Bas du Fort beach (Le Gosier): sargassum conditions today
Clear
Good to go
Bas du Fort beach lies at the western end of Le Gosier, on the doorstep of Pointe-à-Pitre and next to the marina that gave the district its name. It sits deep inside the bays of Pointe-à-Pitre, well away from the open faces of Grande-Terre.
This page shows where sargassum stands at Bas du Fort today: the 0 to 5 rating, a description of what has been recorded, and a map for comparing with the rest of Le Gosier. The update lands every morning, early enough to settle the question before you get in the car.
Plage du Bas du Fort on the sargassum map
What to know about this beach
Bas du Fort opens to the south on the Caribbean flank, and it sits markedly further west than the other Gosier beaches. The two facts compound: rafts pushed by the easterly trades have to round Grande-Terre first, then work their way along the whole south coast before entering the head of the bay, and at each stage part of the mass scatters or grounds somewhere upstream.
Exposure here is among the lowest in the zone, which is not the same as none. Water at the back of a bay turns over slowly, so when weed does make it this far it lingers and breaks down in place rather than being drawn back offshore. The daily rating weighs both sides of that: how much arrived, and how long it is likely to stay.
Frequently asked questions
Does Bas du Fort see much sargassum?
It is one of the least exposed spots in Le Gosier: the beach faces south at the back of the Pointe-à-Pitre bays, and rafts have to travel the length of the south coast to reach it.
How should I check before coming for a swim?
Open the FanGass map on the day itself. Bas du Fort gets a 0 to 5 rating updated every morning, with the observed conditions and the neighbouring beaches shown alongside for comparison.
Why does weed linger at the head of a bay?
Because the water barely turns over. In a poorly flushed basin a stranded mat is not pulled back offshore and decays on the sand, whereas an open coast clears it far more quickly.
Is it a good fallback when the coast is loaded?
Often, but check the rating first. The geographic shelter works during moderate arrivals and thins out in heavy episodes, when weed pushes deep into the bay as well.