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 | 24.2 | 0.4 |
| Thu 3 | 23.9 | 0.4 |
| Fri 4 | 23.4 | 0.4 |
| Sat 5 | 23.1 | 0.4 |
| Sun 6 | 23.2 | 0.5 |
| Mon 7 | 23.7 | 0.5 |
| Tue 8 | 24.1 | 0.4 |
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 | 20 |
| Jun | 23 |
| Jul | 25 |
| Aug | 26 |
| Sep | 25 |
| Oct | 23 |
| Nov | 20 |
| Dec | 17 |
Location & nearby beaches
Nearby beaches
- Le Pont D'Anduze2.1 kmGard
- 2.6 km
- Le Castel Rose3.4 kmGard
- L'Arche4.0 kmGard
Distances calculated as straight-line (haversine) from official coordinates.
Getting there & around
- Easy by car — there's parking close to the beach.
- Bus stop: Le Château, about ~90 m away.
Food, stays & town
- Nearest village: Tornac, about ~1.8 km away.
- 2 places to eat within 1 km Closest is Restaurant la Madeleine, about ~600 m away.
- 2 places to stay mapped nearby Closest is Le Bel Été, about ~490 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 La Madeleine?
La Madeleine 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 Gard. There's parking about ~90 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, Tornac, is about ~1.8 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 2 places to eat within a kilometre — Restaurant la Madeleine is the closest, about ~600 m away.
Frequently asked questions
Should you swim at La Madeleine?
Yes — La Madeleine carries the top EU Bathing Water classification, Excellent, for 2025, and 11 of its 11 classified seasons have rated Excellent or Good. It's also held steady at Excellent for 11 straight years.
What temperature is the sea at La Madeleine right now?
For La Madeleine, the ~24°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 Gard. On the modeled climatology here, August usually runs warmest.
When is the best time to swim at La Madeleine?
For the warmest water, aim for July–September — that's when the modeled sea temperature is typically at its best. That applies to the water around Gard. 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 Madeleine.
What's the easiest way to reach La Madeleine?
By car, it's easy — parking is right by the beach. By bus, the nearest stop is Le Château, about ~90 m away. The nearest town is Tornac, about ~1.8 km away.