Everyone knows Bretagne (or Brittany, as the English speaking say) for its rough climate, even rougher landscapes and endless beaches. And they say that the famous spot of La Torche it is the ´piece de resistance of the Bretagne surf scene. A wide beach with peaks for all levels and some fairly reliable surf throughout the year makes this the most famous of all peaks in Bretagne. So, no wonder that also we had our mind set on surfing in Bretagne for a while now. With some contacts around La Torche we packed our van and off we went. In this blog, I will share all our insights about the surf in La Torche in Bretagne.
The surf
La Torche is known for its extensive and powerfull lefts. With every moment of the tide, there is a different section of the beach that works. Just be careful with the many, many algues as they tend to get stuck to your leash and pull you down.
La Torche is great for shortboards when the wave is on, but I had some amazing longboard sessions on the smaller days here as well. In fact, it´s known to be a nice longboard spot, and you will see many out there.
In general, the wave is quite fat and frothy and therefore great for beginner surfers and longboarders. However some SW swells can create some more hollow waves, making that everyone will have fun. And, even when you are on one of the few flat days, Bretagne is so beautiful that you´ll almost want it to be flat for a day. This way you have an excuse to hike, cycle or drive around the Finistere (basically, the end of the earth): full with coves and clifftops and the cutest typical little villages, filled with creperies and cider.
Van life situation?
We managed to park our van on the public parking spot right in front of the spot. They allowed us to spend the night there for various nights in a row as well. Though not super crowded with vans, we also were definitely not the only ones (and this was in June, probably it will be more difficult in August).
The spots
La Torche beach break: the main beach of La Torche is about 10k long with so, so many different peaks. With sand banks around, each peak will work at a different tide. Making that you can surf this beach at any tide really. The rip that is right next to the rock will take you back out there: the locals call this rip ´the Elevator´.
The spot just south of Pointe de La Torche is called Pors Carn. This spot is a bit more sheltered from the wind and together with some SW or W swells, you can get small tubes here. The wave here is a bit faster and the spot is less crowded.
When to go
La Torche is pretty reliable throughout the year, though probably the best seasons are spring and fall. In the wintertime sometimes things can get really big. Add to that the Bretagne Winter storms and you might not completely be up for it. Summer is a lot more mellow, but also the waves are more mellow and you will definitely have to share them with a large(r) crowd.
When it´s flat out there
When you are lucky to have a flat day (or you´re just so worn out, you need a rest day), go to Quimper (which is the largest town in this southern corner of Finistère). It´s a 30-minute car ride from La Torche and is the typical Breton village. Make sure to go have some crepes somewhere, please.
La Torche is located in a fantastic landscape area full of rugged bays, hidden coves and white-sand beaches. Take your bike for a stroll or go hiking.
Furthermore, around La Torche In summer, there are many little bars and creperies around to keep you busy in the evenings (if you still have some energy left, that is). Our favorite ones were Creperie le Crayon vert and Tom Café.
Are you planning on going further south from here, don´t forget to check out this blog on the empty surf peaks of Northern Portugal.
