How and why to present the beach of Almanarre? This beach and internationally known kite spot is undoubtedly the most beautiful beach of the Presqu’île de Giens, a magical site due to its preserved wild nature, its history and the indescribable light of this place.
The beach of Almanarre is the large beach that borders the western tombolo (arm of sand connecting an island to the mainland) of Giens. The wind conditions are perfect, as well as the sea conditions. But let’s go into the details to understand this well-deserved fame!
Organization, cohabitation and benevolence: the keys to the success of Almanarre!
It is long, very long: 5 kilometres of fine sand. On one side is the sea, on the other the Pesquiers pond, an ornithological reserve which shelters a large number of migratory birds and which is a classified site, like the whole peninsula. It can be reached by the Route du sel, which runs along the western tombolo, a road that is only open from April to October.
This is a very important aspect of the reputation of the beach of Almanarre: it is located on a Natura 2000 site, all aspects of the consequences of the presence of Man are contained, organised and regulated. No crazy urbanisation or overheated car parks, Almanarre is a 100% natural kite spot.
But the municipality of Hyères and the French Free Flight Federation remain very vigilant and have preferred to anticipate possible problems of cohabitation between all the users of the beach, for reasons of safety obviously, but also in the continuity of a philosophy of respect for nature and therefore for everyone.
The beach has been segmented to allow everyone to have a safe and respectful practice area. Thus, the southern and northern ends of the beach are marked out to allow access to the open sea for windsurfers. The centre of the beach is marked out to allow kitesurfers to take off and land, and swimming areas are located between the activity zones.
Let’s talk about kitesurfing and taking off!
L’Almanarre’s reputation among kitesurfers comes from the perfect and varied conditions that this spot offers. With a westerly wind (the famous mistral), the sea forms quickly, offering a playground that perfectly combines waves, stable wind and the absence of underwater dangers. And with an easterly wind, the sea is flat, allowing you to test your ability to skim at indecent speeds.
The kitesurfing area is located between markers 16 and 21, which are placed on the ganivelles (wooden fences) along the salt road. This marking is in force from April to October, the rest of the year you can take off from any area of the beach, but it seems reasonable to respect this marking all year round, as cohabitation remains the main leitmotiv of the users of the beach of Almanarre.
This magnificent beach is nevertheless not very wide, wedged between the sea and the road, so be vigilant during the take-off and landing phases, because in case of affluence, there is little room! And be tidy, put your things away before you take off to give other kiteboarders a free hand.
A “BeachMarshall” for a surveillance at the service of all!
And yes, at l’Almanarre, in summer, there is a Marshall! Classy, isn’t it? The zones are well delimited and overflows in the other zones are formally forbidden, as well as navigation in the 300 meters zone, as on all the beaches of France. But despite the fact that plans are proposed all along the beach, and that the regulations are as simple as possible, there is sometimes, especially during the high season, a certain anarchy regarding navigation. The beach of Almanarre is not a closed club, and everyone can come and practice kitesurfing, whatever their level. Yes, but here’s the thing: the safety rules are sometimes difficult to respect because of the lack of skills and experience of those who practice. And sometimes they are not respected at all because of the lack of civic-mindedness of some people…
Writing this article about our favourite beach also means saying that a dream spot belongs to everyone, not only to kitesurfers, and that respecting the safety rules is sometimes not easy. We’ve all heard it: “I didn’t do it on purpose”, and it’s often true… So taking a private kitesurfing lesson with professionals at the beginning of the season to refresh your skills, or during the season to work on a specific point such as going upwind, or landing is a good way to ensure that the beach of Almanarre remains a symbol of respect for nature and others.