Food, stays & town
- Nearest city: Angoulême, about ~3.9 km away.
- 5 places to eat within 1 km Closest is Buvette du plan d'eau, about ~240 m away.
- 2 places to stay mapped nearby Closest is Au Calme, about ~750 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
Is the water clean at La Grande Prairie?
La Grande Prairie sits on a stretch of coast classed as a lake 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 ~330 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, Angoulême, is about ~3.9 km 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. There are 5 places to eat within a kilometre — Buvette du plan d'eau is the closest, about ~240 m away.
Frequently asked questions
Is it safe to go in the water at La Grande Prairie?
Yes, without much reservation. La Grande Prairie 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 Prairie right now?
Treat the ~28°C above as illustrative only — La Grande Prairie's live marine feed was down when this page was generated, and the figure will be replaced with a real reading automatically once it's back. That's the reading right off Charente. On the modeled climatology here, August usually runs warmest.
When should you plan a swimming trip to La Grande Prairie?
If you're planning around water temperature, July–September is the window to target — the modeled sea temperature is typically highest then. That applies to the water around Charente. 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 Prairie doesn't have that feed set up yet.
What's nearby La Grande Prairie — parking, buses, or a ferry?
By car, there's parking about ~330 m from the beach. By bus, the nearest stop is Saint-Yriex Plan d'Eau, about ~310 m away. The nearest town is Angoulême, about ~3.9 km away.