Overview

Le Petit Travers / "Le 74" — THE historic spot of the Montpellier kite community. Nicknamed "le 74" after the beach entrance number, this is where a large part of the region's riders meet, just 15 min from Montpellier via the expressway. Official kite zone certified FFVL / French Sailing Federation with departure channel — 200m of beach dedicated to kitesurfing (entrances no. 73 and 74), flanked by 2 buffer zones of 50m. Foil riders' HQ in summer. Summer thermals turn sessions into "Endless Summer" followed by drinks on the beach. Friendly atmosphere, loyal community — everyone meets up as soon as the wind picks up, particularly for after-work sessions.

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Spot forecast for Plage du Petit Travers - Carnon

Sunrise 08:04 · Sunset 18:53

Open-Meteo

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< 7 kn7–12 kn13–20 kn21–30 kn31–40 kn41+ kn Gusts Your minimum: 7 kn

Forecasts provided by Open-Meteo

Swell and waves

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Wave height: < 0.5 m 0.5–1 m 1–2 m 2–3 m ≥ 3 m

Swell data by Open-Meteo Marine

Plage du Petit Travers - Carnon: when to go?

Rideable days and hours computed for a minimum wind of 7 knots · log in to set your own (foil, twin-tip…)

Season · peak

119h

in August · 22 rideable days

The season runs from March to September, peaking in August: 19 rideable days a month and 119 hours of usable wind, at 22 °C. The low point is January, at 7 days.

Rideable days per month

Wind strength when it is rideable

7-12 knots · 73%13-20 knots · 21%21-30 knots · 6%31+ knots · under 1%

When the spot works, wind sits mostly between 7 and 12 knots — 73% of rideable hours. Big-kite territory. The coldest month is January, at 11 °C. The wettest month is December, with 61 mm.

Monthly averages: Plage du Petit Travers - Carnon

Monthly averages — Plage du Petit Travers - Carnon — averaged over 2 years of records — Weather data by Open-Meteo.com — How it is calculated
Month	Rideable days	Usable wind	Temperature	Rain
January	7.0	45 h	11 °C	32 mm
February	9.0	72 h	13 °C	40 mm
March	16.5	146 h	15 °C	50 mm
April	17.0	136 h	17 °C	23 mm
May	19.5	154 h	20 °C	35 mm
June	21.0	151 h	25 °C	9 mm
July	20.0	124 h	28 °C	2 mm
August	22.0	119 h	28 °C	0 mm
September	17.0	94 h	23 °C	9 mm
October	12.5	90 h	20 °C	13 mm
November	8.0	61 h	16 °C	31 mm
December	9.0	64 h	12 °C	61 mm

Photo gallery of Plage du Petit Travers - Carnon

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Ridden here? One photo or video, and the spot comes alive for everyone discovering it.

Technical details of Plage du Petit Travers - Carnon spot

The spot works with winds from E, ESE, SE, SSE, S, SSW, SW, WSW, W.

Rideable Not rideable

Local association recommendations

FFVL / French Sailing Federation certified zone. Axel'Air: kitesurf/wingfoil school in Carnon, certified BPJEPS/DE instructors, courses for all levels from 14 to 65 years old. Monki: kitesurf/wingfoil school Montpellier, chooses the spot based on weather — montpellierkitesurf.fr. Ride Academy (Séb Garat): based in Pérols/Carnon port, access to all spots by boat — kitesurfmontpellier.com. L'Effet KiteSchool: based in Palavas — l-effet-kiteschool.com

Spot functioning

Access: from the A9 exit 29 (Montpellier-Est/La Grande-Motte/Carnon), continue D66, Petit Travers exit, left at the roundabout onto D59, follow the beach to entrance no. 74. The parking has been moved back behind the dunes to protect the dune ridge (successful rehabilitation works). Wooden paved path winding through the dunes to the beach. The spot works mainly with thermal (S, SW) and Marin (SE). Le 74 is NOT a Tramontane/Mistral spot (offshore here). Rules: do not rig near the shore, roll up lines with kite down, do not stand with kite at zenith on the beach. Navigation zone widening to 400m at the 300m offshore mark. In summer: sail only in the kite zone.

Spot opening date · Required level

Spot opening date: Open all year round
Required level: Intermediate

Parking

Petit Travers parking: 500 free spaces at the roundabout level. Warning: parking packed in summer. The spot is then a few minutes walk through the dunes. The old direct road access has been removed to protect the dunes — only a wide sand strip remains, a vestige of the old road. Route du Travers: heavily congested in summer. Prefer mornings or weekdays.

Wind specificities

SW thermal ("Labetch"): THE summer reference wind, 12-16 knots in the afternoon. Side-onshore. Ideal foil conditions and long "Endless Summer" sessions. Marin SE: onshore, brings waves but water often rough — sandy bottoms = waves breaking randomly. Can pick up strongly (25-30+ knots). SW: beautiful regular waves, surf/strapless sessions. W: also works (side-onshore), even very well. Tramontane NW / Mistral N: OFFSHORE here — do not sail without safety boat. Prefer Étang d'Ingril or Villeneuve. Downwind Grande-Motte to Palavas possible with good thermals.

Hazards

Preparation zone not very wide: beachgoers come to lay their towels in the kite zone — stay diplomatic and explain the risks. Row of wooden stakes protecting the dunes only one line length from the beach — be careful! Very shallow water for the first 30 meters. Strong swell in big SE — powerful shore break. Very crowded on the beach in summer — gather your belongings, don't bother others. Beach shrinking year after year, eaten by erosion.

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