Located at latitude 43°40âN and 1°27âW meridian, Hossegor is a tiny coastal jewel that lies in Europeâs longest beach, the C´te dâ Argent, within the south-western coast of the Aquitaine region of France. Hossegor is a part of the small town of Soorts, inside Landes department, thus the name Soorts-Hossegor. Hossegor started as a small whaling village during the 14th century.
Hossegorâs orientation and location is blessed by
unusually high and long surfs that can only be attributed to its unique underwater
topography, and to the far-away weather systems in the Atlantic.
From the North Atlantic, these swells are blown and fed to the Bay of Biscay. The Bay of Biscay is a huge body of water semi-enclosed by land from the Brittany (Bretagne) peninsula, to the Spanish tip of the Iberian Peninsula in the west. The underwater topography of the Bay of Biscay features a sudden rise in the continental shelf well within the interior of the bay. This gives Hossegor unusual high waves and surfs.
Along with the wide light coloured beach of C´te dâ Argent, Hossegor was not able to hide from the eyes of aficionados of extreme sports like surfing. Due to the influx of surfers and their followers during the seasons of high surfs and waves, Hossegor evolved from a traditional pastoral land into a world-class tourist destination in the Bay of Biscay, and became host to the annual Quicksilver Pro France surfing championship destination. Hossegor can boast of its world-class beach breaks, such as La Nord and Gravi¨re, along with the beach breaks of nearby Capbreton and Seignosse.
A cultural melting pot, Hossegor is an undeniable mixture of Basque and Landaise cultures that is much visible on its architectural heritage, which have blended into its pine-forested landscape. The beauty of Hossegor is even girdled with a 250-hectare saltwater lake. Poets and artists of old found refuge in this placeâs tranquil serenity. From the sleepy pastoral town in the past, Hossegor was transformed into a tourist and sports destination where there is more than surfing and living with its yearly series of events and festivities. There is the Harley-Davidson motorcycle festival, the classical music festival, The Hossegor Pelote Basque Open, Golf competitions and the Motocross Enduro beach competitions, just to mention a few. Furthermore, Hossegorâs thriving nightlife, centred at La Plage Centrale,is going full swing on summer nights.
Climate
The climate in Hossegor is generally classified as âoceanic climateâ according to K¶ppen Climate Classification. Generally, the climate on this part of the globe is temperate with four seasons each year: winter, spring, summer and autumn.
During the summer months, the temperature in the region tends to be warmer than most areas similarly classified as oceanic climate. Furthermore, during winter months, the climate is milder than other places. The substantial amount of rain during summer season prevents this climate from being re-categorized as Mediterranean. Hossegor receives an annual average of about 1992 hours of sunlight.
Normally, spring months in Hossegor are cool to moderate with a mean average temperature of about 12C during this period, and slight to moderate precipitation. Sunlight, a prime and priceless commodity to the outdoor sports seeker, is reasonably long and clear.
Summer
Generally, summer in this part of the Aquitaine region of France is long and warm. Summer officially starts in the month of June, and ends by August. However, summer tends to start earlier in mid-May and ends around mid-September. The influence of the warm Atlantic current in the Bay of Biscay, with a surface temperature that reaches about 21-22C, plays a crucial role in the weather pattern of the area. The average summer season temperature is around 19C, but during the last decade starting in the year 2001, there has been an increase in the annual average temperature that far exceeds the average of 19C. During the summer of 2003, a remarkably high average temperature of 23C was recorded.
Hossegor, the surfing capital of Europe, has its fair share of high winds driven by frequent high pressure areas at mid-Atlantic levels that blow inland. The underwater topography and the above-mentioned high winds caused by high pressures at the mid-Atlantic latitudes help to create reasonably high surfs. The season also brings about 8 hours of sunshine per day on the average. This part of France generally has an annual summer precipitation average of 60 mm. Like most other French coastal areas, an average of eight days of heavy precipitation each month during summer equates to substantial rainfall during the season in Hossegor.
Autumn
Early autumn is best described by the coming of the surfing competitions, especially the Quicksilver Pro France that makes Hossegor famous. During these autumn months, the Atlantic is home to some of the most remarkable high and low pressure weather systems that can send winds and swells to the stretch of C´te dâ Argent where Hossegor is situated. September is the month thatâs generally accepted as the start of autumn in other regions; however in Hossegor, this month seems to be the extension of summer. Low and high-pressure Atlantic autumnal weather patterns send respectable winds that drive swells inland. In early fall, the area around Hossegor still receives a good amount of cloudless skies. Mean temperatures usually average about 13C during autumn.
Winter
The season of winter is regarded as generally mild due to the prevailing westerly winds from the Atlantic Ocean. The annual winter temperature tends to average about at 6C, however, in recent winters of the last decade, there has been a gradual increase in this average temperature.
Also, frost is generally prevalent in Hossegorâs winter climate. Frost can occur several times during the season. However, snowfall is a rare occurrence in Hossegor. Snowfall has been observed to occur at least once every three years at the most. This can account for the moderate precipitation period from the months of September to January, measuring 107 mm with usually mild temperature averages. Sunshine hours are also curtailed during late fall to mid winter with a minimum of about 72 hours of sunshine throughout the month of December.