Between the VVF/Océanides to the south and the Santocha to the north. One of the most visually striking spots in the area, standing among the bunkers is quite something.
// The name
This one goes back a while. During World War Two, the German army built a concrete track to connect its bunker position (Ba15) to Capbreton's road network. That military track is long gone, but its name stuck to the beach.
// The spot
Between the VVF/Océanides to the south and the Santocha to the north. The car park runs the full length of the road leading to the beach, and fills up fast in summer, at which point you'll need to fall back on the surrounding streets. Climb the dune and you get a small viewpoint over the whole run of spots, from the VVF/Océanides to the Santocha. You arrive right at the bunkers, sitting to the right of the beach entrance.
Best conditions: low tide, swell between 1.2m and 1.8m, with periods around 10 seconds for it to work properly. A general rule for the area: under 10 seconds of period, Capbreton is usually the better call; between 10 and 12 seconds, look toward Hossegor or Seignosse instead. There are always exceptions, of course, but it's a solid starting point for deciding where to go. Decent waves show up here at low tide when conditions line up. With more water, the wave is often less hollow than at the Océanides. At low tide, no real surprises. The current can be strong and vicious, worth taking seriously the first time you paddle out.
// The bunkers
Built in 1943 by the German army, a Regelbau 612 casemate and the remains of a troop shelter, today the most accessible and most photographed remains in all of Capbreton. Originally set up high on the dune, coastal erosion has gradually brought them down to water level. Now, these blocks of concrete seem to float straight on the sand, a striking sign of how much the coastline has retreated over the years.
// Safety
Watch out at high tide: there's something hidden underwater near the bunkers. It's best not to cut between the bunkers on the right to reach the water, bad timing there and you can quickly end up in a bad spot. Jumping off the bunkers into the water is technically forbidden, but we won't tell anyone. If you jump at high tide, that stays between us. Just check what's underneath at low tide before you try anything. A spot for surfers who can already read a wave, not one to improvise on.
// Who it's for
A surf school is set up at the start of the beach access path, geared more toward experienced surfers given the conditions. If you're genuinely just starting out, head to the Santocha instead, better suited to all levels and just a few minutes north.
Board Garage delivers straight to the spot, no shop, no detour, boards shaped by local craftsmen. On peaks this powerful and hollow, a Fish or a sharp shortboard will often do the job.
Book your board for La Piste →// Practical info
GPS: 43°38'27.5"N, 1°26'52.9"W
Free car park, around 100 spaces, access via Avenue de Biarritz heading south, then Chemin de la Mer.
No food on site. The beach runs a zero-waste policy.