A flat ocean can feel like a personal attack. You’ve waxed your board, checked every forecast like a lunatic, and even gone through the ritual of stretching out your backhand turns in the mirror—only to step outside and see a sea of glass. No swell. No hope. No mercy.
But here’s the thing: Hossegor is the kind of place that doesn’t do boredom. Even when the Atlantic takes a breather, this town knows how to keep the pulse going. Flat days aren’t wasted days—they’re just a shift in pace. So, if the waves aren’t showing up, here’s how to keep yourself moving.
1. Ride Concrete Waves
When the ocean shuts down, the pavement steps up. Hossegor is a skate town as much as it’s a surf town—a place where pumping through a bowl is as natural as paddling into a peak. The Seignosse Skatepark is the go-to, with smooth transitions and plenty of space to lay into some carves. No bowl? No worries. Grab a cruiser and carve through town, weaving past café patios and pine-lined streets until you hit the boardwalk.
Why it matters: Skating is the closest thing you’ll get to surfing on land. It keeps your balance sharp, your flow intact, and your frustration levels in check. Plus, it’s a solid way to kill time until the next swell hits.
2. Wander Through Hossegor’s Markets
There’s something deeply satisfying about slow mornings spent strolling through a market—especially when the scent of fresh baguettes, ripe peaches, and salty ocean air fills your lungs. Hossegor’s markets are a full sensory experience: bustling stalls stacked with Basque cheeses, flaky pastries, local honey, and crisp rosé just begging for a long lunch.
But beyond the food, the market is a place to soak up the town’s rhythm. A place where locals haggle over tomatoes, old men sip pastis in the shade, and sunburnt tourists clutch tote bags filled with way too much saucisson.
Pro tip: Find a bench, order an espresso, and just people-watch. It’s an underrated sport.
3. Stretch It Out with Some Yoga
Surfing beats your body up more than you think. The pop-ups, the paddling, the wipeouts that leave you folded in half—all of it adds up. Yoga is the reset button, and a flat day is the perfect excuse to hit it.
The Surf House keeps things casual with morning sessions designed for stiff shoulders and sore backs. Nothing pretentious, no impossible poses—just a good stretch and a chance to breathe before the day unfolds. If you want to venture out, Hossegor has a few solid studios offering everything from power flows to laid-back yin classes that feel suspiciously close to a nap.
Bonus: You’ll feel way better the next time you spend 45 minutes duck-diving through a closeout set.
4. Walk the Lake, Get Lost in the Forest
If you think Hossegor is just beach breaks and beach bars, you haven’t wandered far enough. Lac d’Hossegor is where things slow down. The kind of place where time stretches out, and you forget what day it is. The walking trails here are pure gold—shaded paths winding past sailboats, sandy shores, and oyster shacks serving the freshest seafood this side of the Atlantic.
Further inland, the Landes forest is a different world. Towering pines, winding dirt trails, the occasional wild deer—it’s the opposite of the high-energy beachfront, and that’s exactly why it’s worth exploring.
Best move? Walk until you get hungry, then hit one of the lakefront oyster bars. Order a dozen, grab a crisp white wine, and settle in.
5. Eat Like You Mean It
If the French know how to do one thing, it’s make a meal feel like an event. In Hossegor, lunch isn’t just a break in the day—it’s the main event. The town is packed with seafood joints, boulangeries, and lakeside oyster bars that take their time, because good food deserves it.
Go old school: Chez Minus at the marina. Order mussels, frites, and a cold bottle of something dry and delicious.
Feeling fancy? Head to one of the oyster shacks by the lake—salt air, cold wine, and fresh oysters straight out of the water.
Casual vibe? Hit the boulangerie, grab a baguette, cheese, and charcuterie, and post up somewhere with a view.
Lunch in France is long, slow, and borderline sacred. Lean into it. The waves can wait.
Final Thought: Flat Days Don’t Mean Boring Days
Flat days aren’t a curse. They’re a chance to do everything you ignore when the waves are firing. A day to skate until your legs burn, eat until you need a nap, walk until you get lost, and slow down enough to see the town beyond the surf.
Because here’s the thing: Hossegor isn’t just a surf town. It’s a town that keeps moving, even when the ocean doesn’t. And if you know where to look, you’ll never be short of things to do.
