Surfing Guéthary & Hendaye

Avalanche

• Reef
• Pro
• 4-15 ft
• Oct-Mar
• Crowd 3/5

Guéthary's reef break, and one of the outstanding barrel waves of mainland Europe. Avalanche breaks over a rock reef just off this small, upscale Basque fishing village, producing fast, hollow, powerful lefts when a big SW or NW groundswell wraps in with the right size.

The wave is famously fickle: it needs genuine size to start breaking properly, over 6ft, and remains rideable up to well overhead, but naturally guards its quality by rarely working at all in smaller swells. When it does turn on, it's known as a very serious big-wave spot, only for experienced surfers who understand the reef and the consequences of a mistake.

This is not a wave to underestimate. Watch it from the village terraces first, understand where the locals sit, and only paddle out once you're certain of the conditions and your own readiness. Outside the channel, on the other side, is a very different, gentler proposition worth knowing about.

43.4211, -1.6072 · Big SW-NW swell

Lafitenia

• Right Point
• Intermediate / Advanced
• 2-8 ft
• Sep-Apr
• Crowd 4/5

A fast, quality righthand point just south of Guéthary, breaking off a small headland into a sheltered cove with good protection from cross-shore wind. Lafitenia is considered one of the best-shaped waves on the Côte Basque, offering long, walled-up rights that link cleanly down the point.

The wave holds a wide range of size well, from fun and workable to genuinely powerful on a bigger swell, and the point's shape keeps it relatively clean even when the wind is doing its worst on more exposed beaches nearby. This reliability, combined with the quality of the wave itself, makes it a serious local favourite.

Come on a SW or W swell for the best shape, and expect a committed, skilled local crowd protecting one of the region's most consistently good waves. A short walk down to a small, pretty beach adds to the appeal of a session here.

43.41, -1.62 · SW-W swell

Hendaye Plage

• Beach Break
• Beginner / Intermediate
• 1-5 ft
• Year-round
• Crowd 3/5

A long, wide sandy beach at the very southern end of the French coast, right at the Spanish border. Hendaye Plage breaks over sand in accessible, forgiving peaks, a friendlier alternative to the reef and jetty breaks further north around Biarritz and Guéthary.

Sheltered somewhat by its position at the mouth of the Bidasoa estuary, it tends to stay a touch calmer than the fully exposed Landes beaches, making it a good option on bigger or wind-affected days elsewhere on the coast. The town itself is a classic, relaxed French beach resort.

Come at low-to-mid tide on a small-to-moderate swell for the easiest conditions. It's popular with beginners and families, and a sensible last stop on a Côte Basque road trip before crossing into Spain's own Basque Country just across the river.

43.3728, -1.7739 · Small-mod swell

Sainte-Barbe

• Reef
• Advanced / Pro
• 3-10 ft
• Oct-Mar
• Crowd 2/5

A fast, powerful wave at the north end of Guéthary's bay, offering a different character from the reef break at Avalanche just around the point. Sainte-Barbe catches swell well and can hold decent size with a punchy, quick-breaking wall.

It works as a useful alternative when Avalanche is either too small to break or already crowded with the area's committed local surfers. Come on a clean SW-NW swell, and treat it with the same respect given to any serious Basque reef wave.

43.425, -1.605 · Clean SW-NW swell