Sargassum at Anse à la Gourde (Saint-François): today's report
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Anse à la Gourde opens on the northern side of the peninsula leading to Pointe des Châteaux, in the commune of Saint-François. If you are looking for sargassum at Anse à la Gourde before making the trip, that is precisely what this page publishes, one day at a time.
The morning reading gives a 0 to 5 score, a note on what the shoreline shows, and a map placing the bay among its neighbours. Conditions move from one day to the next and the page follows that pace. Check it when you wake up, not the evening before.
Anse à la Gourde on the sargassum map
What to know about this beach
A northeast aspect puts this bay straight in line with the prevailing wind. Trade winds blow from the east almost all year and push the sargassum rafts that cross the Atlantic ahead of them, so a shore turned that way takes arrivals head-on, with no headland to deflect them. That is the single most useful fact before you drive out here.
A reef line partly closes the bay, leaving shallow water between the coral and the sand. Once mats clear that threshold they find little current to carry them back out, and they can settle along the shoreline. On this peninsula the north-facing and south-facing beaches often tell different stories on the same morning.
Frequently asked questions
Does Anse à la Gourde get a lot of sargassum?
Its northeast opening lines it up with the trade winds that carry Atlantic rafts toward the islands. During arrival periods it deserves closer watching than the sheltered south-facing coves nearby.
How can I be sure of the bay's state on the day I visit?
Open the FanGass map in the morning: Anse à la Gourde carries its own 0 to 5 rating and a written note. Because it is updated daily, you avoid discovering the situation from the car park.
Why does sargassum sometimes linger inside the bay?
The reef that partly closes the water limits exchange with the open sea. A mat that washes over it takes time to leave, as long as wind and swell keep coming from the same quarter.
What sets this cove apart from the beaches by Saint-François marina?
It is quieter and further from town, and the bay is known for its Amerindian archaeological site. For sargassum, the difference that counts is its northeast exposure rather than a southern one.