Mondial du Vent

Once again, Leucate opens its door for a week to lovers of the sea, the waves and the wind. All the extreme sports meet up for the 2024 edition of this yearly event.

On the programme this year will be funboard, kitesurf, sail-carting, kite flying, Wingfoil, Kitefoil…… and many related forms of entertainment throughout the week….. with a bit of help from the Tramontane of course.

Check out the site

The best riders in the world will be on stage with an amazing collection of ultimate tricks. Along with the competition and the new events of the Mondial du Vent, kitesurfers will ride in a long distance race of 20 km during which amateurs will compete with professionals.

The Orange Speed Crossing will take place, when the 5 best windsurfers and the 5 best kitesurfs will compete against each other. Mondial du Vent also aims at promoting other disciplines related to the wind and extreme sports. To this end, Mondial du Vent will host  a stand-up paddle race between Leucate Plage and La Franqui. Stand up paddle is a new challenge and a good solution for windless days, which also allows surfers to ride many waves.

To add to this wind celebration, the extreme sports village will be free for children and adults with several shows and events in order to inform the audience about the environment and all activities related to the wind. For the most valiant there will also be the Equipement Testing Show in order to try, both on water or on land, the latest kitesurf and windsurf innovations. BMX, skating, sand yachting, and equipment tryouts await the over 160 000 spectators around the Leucate waters, giving the opportunity to discover and familiarize oneself with sports such as windsurfing, kitesurfing, sand yachting , kite buggy, … 

Check out the programme here.

About La Franqui

The north wind, the wind of good weather, blows with a vengeance at La Franqui.

Augustus, first of the Roman Caesars, defied it and it is still much worshipped by windsurf and sand yacht fanatics, bringing thousands of extreme water sport fanatics to Leucate and La Franqui every year.

Originally a small fishing village, La Franqui has grown into a successful holiday resort sheltering under its white limestone cliffs on top of which the semaphore of Leucate surveys the seas from the Carmargue to the Spanish border.

Not only windsurfers but flamingos and a highly productive oyster industry make good use of the waters of the lagoon that lies south of the town. Access to the oyster fishing huts that line the narrow waterway between the lagoon and the sea is from the D627 road that runs from Leucate to Barcarès. Turn off at the sign to the Centre Conchylicole. Almost all the huts offer tasting menus of the freshest and plumpest oysters imaginable, ideally accompanied by a chilled glass of crisp local white wine. They also sell oysters and conveniently pre-cleaned mussels to take home.

Leucate beach is long and sandy. On the beach itself, each year from mid June till the end of August a couple of restaurants rebuild themselves on wooden stilts. Oysters (of course) feature on the deliciously tempting menus as do a la planxa fish and gambas. A good wine list compliments both the food and the view half way to Africa.

There are wonderful walks to be had over the cliffs. There is a ruined castle to explore, jazz and other concerts take place within its crumbling walls. The Corbieres hills, the immensity of the beaches and the white cliffs plunging into “La Grande Bleue” all add to the magic that is to be discovered exactly 30km from both Perpignan and Narbonne at La Franqui/ Leucate.