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About this spot
Saint-Pierre's municipality calls the Gendarmerie beach the gateway to one of the island's best kitesurf and windsurf spots. A spot guide describes a lagoon only about 150 m wide, with south-east trades in the austral winter (May–November) that are often over 30 knots, and a pass out to the open sea.
The local kite association, Attitude Kite Réunion, states that every spot on the island requires an autonomous, confirmed-to-expert level — which is why there is no kite school on Réunion. It also warns that wind accelerates around the island's relief: a 20–25 knot forecast can mean 30–35 knots on the beach.
The beach is narrow and ends at a wall with houses behind it; don't launch at that end. The lagoon fills with 5–10 kites. Never ride alone, and take the shark risk seriously: tiger and bull shark attacks have killed windsurfers and surfers on Réunion, and sharks have been seen at every open-sea spot.
3-day forecast
Speed / gusts in knots. Colour = rideability for this spot. Bottom row = recommended kite size for your weight — not recommended outside this spot's 20–35 kn range.
Conditions
- Water
- flat, choppy, waves
- Depth
- Small reef lagoon; depth not surveyed
- Seabed
- coral, sand
- Skill
- expert
- Beginners
- Expert only
- Wind range
- 20 kn – 35 kn
Access & parking
Boulevard Hubert Delisle, Saint-Pierre — beach opposite the gendarmerie.
Parking: Town parking along the boulevard; unverified.
Amenities
- Beach snacks
- Saint-Pierre town services
Needs local verification: Sources: https://www.attitudekite-reunion.re/spots (local kite association: all Réunion spots require an autonomous, confirmed-to-expert level, which is why there is no kite school on the island; never ride alone; tiger and bull shark risk, several windsurfers and surfers killed, sharks seen on all open-sea spots), https://www.attitudekite-reunion.re/meteo (SE trade May–November; relief accelerates wind, forecasts can read 1.5–2× low; example 20–25 kt forecast becoming 30–35 kt at La Gendarmerie), https://www.saintpierre.re/decouvrez-saint-pierre/le-cadre-de-vie/les-plages/la-plage-de-la-gendarmerie (Saint-Pierre municipality: one of the island's best kite and windsurf spots, trade wind), https://lets-kite.com/fr/spots/1120/kitesurf/la-gendarmerie (150 m wide lagoon, trades often over 30 kt in austral winter, pass to open sea, saturates with 5–10 kites, narrow beach ending at a wall with houses — don't launch at the end, gusty, not for beginners). Prefectural order no. 1744 of 15 July 2008 regulates kitesurfing on Réunion's coast — check the authorised zone. Water temperatures use the Mauritius table as a nearby estimate. Coordinates from the spot guide. Windy links are searches/maps, not verified local webcams.
Local hazards
- Shark risk — fatal attacks on Réunion; never go outside the reef alone
- Gusts often above 30 kt; forecasts read low
- Narrow beach ending at a wall and houses
- Small lagoon that saturates quickly; pass to open sea with current