Oceanides

20.8°C Water temp · Jun 8

France Coastal 1 - Excellent 20.8°C

Satellite image of OCEANIDES — Satellite image © Esri

Capbreton is a seaside resort town in the Landes department of Aquitaine, located on the Atlantic coast of southwestern France. The municipality operates seven supervised beaches open for bathing during summer, including Océanide, La Piste, Préventorium, and Savane. The beaches are distributed north and south of Capbreton port and are characterized by sandy shores with dunes. The town experiences a mild, humid oceanic climate with moderate rainfall distributed throughout the year.

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Water

The bathing waters are part of the Atlantic Ocean along the Landes coastline. The beaches have sandy substrates with lengths between 1,100 and 1,200 metres and widths of approximately 200 metres. The bathing zones are delimited at 150 metres from shore. The area is influenced by three watercourses that form Capbreton port: the Bourret, the Boudigau, and the Canal du Lac d'Hossegor. Water movement is dominated by north-south currents and wave-driven circulation.

Location

Capbreton is located in the Landes department, Aquitaine region, southwestern France, at latitude 43° 39' 16'' North and longitude 1° 26' 42'' West. The beaches are situated along a sandy shoreline extending over 100 kilometres, distributed on either side of the Boucarot channel. The permanent population is approximately 8,500 residents, increasing tenfold during the summer tourist season.

Season

1 July to 31 August for Océanide, La Piste, and Préventorium/Savane. Préventorium has an extended season from 15 May to 15 September.

Water Quality

Five of the six declared bathing zones (Océanide, La Piste, Préventorium et Savane, Notre Dame, and Centrale) are classified under EU Directive 2006/7/CE. Plages Notre Dame and Centrale are designated as type 2 profile zones due to previous pollution incidents (Plage Centrale was temporarily polluted in 2009 and 2011). The other three beaches are type 1 profile zones. Water quality is influenced by suspended sandy substrate stirred up by waves and discharge from the three watercourse outlets.

Risks

The main identified risk is temporary pollution from the influence of the Boucarot channel outlet and the three watercourses (Bourret, Boudigau, and Canal du Lac d'Hossegor). Strong storm episodes present a low frequency of occurrence during summer (6% over a 4-year period) but are more common in September. Suspended sediment from the sandy substrate reduces water transparency due to wave action. Winter and autumn bring violent winds exceeding 100 km/h occurring 2 to 4 times per year, generating powerful waves responsible for coastal erosion dynamics.