When is the best time to dive Quiberon & Belle-Île?

The good months to dive Quiberon & Belle-Île are Apr–Oct. Clubs dive April–October; in July and August some run a single departure a day, in the morning.

Is Quiberon & Belle-Île good for beginner divers?

Yes, partly: 3 of the 11 dive sites we document are suited to Open Water divers, including La Basse de Palais, An Auter and Basse Ledan. The others need more experience or a higher certification.

What is the water temperature in Quiberon & Belle-Île?

The water is usually between 10 °C and 18 °C over the year.

What marine life can you see in Quiberon & Belle-Île?

Divers regularly see pollack, crustaceans, conger eel and anemones.

Quiberon & Belle-Île

Diving in France

11 documented dive sites, 3 of them for Open Water divers. Known for pollack and crustaceans.

Good months: Apr–Oct
Water: 10–18 °C
Levels: Open Water, Advanced, Experienced
Nearest airport: LRT

When to go

Pick a month: the diving season, from published sources, and the typical weather.

Pick a month

Best
Good
Possible
Closed
Not documented yet

Quiberon & Belle-Île in October

Good season

Sea: 17 °C; at the surface
Air: 17 °C; 14 °C at night
Rain: 110 mm; one of the wettest months
Wind: 26 km/h; on average

Exposure suit: 5 mm full suit · if you feel the cold: 7 mm full suit or 8/7 mm semi-dry. How we choose

Typical weather, not a forecast: averages for 2021–2025 (air, rain, wind) and 2023–2025 (sea), data from Open-Meteo (ERA5 / Copernicus, Météo-France). Covers an area of roughly 10 to 25 km around the destination.

Compare with another destination

Clubs dive April–October; in July and August some run a single departure a day, in the morning.

Source: divessi.com

Dive sites in Quiberon & Belle-Île

From the easiest to the most demanding. Levels with a dashed outline are estimates we are still verifying.

Wrecks are accessible only on guided dives, and sites are chosen at the last minute according to swell, wind, tide and divers' level.

Open Water friendly

usual dive down to 18 m3 sites

Reef

down to 18 m

La Basse de Palais

A 10–18 m rocky plateau off Le Palais coloured by soft corals, jewel anemones and gorgonians, home to congers, lobsters and dogfish.

Open Water
Lesser spotted dogfish

Rock formations

down to 18 m

An Auter

A 5–18 m maze of overhangs, drop-offs and canyons with gorgonians, kelp, sponges, bass, ballan wrasse and pouting.

Open Water

Rock formations

down to 17 m

Basse Ledan

Big rocks and tunnels from 5 to 17 m off Quiberon, with lobsters, congers and many anemones; used for try dives and beginners.

Open Water
Conger eel

For Advanced divers

usual dive down to 30 m7 sites

Wreck

down to 20 m

Philippe Éric

A trawler sunk in 1983 at 20 m off Le Palais, reached through a wall of pouting and home to a colony of conger eels.

Advanced
Conger eel

Wreck

down to 28 m

Escorteur de l'Hanan

A wooden trawler requisitioned in Belgium and armed by the Germans that escorted the Hanan, targeted by English airmen and resting at 26–28 m.

Advanced

Wreck

down to 24 m

Hanan

A small Dutch coaster sunk by English bombers in the last days of WWII, at 24 m and still a refuge for shoals of pouting.

Advanced

Wreck

down to 24 m

Kansan

Remains of an American cargo ship sunk in 1917, spread over 100 m at 24 m, where large pollack are often seen.

Advanced
Pollack

Wreck

down to 20 m

Artiglio

A famous salvage ship that was itself lost in 1930, now at 20 m off Houat and dived from Quiberon.

Advanced

Wreck

down to 25 m

Cuirassé France

The wreck of the battleship France, a post-war training ship lost on an uncharted rock in 1922, at 25 m off Quiberon.

Advanced

Wreck

down to 25 m

Nann Smith

A 25 m wreck off Quiberon with boilers, frames and windlass, wrapped in pouting shoals with pollack, congers, lobsters and crayfish.

Advanced
Pollack

For experienced divers

usual dive down to 40 m1 site

Wreck

down to 38 m

Pontoporos

A deep wreck on gravel and rock at 38 m off Quiberon, known for huge congers, pouting shoals, pollack and lobsters.

Experienced
Pollack

Marine life

When the big encounters happen, month by month.

Reported here, season not documented yet:

Pollack
Crustaceans
Conger eel
Anemones
Lesser spotted dogfish
Dolphins
Cuttlefish
Octopus

Where is Quiberon & Belle-Île?

View on OpenStreetMapLocation: Quiberon (Wikipedia)Map: Natural Earth

Nearest airport: LRT

Quiberon & Belle-Île: frequently asked questions

When is the best time to dive Quiberon & Belle-Île?: The good months to dive Quiberon & Belle-Île are Apr–Oct. Clubs dive April–October; in July and August some run a single departure a day, in the morning.
Is Quiberon & Belle-Île good for beginner divers?: Yes, partly: 3 of the 11 dive sites we document are suited to Open Water divers, including La Basse de Palais, An Auter and Basse Ledan. The others need more experience or a higher certification.
What is the water temperature in Quiberon & Belle-Île?: The water is usually between 10 °C and 18 °C over the year.
What marine life can you see in Quiberon & Belle-Île?: Divers regularly see pollack, crustaceans, conger eel and anemones.
How do you dive Quiberon & Belle-Île?: The nearest airport is LRT.

About this page

Seasons and marine life come from the sources below. Site levels and depths marked as estimated come from our original catalogue and are being checked one by one. Conditions change: always confirm with a local dive centre.

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Photo: Sarah Lee on Unsplash

Photo credits

Sunlight and bubbles in deep blue water, Sarah Lee, Unsplash License, on Unsplash