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Trip Report

Surf and chill trip on west coast of France.

8 days of camping trip to surf and chill on the beautiful west coast of France.

  • Surf time, on the wind and clouds obviously.+ 9
  • Sunset from the dune of Pilat (it’s cloudy…).
  • Bordeaux for the music festival.
  • Surf and chill trip on west coast of France.
swaxlito
About Me:
AtlasGuru Contributor

EuropeFrance8 days / June 2021

Highs & Lows

Best place to surf and see the sunset in France. With a very young and festive atmosphere

We had a lot of rain..

Itinerary Overview

For this trip I absolutely wanted to stay in my native country: the France.

I did 4 days at the Dune du Pilat with my friends who are not surfers and prefer to stay calm and chill. That's why we chose the Dune du Pilat which is perfect for just relaxing.

Then I joined another group of friends of mine for another 4 days in a place where it's more festive and more favourable for surfing: Vielle-Saint-Girons.

  • 4 Nights: Dune of Pilat
    I always came in this great area that we love with my mom when I was younger so I wanted to come with my friends.
  • 4 Nights: Vielle-Saint-Girons
    Best place to surf.
Dune of Pilat - I always came in this great area that we love with my mom when I was younger so I wanted to come with my friends.
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Dune of Pilat I always came in this great area that we love with my mom when I was younger so I wanted to come with my friends.

Dune of Pilat - I always came in this great area that we love with my mom when I was younger so I wanted to come with my friends. - Sunset from the dune of Pilat (it’s cloudy…).
Sunset from the dune of Pilat (it’s cloudy…).
Dune of Pilat - I always came in this great area that we love with my mom when I was younger so I wanted to come with my friends. - Bordeaux for the music festival.
Bordeaux for the music festival.
Dune of Pilat - I always came in this great area that we love with my mom when I was younger so I wanted to come with my friends. - Our beautiful group on the dune.5+
Our beautiful group on the dune.

We just spent our time chilling by the beach (when it was sunny because we had so much rain…) and by the dune.

we really enjoyed the Differents camping installations. We played tennis, pétanque… The pétanque is a typical french game : you have to throw your metal balls as close as possible to the so-called "cochonnet", which is a smaller ball made of wood that serves as a target. The team that is closest to the cochonnet wins.

We also took advantage of this quiet time to watch a French football match with the campsite staff. Allez les bleus !

On June 21st we went to Bordeaux for the music festival! We really liked the city which is very clean and pretty but unfortunately there are not enough musical installations because of the covid.

Vielle-Saint-Girons - Best place to surf.
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Vielle-Saint-Girons Best place to surf.

Vielle-Saint-Girons - Best place to surf. - Surf time, on the wind and clouds obviously.
Surf time, on the wind and clouds obviously.
Vielle-Saint-Girons - Best place to surf. - On the way to chill.
On the way to chill.
Vielle-Saint-Girons - Best place to surf. - Our Camping.1+
Our Camping.

We spent our time chilling on the beach and in the camping. But most of all we rented surfboards and surfed non-stop for two days. This place is one of the best spots in France for surfing, it was great !
The night before last we heard music on the beach so we went to see. There was a rave party. That is to say a party organised by the holidaymakers themselves with speakers and lights! It was a great time that we were able to share and make lots of new friends.


In conclusion this place is beautiful and will always be my favourite place in France. And we had a great holiday consisting mainly of chill... despite the rain

Q & A

  • What would you have changed?

    I would have liked more sun and less rain !!
  • Anything go wrong during the trip?

    A mechanical problem with the truck... we hope it won't happen to you!
  • Restaurant recommendations?

    It is not a typical food but a drink: pastis. An alcoholic drink made from aniseed that is diluted with water. It is emblematic of France and more particularly of the south and of holidays. It is common to accompany a game of pétanque or simply a late summer day with a fresh pastis.
  • Packing tips?

    Really important to camp, even essential in this part of France with all those huge trees : a hammock
  • Transportation Tips?

    We had a truck and it’s super worth it to carrie all the camping stuff and the food… at least you need a huge car.

Lodging

  • Camping la foret du Pilat Tohapi. Very nice camping and especially very well localized at the bottom of the dune.

  • Camping Campéole les Tourterelles. Very well locatized as well. And very beautiful at the bottom of the pine trees.