Overview
La Barre is a changed rivermouth setup where the famous wave of the ’60s disappeared after the Adour jetty works, but peaks still form between the jetties over sand. It is mainly a left, ranging from fat, slopey lefts and the odd right to seriously big outside tow-in walls.
When It Works
It needs moderate to heavy swell before it starts breaking with any power. Swell is usable from 0.6 m / 2 ft to 4.6 m / 15 ft, with swell from west to north and an optimal swell direction of west. It is moderately consistent.
Wind and Tide
The offshore wind direction is east. The jetties can somewhat block cross-shore winds, which helps when nearby Anglet beaches are windy and closed out.
Low to mid tide is the window, and a rising tide is better. Any high tide will either kill it or create a serious shorepound.
Local Tips
La Barre suits intermediate surfers in normal conditions, but the rarer left off the tip of the short northern jetty is a different story: it barrels hard, has strong rips, and is for experts or bodyboarders only.
It can get very packed when the other Anglet beaches are blown out or closed out. Pollution near the rivermouth is also a real issue, with residential and industrial pollution in the vicinity.
Access
There are restrooms, camping, lakes, promenades, and a large campervan parking area behind the beach. Parking options include a car park with free parking, paid parking, and roadside parking.
