France · Charente-Maritime
Plage de Pontaillac
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 | 23.4 | 0.5 |
| Thu 3 | 23.8 | 0.4 |
| Fri 4 | 24.0 | 0.4 |
| Sat 5 | 24.4 | 0.6 |
| Sun 6 | 24.1 | 0.6 |
| Mon 7 | 24.0 | 0.7 |
| Tue 8 | 23.8 | 0.8 |
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: Good2018
- 2019: Sufficient2019
- 2020: Good2020
- 2021: Good2021
- 2022: Excellent2022
- 2023: Good2023
- 2024: Good2024
- 2025: Good2025
Good in the most recent season, and 10 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 | Good |
| 2019 | Sufficient |
| 2020 | Good |
| 2021 | Good |
| 2022 | Excellent |
| 2023 | Good |
| 2024 | Good |
| 2025 | Good |
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 Du Pigeonnier746 mCharente-Maritime
- Plage Du Chay1.1 kmCharente-Maritime
- Plage de Foncillon1.8 kmCharente-Maritime
- Plage de Nauzan2.3 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: Pontaillac, about ~120 m away.
Food, stays & town
- Nearest town: Royan, about ~1.9 km away.
- 12 places to eat within 1 km Closest is L'Atlantic Café, about ~50 m away.
- 5 places to stay mapped nearby Closest is Grand Hôtel de la Plage, about ~170 m away.
- 2 shops nearby, the closest about ~180 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).
- Water sports
Is the water clean at Plage de Pontaillac?
Plage de Pontaillac sits on a stretch of coast classed as a transitional bathing site, carrying an official EU Bathing Water rating of Good 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 ~120 m away.
Over the 11 classified seasons on record, 10 have come back Excellent or Good — a track record worth checking each year rather than assuming. 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. Royan — the closest town — sits about ~1.9 km from here.
That “Good” 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 Good for 3 straight years. There are 12 places to eat within a kilometre — L'Atlantic Café is the closest, about ~50 m away.
Frequently asked questions
Is the water at Plage de Pontaillac safe right now?
Yes. Its official 2025 EU Bathing Water rating is Good, the second-highest classification, and 10 of the 11 classified seasons on record have rated Excellent or Good. It's also held steady at Good for 3 straight years.
How cold or warm is the water at Plage de Pontaillac today?
Right now, the sea at Plage de Pontaillac is measuring around 23°C; see the “Right now” panel above for the latest conditions. That's the reading right off Charente-Maritime.
Which month has the warmest sea at Plage de Pontaillac?
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.
How is the water quality rating measured?
The annual classification — Excellent, Good, Sufficient or Poor — is built from a full season of official testing for intestinal enterococci and E. coli, reported to the European Environment Agency each spring. Some national authorities (Croatia's IZOR among them) also publish individual samples during the season itself; Plage de Pontaillac isn't yet covered by that in-season feed.
How do you get to Plage de Pontaillac?
By car, it's easy — parking is right by the beach. By bus, the nearest stop is Pontaillac, about ~120 m away. The nearest town is Royan, about ~1.9 km away.