Lacanau Ocean
Lacanau is a charming seaside town with a colourful architectural mix of seaside villas from the most modest, to the most opulent. Located on the Atlantic coast of France with 14km of uninterrupted fine, golden sand and over 2300 hours sunshine per year, it is home to many International sports championships. The resort of Lacanau-Ocean is the main beach resort, not to be confused with Lacanau-Ville, a town further along the coast. Lacanau-Ocean is a world-class resort for all water sports, but particularly surfing.
Best for
Famous for its offshore swell producing world class surf and beach-break barrels
Fun fact
Every year in August, Lacanau-Océan welcomes the world's top surfers for 'Lacanau Pro' which is part of the professional world surfing championship
Nearest airport
Bordeaux (53km)
Centre comfort
Resort charm
Lacanau is a lively town and resort. A large choice of nightlife is offered from “trendy” nightclubs to the Casino which is open every day. There is a great selection of bars and nightclubs to suit all tastes.
The town also has plenty of shopping in addition to a multitude of sports clubs.
A visit to the vineyards and châteaus of the Bordeaux are a great option – ask at reception for a map of the local area - they are clearly marked.
Lacanau UCPA is located in a quiet spot in the middle of a pine forest, a 15-minute walk to the beaches and centre of town, or 5 minutes by bicycle. The accommodation is basic, but spacious and is divided into 5 separate blocks, each nestled into the forest. There is a restaurant, bar and large outdoor dining onsite plus there are hammocks dotted about for relaxing in. Available at Lacanau UCPA free of charge is: Tennis, bicycle hire, volleyball and petanque. Beautiful walks through the forest and bike rides to surrounding lakes are possible from UCPA, just ask at reception for a map of the local area.
Rooms
– 2-4 person rooms equipped with sinks
– Ensuite twin rooms available
– Bathroom facilities are shared between 3 rooms
Facilities
– Newly renovated centre
– Outdoor pool
– World-renowned surf spot
– Buffet-style restaurant
– Sports equipment and storage all on-site
– Beach volleyball, tennis, padel and pétanque/boules courts at the centre
– Golf Complex
– WiFi. Please note the WiFi is not good enough for working on data-intensive activities
All UCPA meals are buffet style and with multiple servings the norm; you won't go hungry.
Breakfast is normally yogurts, cereals, fruit juice, coffee and bread - don't be surprised to see that the coffee and tea is taken in a bowl!
It is possible to return to the centre for lunch everyday where you will find 1 or 2 hot options available. As with all meals there will be a salad bar, plenty of bread, cheese, meat and of course desert. If you prefer you can make a packed lunch at breakfast time and eat on the mountain. Either way you will save a fortune avoiding the piste side restaurants.
Dinner is a 3/4 course buffet - typically a salad bar style starter, a choice of 3 hot main courses, a cheese and cold meat platter and ice cream/dessert.
Due to the cost focussed nature of UCPA and the wide range of dietary requirements, it is impossible to accommodate everyone as standard. If you have any severe dietary requirements please contact the centre two weeks before to let them know. Generally speaking vegetarians will find plenty of options, with vegan options being a little more scarce but improving year on year.
By Air
Bordeaux Airport is the closest airport to UCPA Lacanau only being 53km away. A taxi will be around €100 each way. There are local buses that you can get too, but be aware this will add a couple of hours to your journey. Check out Rome2Rio website to see all the different ways to reach the centre.
Airport Transfers
UCPA provides airport transfers that run on Sundays.
There is 1 shuttle departing from Bordeaux Airport to Lacanau each Sunday. The journey is approximately 50km and takes around 1 hour.
The meeting point is in front of the Billi Terminal at Bordeaux Airport. We recommend booking flights landing at least 1.5 hours before the Transfer departure, see below for timings as they differ from week-to-week.
The return shuttle departs from Lacanau at 12:50 with arrival at Bordeaux Airport around 14:15 (0n Saturdays only)
We recommend to have a flight departing after 16:00.
In case of emergency, please contact : +33 5 40 43 00 85
This is a scheduled transfer service, so ensure that your flight times fit in with the departure timings below:
| Dates 2026 - 2027 Sunday Arrival - Bordeaux airport to Lacanau | Latest flight arrival |
|---|---|
| May 31st, the shuttle leaves Bordeaux airport at 14:00 |
12:30 |
| 14/06 and 21/06, departure is at 14:30 | 13:00 |
| From 05/07 to 23/08, departure is at 12:00 (every Sunday) | 10:30 |
| From 30/08 to 06/09, departure from the airport is at 14:30. (every Sunday) | 13:00 |
| Dates 2026 - 2027 Saturday Departure - Lacanau to Bordeaux airport | Earliest flight departure |
|---|---|
| Every Saturday from 06/06 to 12/09 at 12:50 |
16:00 |
Please log into your dashboard to add your flight details as soon as your booking is confirmed
For flights outside of the Sunday schedule, it may be possible to get The regional bus 421 Bordeaux – Lacanau: please note that it does not go directly to the airport. You will need to get to the Mérignac Centre stop first.
By Train
From the Bordeaux Saint-Jean SNCF station, take the Transgironde bus line 702, timetables and prices can be found here https://transports.nouvelle-aquitaine.fr/ . Get off at the Marie Curie stop in Lacanau Océan (10 minutes walk from UCPA Lacanau).
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